I Never Told Anyone: Writings by Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (Paperback)

by Ellen Bass (Author) "Carrie is eleven years old traveling with her brother, Keith, and father, Lee, into the mountains of Bear Valley to build a cabin..." (more)
Key Phrases: trophy girl, tree hut, child sexual abuse, Aunt Lydia, Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Daddy Kanagy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A reissue of the now-classic anthology (with more than 60,000 copies sold) of deeply moving testimonies by survivors of child sexual abuse--with a new afterword by Ellen Bass, co-author of The Courage to Heal.

About the Author
A workshop facilitator for survivors, their partners, and counselors, Ellen Bass is co-editor of I Never Told Anyone and the author of several volumes of poetry. She lives in Santa Cruz, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (April 10, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060965738
• ISBN-13: 978-0060965730
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #188,970 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #44 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Abuse
  #47 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Sexuality > Psychology of Sexuality
  #97 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Abuse

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Never Told Anyone, October 3, 2002

By	Oceana - See all my reviews

This is a compilation of short stories by women who were sexually abused as children. The book is divided into sections: abuse by fathers, relatives, friends/acquaintances, and strangers. As a survivor of abuse by multiple offenders I was interested in this book, since it covers the various types of relationships I was abused within during my childhood. However, the stories can be extremely triggering, and you should only read the book if you feel ready to read graphic accounts of sexual abuse. My heart reached out to these women. It was amazing to read about all these different women and the experiences they have had. This is a very important and empowering book on child sexual abuse. I highly recommend this book if you choose to work in the field of child abuse/domestic violence/sexual assault. This book will help prepare you for some of the abuse you may be helping people to heal from. This book also shows the ways in which children keep sexual abuse a secret.

This book is a beginning step in the education of sexual abuse.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It gave me my voice.., December 19, 2000

By	"poetmnw" (South Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

For me as a trauma survivor of childhood sexual abuse.. it helped me to realize the power of my words to give the pain inside an outlet. And it also made me realize how much my writing,in much of the ways of the people in the book, it can give insight to help on this long and hard journey of healing. I do only recommend this book if you are in therapy or if you have a strong support team. It may contain many triggers for some one in healing so be aware of that for yourself or if you get it for a friend. A book to have a box of tissues by your side as it uncovers their pain and or yours.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I saw myself in the pages..., January 17, 2006

By	C. Lawton - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book provides insight into the inner workings of child sexual abuse and why victims don't tell. The stories range from a quick one-time exposure to unthinkable brutality. Some perpetrators were strangers; others were family members. All caused lasting emotional damage. The accounts are so honest and true that they allowed me to recognize for the first time that I had been molested, and it completely changed my life.

I read "I Never Told Anyone" about twenty years ago, when I was still living with my parents, not long after I graduated from college. My mom had checked it out from the library, and the title haunted me because I, too, had a secret I had never told another living soul. I read the back cover and then kept moving the book away from wherever I was in the house, terrified of what was inside. Finally, I couldn't resist. I stayed up all night and read it from cover to cover. I saw my own story in the things that were said, the feelings that were expressed... For the first time I realized that maybe I wasn't evil; that maybe I didn't deserve to die; that instead, as an innocent child, I had been manipulated and molested.

It was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but because of this book, I did tell, and I got help. Child sexual abuse is extremely devastating, but there can be happy endings, and I am living one. Thank you so much, Ellen Bass and your courageous contributors, for your part in that.