Review: 4 1/2 stars except that Amazon won't let me use half stars!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 27, 2014
I admit.  I cried reading this.This was a very brave book that the author wrote about a horrible time in her life.  From someone who has also escaped abuse, though my experiences weren't even close to as bad as what Rebecca suffered, I know how difficult it is to justify staying.  To blame yourself.  To find excuses not to leave.But she left. She escaped. Her children gave her a reason that she may not have had without them, and she was able to show exactly how brave she can be.This book is a strong testimony that you CAN escape abuse.  No matter how long it has been going on, or how bad it is, you CAN leave.  I know this book must have been very difficult for the author to write, as she relived her experiences.However, I will disagree with the author on one point in this book.  At the end, she states that "Your past does not have to determine who you are and what you will become."  I argue this because my past experiences have made me who I am... the abuse I escaped showed me that I had more courage than I thought I did, and that I can be brave. It gave me the courage to cross the country on my own to meet the man who would eventually become my husband, even though I was flying to an area I had never been before by myself.My past has taught me who I won't be.  It has given me a reason to rise above my experiences and become a person I like being, similarly to how Rebecca has found herself now that she is able to actually BE herself.  So yes, your past does determine who are you at least in a small way... even if it's just an example on why you are a better person, a better parent, and a better spouse than what you escaped.Disclaimer:  I read this book in exchange for an honest review.  But I would have read it anyway.  Now I want to give the author a hug.  If you can finish the book without crying or admiring this author, you are a robot.