Based on a true story, a new novel from Diamante Lavendar. Joan Eastman was born like any other girl. However her life would prove to be a life of great pain… Growing up, she was treated differently by family members, powerless to defend herself against their sexual and psychological abuse. Feeling she had been dealt a wicked hand by the “powers that be”, she spiraled into substance abuse and troubled relationships. She became a victim of addiction and self-hatred. Not giving up, she becomes aware of a greater spiritual being that protects her and she begins to heal. Then she finds herself pregnant. She learns to understand nothing is hopeless; that with a changed view and self discovery, there is real hope in every situation, no matter how difficult. As she and her husband look forward to the birth of their child, she writes in her diary as a way of expelling all of the evil memories. On bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy, she endures tests and tribulations that at first she couldn’t begin to understand. But no matter how high the hurdles in Joan’s life are, she doesn’t look back, and pulls the pieces of her life together…for herself and her unborn child. This inspirational story speaks of Joan’s gradual self acceptance and healing of her body, mind and spirit. It speaks of the possibilities of the future and the fulfillment of the dream of love and family. And it speaks of jumping the hurdles in life without looking back, no matter how high those hurdles may be.
Read the editorial review by Diane Donovan, Senior Editor at Midwest Book Review:
Joan Eastman is put on bed rest for the length of her uncertain pregnancy and buys a diary to occupy her time and Breaking the Silence is what she reveals in her diary: a saga of growing up repressing psychological and sexual cruelty and falling into substance abuse as one reflection of the self-hatred she feels.
Plenty of fiction and nonfiction sagas stop here, chronicling that abuse and its lasting impact; but the strength of Breaking the Silence lies in its ability to proceed past the pain to the other side, using the forthcoming birth of Eastman's child and her diary to foster the process of moving beyond past injustices into healing.
Joan Eastman is put on bed rest for the length of her uncertain pregnancy and buys a diary to occupy her time and Breaking the Silence is what she reveals in her diary: a saga of growing up repressing psychological and sexual cruelty and falling into substance abuse as one reflection of the self-hatred she feels.
Plenty of fiction and nonfiction sagas stop here, chronicling that abuse and its lasting impact; but the strength of Breaking the Silence lies in its ability to proceed past the pain to the other side, using the forthcoming birth of Eastman's child and her diary to foster the process of moving beyond past injustices into healing.
Any who have struggled with past abuse, wondering how to shake its shackles and move into a future unencumbered by past tragedy, will relish the first-person diary entries in Breaking the Silence, which follows a way out of the maze. It's a powerful saga of a woman determined to undertake the work that will truly release her from self-destructive patterns and reactions that pass between generations.
Juxtaposing the progression of pregnancy with life lessons learned from her experiences, Joan's story is a haunting survey of life, death, and everything in between, and a powerful saga not for those who would lead the unexamined life; but especially recommended for readers struggling with their own dark pasts and its implications for the future.
Plenty of stories capture the experience. Too few chart the course between devastation and destruction to spiritual and emotional rebirth. Breaking the Silence is one such gem - and is a top revelation especially recommended for spirituality readers who want an account of finding not just a way out, but God.
D. Donovan, Donovan's Literary Services wrote this review 2 weeks ago.
Find the author here www.diamantelavendar.com
Inspiration
behind the book…
Breaking
The Silence is my personal story. It is a story of pain and agony
but also one of hope and healing. I have changed the names and
places and made the story fictional, but it is my true story.
I
suffered for most of my life because of what happened to me and after
years of counseling and self discovery coupled with inspiration and
revelation, I decided to write my story to help others.
Victims
of sexual abuse suffer horrendously and the loved ones around them
suffer as well. It is a spiral of great pain...the affects of sexual
abuse on the victim cause other effects like substance abuse,
horrible self esteem, PTSD, OCD, anxiety problems, depression,
suicidal tendencies and sleep problems. (Just to name a few). I
wanted to write this book to help other victims know that they
weren't alone and that hope to heal was possible and achievable.
At
the present time, Breaking The Silence is being considered for use as
a resource in a number of sexual abuse clinics across the country.
It is also endorsed by a sexual abuse counselor as a “must read”
for victims and the people who love them. I also was recently added
to RAINN's (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) Speaker's Bureau
and my book has been listed on RAINN's facebook site and twitter feed
as a resource for victims and the people who love them. It is my
hope that Breaking The Silence will help victims all across the
country because they deserve to heal, be happy and at peace; free
from the destruction that the abuse they have suffered brings into
their lives.
Sharon x
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