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Women in Shadow and Light: Journeys from Abuse to Healing

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Abuse and women have gone hand in hand throughout the centuries; the battle for liberty and freedom rages on even now in our modern times. The subject matter of this book is not new, the stories told and the tears shed are not surprising, but what is, is the courage found within these women and the positive reflection their words leave with the reader.
As author Jan Goff-LaFontaine shares the heart of these women with frank interviews, she somehow shatters the wall of secrecy that has been carefully laid, and takes you to the other side of their prison wall where liberty awaits them.
At first I was surprised to see naked pictures of these women, but for them this too was a liberty, a breaking free of abuse and negative impressions of their inner-self; as they shared the parts of their body where healing began.
Abuse in any form is not a pretty picture; the degrading of another human being must never be tolerated. This work, I believe, will give hope to thousands of women to take that first step to freedom.

There are lots of books thar dwell on the abusive part of domestic abuse--how many women die, how many bruises they get, and how they get hurt. This is certainly important to know, as are the signs of abuse and how to get out of an abusive situation. But WOMEN IN SHADOW AND LIGHT does more than that. It presents women who have survived abuse and are in the process of healing from it. Author Jan Goff-LaFontaine interviewed many women about their lives, focusing on how they got out of their abusive situations, and how they made themselves whole again. Once she finished the interviews, Jan Goff LaFontaine photographed the women, working with her subjects to find poses that they thought best exemplified their healing. The result is a compilation of powerful words and images that hit the reader kapow--right where they should, in the spirit. It's enough to send a person soaring. WOMEN IN SHADOW AND LIGHT is worth getting to know on several levels, first as a metaphor of stepping from shadow to light, second as literal shadow and light in the photographs, and third as a tool we all can use to help each other. If we know someone who has been abused, this book is the ideal gift. If we're wallowing in self pity over some trivial thing that happened to us on the way to work, we can stop to ponder how we'd handle ourselves if we really had a problem. Or if we just want to be inspired by women who got themselves together, we can pick up WOMEN IN SHADOW AND LIGHT.

The photos were what first drew me to the book. Once I started reading the stories of these courageous women I could not put the book aside. As a survivor I connected with the women, with their stories and found the book to truly be one about hope and healing. It is a must read for any abuse survivor or anyone who cares about or has a survivor in their life.

The body of a woman is beautiful, perhaps more so as she lives life and overcomes the many obstacles waiting to trip her up or tear her down. But what about the body of an abused woman? Is she still beautiful? Can her body be beautiful? Photographer and author Jan Goff-LaFontaine met with forty women, aged 19 to 95, all survivors of abuse. She photographed them in the nude to celebrate their ownership of their bodies after experiencing the victory of surviving abuse.

Women in Shadow and Light is not a book for voyeurs or those seeking a thrill. Instead, it is a deeply moving tribute to womanhood, in particular, to women who have survived abuse. Each woman allowed the part of her body she most associated with her personal experience of abuse to be photographed-only now that body part is seen victoriously.

Completely shot in black and white, the images in this book are not just works of art-they are works of love, celebration, hope, triumph, and acceptance. Their beauty is enhanced as the meaning of the portrait becomes clearer, using a narrative in the subject's own words as well as notes by the author. Some portraits include a post-interview letter from the women speaking about the experience of the photo shoot.

In Jan's own words, "I wanted to make the book a celebration of the strength and beauty of women; a reclaiming of their own joy and a gift of hope to others."

Why choose nude portraiture to offer hope? Jan says, "The question haunting me was: how can we change our perception-and even influence society's concept-of what it means to be a beautiful woman? My vision was to allow each of the women to help create her own portrait in order to see her body in a new way; to see it as beautiful and precious. To see it as a work of art."

I recommend Women in Shadow and Light for all women who are recovering from abuse; for counselors and pastors to share with those seeking affirmation. It is an inspiring tribute to the power of a woman and the beauty that arises out of the ashes of a fire that once threatened to suffocate the essence of God's most stunning creation: woman.

Two quotes from participants in Women in Shadow and Light:

"It's truly a gift to be part of this, and to be able to speak up, knowing that my story of courage can inspire others. Instead of feeling small and damaged, I am brave, I have healed, and I am an example of how others can heal, too."-Cheryl

"I'd like to hold out hope to other women...to let them know they aren't alone; they aren't the only ones these things happened to, and they can survive."-Ellie

Jan Goff-LaFontaine is a photographer and writer who is dedicated to bringing awareness and healing through art. She uses a 35 mm and medium format cameras to focus attention on people, sometimes spending hours to capture a moment. Each sensitive portrait is handcrafted by Jan to offer viewers a glimpse into the essence of her subjects.

Women In Shadow And Light: Journeys From Abuse To Healing by author, editor, and photographer Jan Goff-LaFontaine showcases the stories of forty women ranging in age from nineteen to ninety-five who found the courage to overcome personal trauma. Their inspiring stories are beautifully enhanced with sensitive portrait photography that offers a visual glimpse into the essence of these individual women. A unique body of work, Women In Shadow And Light is especially recommended reading for anyone struggling with verbal, physical, or emotional abuse within their own lives, as well as for those who enjoy the blending of photography and text to portray memorable examples of the human condition in our contemporary times.

This book is a celebration of women and the beauty and power of their indomitable spirits. I often found myself in tears reading the interviews and looking at the art photographs. But these were not tears of sadness. Rather, they were tears that emerged from being moved and touched deeply. They sprung forth from being inspired and having my heart opened, from being sourced by women who rose above the challenge of abuse and domestic violence to find healing. In the book, 40 women-ages nineteen to ninety-five-bared all to express their triumph over trauma. In this daring approach, fine art black and white photography combines with moving interviews to portray the essence of each woman's journey from the violence of abuse to transformation and healing. This is the most hope-filled book you will ever read about abuse and recovery. Begun as a photography exhibit, Out of the Shadows, the subjects are women who have experienced every economic situation from homelessness to the champagne lifestyle; they span many ethnicities; they are the well-known to the obscure-like the "ordinary" 62-year-old farm wife who left her abusive marriage. Each woman helped create her portrait as a personal symbol of healing, often focusing on one aspect of her body she felt was most affected in the healing process. by Alissa Lukara: Author of Riding Grace: A Triumph of the Soul