by Lisa Kroulik
Book Description:
Adults who witnessed violence between their parents when they were children often carry emotional scars that last a lifetime. The trauma to their developing brains can be so great that some psychologists have compared it to what soldiers experience in war. Like soldiers, children from violent homes are hyper-alert and expect to see danger at every turn. Since they don't possess the skills to process what they have witnessed, these children often suppress the memories well into adulthood. It often takes employment and relationship problems, a mental health diagnosis, addictions, and other serious life issues for them to make the connection between the events of their painful upbringing to what they are experiencing in the present.
As a society, we tend to minimize the effects of domestic violence, especially for those who witnessed it without experiencing direct abuse. Children are especially vulnerable because they are completely dependent on their parents for survival. They don't want to do anything that might upset them even more. Although their behavior might say otherwise, these kids often insist that they are fine.
In this autobiographical book, author Lisa Kroulik takes readers back to her early childhood when she witnessed her father abuse her mother and some of her siblings on several different occasions. Ms. Kroulik discusses the abuse only to set the backdrop for the rest of her story. She then goes on to talk about the multiple devastating effects that witnessing abuse had on her as she became an adult. As she discusses each issue, the author traces it back to its origin in order to understand and release it.
While it can be hard to read what the author and her family experienced, this book is not a woe-is-me tale of victimization. Instead, the author shows readers how she coped with problems related to witnessing domestic violence as a child and eventually moved forward in life. Ms. Kroulik tells her story in such a straightforward manner that readers may feel like they are sitting down for coffee with a new friend. While they may not have been safe in their childhood home, they are certainly safe between the pages of this emotionally powerful book.
Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
My Opinion:
I think Lisa Kroulik is very brave to share her stories of abuse and domestic violence first in Emotional Assault: Recognizing an Abusive Partner's Bag of Tricks and now in Invisible Witness: Healing From My Family's Legacy of Domestic Violence. Many people that have been victims or just a witness to any type of abuse usually stay quiet. Stories like this one makes people realize that abuse and violence from one family member to another affects the whole family not just the victim but also the ones witnessing it. Thanks for sharing your story Lisa Kroulik. I give this book 4 stars.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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