Strong At The Heart

This just in: I just opened a copy of the March issue of Play Therapy, a magazine for mental health professionals who work with children and teens.

There, on page 32, is a great review of Strong at the Heart in which a therapist describes using the book with her young teen clients.

With the author and publisher’s permission, I’m pasting the review in full below.

Jenner, Sheena, Tammy, Jonathan and all—when you read this, you’ll see the far reaching impact of telling your story!

the review
STRONG AT THE HEART: How It Feels to Heal from Sexual Abuse
By Carolyn Lehman, MA
Reviewed by Terry Abell, MEd, LMHC

This five star book is a pleasant surprise, easily read, and displays survivor photos. Chapters are written by survivors. This book presents diverse populations, including males, females, Euro, Latino, Native, and African American cultures, and discusses variations of abuses, including rape, abduction abuse by a priest, and scenarios involving family, date rape, and males abused by females.

Narratives include initial abuse, effects on survivors, and resolution. Sometimes, help was accessible immediately, sometimes not. Sad experiences were offered regarding pre-recovery. Disclosures of substance abuse, suicidal ideation and denial are presented honestly.

When I used this book with clients, I asked to read them a story, stopping to process at intervals. I first used this book with a female ninth grader recently assaulted by an adult male. I selected appropriate stores, which helped her finally acknowledge that the assault was not her fault. I also used this with a 12 year-old with a lifelong history of on-going abuse. We read stories and talked about ways these matched her story. It provided exposure to others who survived, moved on to heal and reach out. She is now in a safe, nurturing environment, making strides and ready for group work. This book provides a stepping-stone towards group.

I intend to use this with survivor groups in the future. Many of our clients are exposed to abuse, directly or indirectly. This book is a great tool and should be added to any counselor’s arsenal.

The results are in. The Cybils—the blogosphere’s own children’s literature awards—have been announced.

Many of you know I was a judge on the nonfiction panel. We had five amazing books to choose from. Our discussion was deep and heartfelt. And in the end we all were happy to select Russell Freedman’s Freedom Walkers to receive this new award.

Here’s our description, as posted on the Cybils’ blog:

Non-Fiction, Middle Grade and Young Adult:
Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
by Russell Freedman
Holiday House
The story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott has been told many times by many different people and has almost become legend, but in Freedom Walkers, Russell Freedman is not sharing folklore or the iconic stories of civil rights heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks. This book tells how ordinary men, women and children planned and worked together to peaceably stand up against the injustice of the segregated transportation system—and won. Their heroism makes the reader ask, “Could I do this? Could I stand up to the threats? Could I walk to school every day for almost a year to make justice happen in my hometown?” Well-chosen historic photographs bring to life the American South of the 1950’s. The true story is gripping and well documented. This is a read-in-one-sitting kind of book, which will appeal to young teens up through adults.

Is this great book in your library yet? Check it out.

If you want to see a sweet film featuring a strong survivor, insight into the ways incest affects families through the generations, a sense of humor, and vibrant faith in the ability to face the pain of the past and heal, then check out Volver, by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar.

Penelope Cruz plays Raimunda, a smart, attractive, and hard working single mother who lives in the city with her pre teen daughter Paula (the utterly convincing Yohana Cobo). Cruz’s character is from a small, claustrophobic town where–apparently–both her parents died in a fire.

The story is set in motion when Paula’s stepfather, Paco, tries to assault her. The girl grabs a knife to defend herself and in the struggle, Paco is killed. When Raimunda finds out what happened, her mother instinct kicks in (although you wonder why she put up with the louse for so long). She reassures Paula and sets out to protect her daughter by disposing of Paco’s body.

where sweetness lies

It isn’t as ghoulish as it sounds, because the focus of the movie is a loving look at the strengths of these and other ordinary Spanish women, their sisters, neighbors and friends. Yes, they lie, they cheat a little here and there, but they are up against a world that would run them over. For all the hardship, there is also deep commitment and the willingness to help each other through life’s travails.
In Spanish, “volver” means to turn—and also to return. There are many turns and returns, from the spinning wind turbines in the background as the characters make the journey from city to small town to city again, to the return of Raimunda’s mother, to the replaying of family themes down through the generations.

spoiler alert

There is also a wholly satisfying scene in which Raimunda confronts her mother for not protecting her from incest as a child. It is so very human in the pain, the guilt, the anger, and the capacity to reconnect after long estrangement. If this is an issue for you, you gotta see these women struggle through it.

temporary cynsations home

Cynthia Smith’s wonderful blog on children’s and young adult books has temporarily moved to her husband’s site. You can still read her interviews and insightful comments on the field.

The dynamite interview she did with me about Strong at the Heart is still accessible in her archive.

Do you know anyone who was abused at summer camp? I do. Experiencing sexual assault as a child is bad enough. Imagine being away from home for the first time, surrounded by strangers, and then being abused. What a nightmare!

Camp Safety Project has a new web site with information for camp administrators about how to reduce abuse by counselors and other staff, resources on healing, a page for parents, and best of all a page of sample policies that any organization that deals with children would be wise to put into effect today.

standing together

And out of Phoenix, Arizona, there’s a new survivor site called The Apple Orchard. Four survivors who met in a support group are starting a new non-profit to support others in their healing and raise awareness in their community.

Their motto is “standing stronger together.” If you check out their site, give them a howdy and let them know what you think.

Another organization founded by a survivor and reaching out to help others heal is The Emma Center in Arcata, California. Paige Alisen, who founded the organization, is a whizz at fund raising and grant writing. Her organization provides professionally lead support groups, a lending library, individual support, counseling assistance and other services.  Paige’s dream is to start a retreat center for women where they can heal from trauma.

It is amazing the energy that is released when survivors heal, look around at our hurting world, and ask “So what can I do about it.”