Triumph: A Journey of Healing from Incest

Claude Guldner is Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Centre at
the University of Guelph.

“Telling the truth is dangerous” is the first sentence of the
introduction to this very sensitive and revealing book on child sexual
abuse. There are many books on incest where the author has written from
a personal perspective. In this one, only the most insensitive reader
will not experience the personal pain and trauma that the author shares.

The author begins by vividly detailing the first 11 years of her life,
when she was sexually abused by her father—memories of which emerged
only after a tragic illness and surgery. She then portrays her slow
journey to recovery and self-empowerment. What is important here (and is
often missing in other personal accounts of early sexual abuse) is the
development of the story; it clearly follows the path experienced by
those who have been sexually abused—the blocking from awareness of
early trauma; the catalyst that unblocks the past; the overwhelming
experiences of flashbacks and memories; the search for competent
therapeutic support; experiencing the ups and downs in the long road to
recovery; deciding on actions to promote further healing; confronting
the abuser; discovering a new self, then fostering the self-image and
esteem; and claiming one’s body and sexuality in a healthy way.

This book will benefit those who have been victims of child sexual
abuse. Beyond that, it will help to educate and train those who work
with the sexually abused. Perhaps if more members of the public were to
read it, a greater understanding of this tragic plight would be gained.