What I present here is the true story of my life. While I have changed names and identifying information to protect the anonymity of a few people and places, I have otherwise chosen to relay events exactly as they occurred. Because I was a victim of horrific physical and sexual abuse, some of these events are quite disturbing. Despite this, I decided to include them because I feel it is the right of every victim of violence to tell their truth.
For those of us who are able, I feel it is a responsibility.
Child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, hate crimes, war crimes, genocide, and all other forms of interpersonal violence flourish in a culture of silence and shame. In order to stop abusers, those who have been abused must be encouraged to speak out. The rest of us must be willing to bear witness—even if the truths we hear are sometimes shocking, grotesque, and frightening.
Some of the events from my childhood that are depicted in this book may be hard to witness. But the only way to truly appreciate how far any victim has come is to know what they’ve had to overcome. I’ve overcome both abuse and the mental illness it created. But my reward for many hard years of hard work is a happy Hollywood ending.
It’s been a hell of a journey—one I chose to share here in the hope that I can inspire others to persevere.
It pays to stick it out through the hard parts. I promise.