4-star review of "Little Girl Mended"

Review of Little Girl Mended:  a memoir

by Niki Krauss

No little girl should ever have to learn about sexual abuse at the hands of her father. But I did, and I survived. This is my story. Little Girl Mended is both a story of abuse and a story of redemption, spanning more than fifty years. From the loss of innocence at age seven, through ten-plus years of abuse, forty-five years of silence, and finally—well into my fifties—coming to understand that healing is possible. My walk through recovery coincided with a deepening of my relationship with Jesus Christ. Through that relationship I came to experience the Father’s love—a love I couldn’t fully understand while viewing everything through the distorted lens of incest. In this first-person narrative, I examine painful memories and difficult emotions, allowing myself to feel for the first time in my life. As I grapple with shattering hurt and long-buried pain, I come to realize there can be no healing without surrender. It’s not in my strength that I find healing, but in my complete surrender to Jesus Christ. The power found in the pages of Little Girl Mended is there for you, too—whatever the circumstances of your own life’s story. Come along and claim it.

MY REVIEW:  

Whenever I hear someone talk about having a close relationship with her father, or use a phrase like "Daddy's little girl," I catch myself thinking,

 If only I'd had that.

I long for memories of a loving and cherished childhood.  I feel it as a physical loss: my heart aches.

      I applaud the author, Niki Krauss, for having the courage to write this book and chronicle her experiences of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father.  I also applaud her honesty as she shared and admitted her anger towards her mother for not protecting her.   This book is called a memoir, which it is, but it also attempts to serve as a "self-help" book for others who have experienced abuse.  The author found healing in her writing of her story, her faith and participation in a faith-based support group for women who have suffered abuse.  I was confused as to why the author was so adamantly opposed to therapy of any kind for herself.  The only time she saw a therapist was to ask if it was appropriate for her to tell her two grown sons about her abuse.  I fear that some readers might feel that therapy is not useful in recovery from abuse and it is well-known that it is helpful for most people.   I would not want anyone reading to refuse therapy as a part of their own healing.   

      I rated this book 4 stars and would recommend it to readers.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

  

About the Author:

Niki Krauss is a Yankee by birth, a Southerner by choice, and a joy-filled lover of Jesus by grace. She is the former assistant editor for the Marine Corps Gazette, the professional journal of the United States Marine Corps, where she wielded her red pen for fifteen years. As a sexual abuse survivor herself, her most recent passion is leading faith-based support groups for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse.