This week, a new book is on my bookshelf.  It was sent to me by Litfuse Group. I’m a teacher and it’s always a blow to my heart when I find out that one of my students was a victim of abuse.  I can’t imagine how children overcome the emotional, physical, and social obstacles of such an experience.   It makes me angry and upset to think of the people who would do that to a child (or even to an adult, which happens as well.)  I have a background in psychology/counseling, too.  I read When a Woman You Love Was Abused: A Husband’s Guide to Helping Her Overcome Childhood Sexual Molestation with the hope that I would better understand how to pray for a child or woman who has encountered such an ordeal.

While the book is definitely meant for husbands and covers issues about intimacy, it also unveils the often hidden feelings that victims internalize.  Emotions such as helplessness, low self-worth, and shame can be so deeply buried or disguised. This book really bares it all.  I will admit that it was hard to read some of the personal stories that were shared in the book.  I had to skip over some parts because my heart just couldn’t bear it.  The author was herself a victim of abuse and openly speaks of her marital troubles and other problems that resulted from the scars of abuse.  If you are a victim of abuse and find it difficult to share your feelings with your spouse, you might consider buying this book and asking your spouse to read it.  I think this book would be a great resource for ministers and marriage counselors.  It would also be good for Christian men who are preparing to marry a woman who has been abused, so that they can better relate to the women they love.

I participated in the book tour for this book.