BOOMERFUL BOOK REVIEW
This book was reviewed by my dear friend Carol Dozier, and based on what she has to say, it certainly took a lot of inner strength for her to review it. Thank you, Carol!
Silent Cries: A Woman’s Journey to Freedom
by Lisa J. Peck
Bridgeway Books, 330 pgs.
Reviewed by Carol Dozier
From the back cover: Silent Cries: A Woman’s Journey to Freedom delves into the painful and often secret world of domestic violence. Like many women Charlene comes to realize her cherished marriage isn’t what it seems. With bravery and the help of steadfast friends, she endures the twisted and confusing games of her abusive relationship and navigates a maze of laws that both help and hinder her struggle to break free….
Coming from an abusive relationship myself, and having been asked to read Lisa J. Peck’s Silent Cries, I was a bit hesitant and nervous. But I thought I needed to do this as a part of my own healing process. Knowing she makes it to freedom is what got me through it.
After finishing the book, it has taken me weeks to be able to collect my thoughts and understand what I myself got out of her story.
I found Charlene to be a bit spoiled, and even after everything she has been through, an incredibly quick healer to be openly dating so very soon after the divorce – week after week with no concerns, given the circumstances.
But what I now realize (and can relate to myself) is that given the type of upbringing you have had, you may not see abuse for what it is. Perhaps you were abused and considered it the norm, or perhaps you were raised in a sheltered, limited environment. At some level, be it physical, emotional or both, you may have become accustomed to it, and that’s just what some married couples do.
You may accept abuse as part of your relationship, no matter how horrible it may seem. And if a man is dominating and controlling your relationship, that can make it all the more difficult to reach out to friends and family and cry for help.
Domestic violence is so underestimated and so widespread, the schools should make it a topic in home-ec. They discuss drugs and alcohol and also cover such topics as birth control, sex, babies – in addition to sewing and cooking, of course. Why not cover signs of abuse, too?
Silent Cries helped me to break my own stereotypes of what types of women are being abused. Truly, it can happen to anyone.
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