About Book:

“For many years after that night, my memories of what happened after he held the blade to my throat and threatened my life were fragmented . . . difficult to piece together. It was too extreme, too violent for me to understand.”

Living in a state of shock and self-loathing, it took her years of struggle to confront the buried memories of that first attack and begin to undo the damage it wrought, as men continued to take advantage of her fragility in the worst possible way. Yet, after growing up with a burden no teenager should ever have to shoulder, she found the heart to carry out the best revenge plan of all: leading a fulfilling and happy life. But the road to piecing her life back together was long and painful. For Madeleine, forgiveness was the key. True forgiveness takes genuine effort. It takes a real desire to understand those who have done us so much harm. It is the ultimate act of courage. In Unbroken, Madeleine tells her deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity.

About Author:

The sharing of her story opened many doors for Madeleine in ways she never imagined and the invitations started to pour in.

She has taken part in both TV and radio interviews and has been invited to share her story at conferences, events and schools.

She recognises that she was a victim of a crime that left her silent for many years, but has now found her voice and intends to use it. Not just for her, but for so many who can’t find theirs yet.

She is married and lives in Glasgow with her husband, three daughters, her cat, Suki, and dog, Alfie.

“Unbroken” is her first book and tells her story of being gang raped at aged 13 by two American teenagers. It follows her journey of survival, healing, forgiveness, transformation and hope.

• Paperback:  288 pages
• Publisher:  John Blake (July 1, 2017)

My Review:

Thank you The Fiction Café-Review, Madeleine Black and Publisher John Blake for this arc copy.

WOW where and how do I review this one?  This is kind of a hard review to write.

I’ve read many survivor memoirs, including the well known ones. This book rings truer than most. Madeline Black just tells her story. She tells the true story of how she healed the effects of a brutal rape. How she chose forgiveness and went onto live a fulfilling life in spite of the trauma.  It took a lot of courage for Madeline to share her story about different experiences in her life that got her to process her trauma again and ‘grow out’ of it and realize that she is not what’s been done to her. , I found myself putting this book down just to digest what she must have been going through, but then I thought to myself why didn’t she open up before when here parents were asking what was going on.

I recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with rape.  I am giving this book 5 stars.  I will be on the lookout for more from this author, I like her style of writing.

It is a powerful memoir, which inspires hope, faith and courage.