#Unbroken #review from Amazon

?One of the Most Important Books I've Ever Read

27 March 2018

I feel compelled to begin my review of Unbroken by addressing some of the comments I've read from readers leaving poor reviews and reproaching the author for not bringing her attackers to justice.

Let us all remember that this is the true story of the very brutal and terrifying rape of a thirteen-year-old girl. I am, sadly, certain that there are all too many victims of abuse and rape who never have and never will speak out about it for varied reasons, with the main and most commonly reported ones being fear of humiliation or not being believed and understood, shame and GUILT.

It seems inconceivable to anyone that hasn't been a victim of this crime that a person might feel guilt, therefore they don't mind attempting to add on another lashing of the same in a book review to an author that has gone through so much yet found the strength to share her story, using it to help countless others. I am appalled to find victim blaming right here in her book reviews for all to see.

In a way, it extends further her wish to show the world the true extent of her experience - and the reasons many, many men, women, boys and girls never tell anyone about their experiences of rape. What will people think of them? Will they be judged? Will people understand? Will they be forced to consider their imaginings of shame, guilt, self-disgust and remorse - the many times replayed thoughts of how they could have changed the outcome themselves if only they'd done x,y and z differently to be confirmed when everyone is allowed to see the full, exposure of truth?

You are the reason people will continue to be unable to report crimes like this. See that, and the whole world can begin to turn to the prospect of a completely different future: one where to speak of rape and sexual abuse no longer carries this ridiculous stigma. Fear of humiliation is another biggie. Full marks to those that wrote this was a badly written, somewhat incomplete book. It is neither of those things. This is a book that will resonate with those that truly need to read it, whilst slipping off the backs of those that had an opinion already formed on the issue at hand before they even start to read it.

To read this thoroughly and to read it well is to understand all of it - to see exactly why it was written, to be inspired by someone who took a horrendous experience and turned it around to help others and to find a level of empathy for others who have suffered in this degrading and terrifying way that you can never truly have unless you have experienced it. There's a particular part in this book that I want to quote, if only to encourage more people to take their courage in both hands to read it.

As one who put it off for a while myself, knowing it would be as harrowing in places as it was, I can assure you that this book is an important read. This, in a paragraph about the monk who first encouraged the author to write her story, explains why:

"He said he wanted to educate people on what can take place on this planet and what we, as human beings, are capable of doing to each other. People grow up in a kind of protected bubble, he told me, and he wanted to use my story to wake them up to this. Most people never encounter real violence, they simply read about it or hear stories about it – it keeps the violence abstract, as if it doesn’t really exist. When they hear about what happened to me, someone they know, it will drive the reality home."

I hope you read it. This is not a book you can say you 'enjoyed'. It is a heartfelt, often hard-hitting and truthful account of one woman's journey to a place of safety and eventual peace that we can all learn from.

#MeToo #TimesUp #NoMoreShame