Stolen Innocence: Triumphing Over a Childhood Broken by Abuse: A Memoir

I found Erin Merryn's book by chance in the bookstore. I'm glad I did. I started reading the book and finished it in one night. Erin tells her story by using diary entries that she made at the time the abuse was taking place. She doesn't hold back. The result is a book that gives the reader the true horror of sexual abuse and its devastating effects on young girls. Stolen Innocence is a book that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. The story is heartbreaking and inspirational at the same time. What I liked about the book was how Erin educates the reader on the harsh realities of sexual abuse in this society by citing statistics. From there, she takes the reader on the horrifying journey of living with sexual abuse day in, day out. You feel the fear and pain with every word she writes. Sexual abuse is a topic that many tend to "push under the carpet." I applaud Erin for the courage she displays, for her ability to convey her story, and for being a survivor of sexual abuse. The communication between Erin and her abuser is a great addition to the book. Erin allows the reader to witness her raw emotions as she confronts her abuser in a series of emails. This book would be helpful to survivors of sexual abuse and to those who desire to help a loved one who has been abused. A great read!

Anyone that has ever lived through the horrifying experience of being raped, just as I have, needs to read this enlightening and healing memoir of hope. Erin Merryn unashamedly bares all in her narrative, recounting the mental, emotional, physical and sexual abuse that she so courageously overcame by breaking the silence of this most heinous of violations. From writing this book, she has given voice to those of us who were afraid to venture out with our own stories due to the stigma and the shame associated with this crime. This book overcame for me what years of counseling could not do. By her candor and her kind and gentle spirit you will be guided to a new self-awareness. You will most definitely come away from reading "Stolen Innocence" a much stronger, more assertive and hope-filled person. No longer will you consider yourself a victim, but rather, a Survivor!!

I read this book in a different situation than most...I read it knowing the author!!! Having grown up with her and her family, and being very close with them, while reading the book I knew exactly what/who/where she was talking about throughout the whole thing. This is a wonderful and amazing book that everyone should read! The facts in this book are sad but true details that everyone should look for...this sort of abuse is nothing to be in denial about when it comes to your family/friends or whoever else. It can be dealt with...as Erin proves in her book because of her strength. Erin, the author, of this incredible book is a truly magnificent, beautiful and intelligent young woman that is going to go so far in life...because she held her head high and shared her story only to help other young women across the country have the same power to come forward about this horrible action that takes place so often! AWESOME!!!

I purchased and read Erin's book after reading a post that she made in a forum site that is dedicated to healing and surviving child sexual abuse. I was engrossed in the book from the first page. Erin also includes in her book a chapter that her mother has written which touched me to the soul. Both Erin and her mother testify to their struggles as a result of their abuse; Erin's mother's chapter is a must read for parents who are dealing with the abuse of their children when they themselves have been a victim of the same trauma. I commend both of them for their efforts in getting the message out about how to deal with the fact that abuse can happen in ANY family. To parents that feel that abuse wouldn't happen in their family, please read this memoir. Abuse does happen no matter how much we think that we can trust our family members; with the right approach to how to deal with the abuse when it is uncovered, I believe that all parties involved can find forgiveness and healing. Child Sexual Abuse should never be the "dirty little secret" that most families carry when abuse is discovered in the home. Action must be taken so that all members involved receive the support and recovery that they need. To deny that it would happen in your own home, could possibly mean that your denial allows the abuse to continue. This is a "must read" for those that want to protect their family, as well as those that have already had the trauma that Erin and her family faced when she disclosed her abuse.

this book is absolutley amazing. the way that erin describes what is going on is incredible. it makes you feel as if you are actually living her life and feeling the things that she felt. a must read for everyone