Customer Reviews

Stolen Innocence: Triumphing Over a Childhood Broken by Abuse: A Memoir

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found Erin Merryn's book by chance in the bookstore. I'm glad I did. I started reading the book and finished it in one night. Erin tells her story by using diary entries that she made at the time the abuse was taking place. She doesn't hold back. The result is a book that gives the reader the true horror of sexual abuse and its devastating effects on young girls. Stolen Innocence is a book that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. The story is heartbreaking and inspirational at the same time. What I liked about the book was how Erin educates the reader on the harsh realities of sexual abuse in this society by citing statistics. From there, she takes the reader on the horrifying journey of living with sexual abuse day in, day out. You feel the fear and pain with every word she writes. Sexual abuse is a topic that many tend to "push under the carpet." I applaud Erin for the courage she displays, for her ability to convey her story, and for being a survivor of sexual abuse. The communication between Erin and her abuser is a great addition to the book. Erin allows the reader to witness her raw emotions as she confronts her abuser in a series of emails. This book would be helpful to survivors of sexual abuse and to those who desire to help a loved one who has been abused. A great read!

I read this book in a different situation than most...I read it knowing the author!!! Having grown up with her and her family, and being very close with them, while reading the book I knew exactly what/who/where she was talking about throughout the whole thing. This is a wonderful and amazing book that everyone should read! The facts in this book are sad but true details that everyone should look for...this sort of abuse is nothing to be in denial about when it comes to your family/friends or whoever else. It can be dealt with...as Erin proves in her book because of her strength. Erin, the author, of this incredible book is a truly magnificent, beautiful and intelligent young woman that is going to go so far in life...because she held her head high and shared her story only to help other young women across the country have the same power to come forward about this horrible action that takes place so often! AWESOME!!!

I purchased and read Erin's book after reading a post that she made in a forum site that is dedicated to healing and surviving child sexual abuse. I was engrossed in the book from the first page. Erin also includes in her book a chapter that her mother has written which touched me to the soul. Both Erin and her mother testify to their struggles as a result of their abuse; Erin's mother's chapter is a must read for parents who are dealing with the abuse of their children when they themselves have been a victim of the same trauma. I commend both of them for their efforts in getting the message out about how to deal with the fact that abuse can happen in ANY family. To parents that feel that abuse wouldn't happen in their family, please read this memoir. Abuse does happen no matter how much we think that we can trust our family members; with the right approach to how to deal with the abuse when it is uncovered, I believe that all parties involved can find forgiveness and healing. Child Sexual Abuse should never be the "dirty little secret" that most families carry when abuse is discovered in the home. Action must be taken so that all members involved receive the support and recovery that they need. To deny that it would happen in your own home, could possibly mean that your denial allows the abuse to continue. This is a "must read" for those that want to protect their family, as well as those that have already had the trauma that Erin and her family faced when she disclosed her abuse.

this book is absolutley amazing. the way that erin describes what is going on is incredible. it makes you feel as if you are actually living her life and feeling the things that she felt. a must read for everyone

Giving voice to unspeakable abuse is what prevents it from propagating. Only when it remains in the dark is its sinister purpose accomplished. This young woman was able to finally put aside her own fears and come out of the shadows to illuminate the disconsolate corners of her life that had been concealed from her parents and even her own sister.

I read the book cover to cover in one sitting and had to choke back tears of recognition in several places. The book resonated deeply within me as we had a somewhat similar situation in our own family. Often, the revelation is as traumatic as the original abuse with the survivor suffering much more than the perpetrator even in the punishment phase.

Nonetheless, Erin has sparked a flame that now needs to be passed among survivors and their supporters to shed light on a subject that is too often veiled by silence.

Together we can bring light to the suffering. As survivors we need to continue to speak out, to support one another, and educate the public to prevent the growing scourge of sexual assault and child molestation. Thank you Erin for lighting the candle.

Erin writes a story about something that is happening on every economic level on any street in any town, but that most of us don't want to acknowledge even exists.

The evilness that is behind any manner of child sexual abuse astounds. Erin is brave enough to unveil this secret and couragous enough to educate us. I read this in one sitting, and as well, her second book "Living for Today". Schedule time, you won't be able to put either book down until you've finished reading.

A riveting and very sober account of the harrowing experience of child abuse as told by the victim. In the end this memoir ia an uplifting account of how perseverance overcame the fear of telling the truth. An amazing book.

If you have a child that has suffered sexual abuse GET THIS BOOK IN THEIR HANDS!!! I agree with the reviewer who's daughter read this book and was changed by it. For a young person this book is written perfectly and for someoone such as myself (who is 47) someone that survived sexual abuse as a child but has never faced it, it is also good. I wish that I had journaled. I would reccomend this book to everyone. Those that have and have not been affected by sexual abuse. According to the statistics if you haven't been abused you know someone that has, even if they haven't told anyone yet!!! That's scary and sad but all too true. We need to start talking and this and that is what Erin is doing. I was most touched by the paragraph written by her mother as I too was abused as a child and 2 of my children were also abused. I know her pain more than I wish, but it feels good to know I am not alone.

This book is so amazing. I have been reading a lot of books about sexual abuse but this one has made me cry the most. I am also a survivor of sexual abuse/incest and everything Erin has talked about, I have felt. It made me start thinking that if she can make it through, I can also. I absolutely loved this book. I love the idea how she just published her diary and didnt change anything. It makes it to be more raw and more powerful. Awesome job Erin!!!

I am a fan of Journal based writing, and this book opens the door in a journal format to the world of a young girl's struggle with being abused, and the aftermath of disclosing. Erin puts you in the midst of the events in a way where you feel as if you are right beside her. The bravery she displayed to write this as a young girl, and then to share this to the world is amazing. My hope is that she will indeed find Justice through her words. Read this book. Again and Again!.