Review: Brief and Intense: personal narrative of healing
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 2, 2013
The author wrote the bestselling book 'Why Me', which was an intense but brief, true account of her life as an abused child. 'Why Them' is a follow-up of 'Why Me', and is a short essay that runs like an internal dialogue, as the author negotiates the long process of emotional healing that still lies ahead of her. In the book 'Why Me', the author's mother was routinely physically abusive toward her daughter Sarah, throughout her entire childhood, but there were heroes in Sarah's life that enabled her to both survive and become a successful author in her adulthood; these heroes stand out as beacons in Sarah's otherwise dark past.I recommend this story to anyone who is traveling a similar path to Sarah's, and who may be experiencing the many stages of the psychological healing process. The introspection and retrospection of the author concerning her own family's behavior sheds light upon the generational denial that is used to keep family secrets, and that often serves to impede the healing process of abuse victims. This book may prove to be a useful tool for those seeking to overcome anger and bitterness toward those who may have played either a direct, or indirect role during an abusive or neglectful childhood.The writing style is that of an internal narrative similar to the style the author chose for 'Why Me', and is delivered in such a way that the reader can follow the author's internal conflicts, as she narrates her attitude toward `Them', the others in her life, who brought her hope while she was growing up abused.If you are looking for a full length book, this is not it; however, the book provides useful insight into the healing of the author, and can be useful to others as an aid to psychological recovery. For those who love memoirs concerning abuse, this is a brief but informative read.My personal opinion: each person who writes an abuse narrative that holds useful information for others is providing a valuable service. The more we know, the less abuse will happen in the future.