Ordinary Wonders: Living Recovery from Sexual Abuse

Ian C. Nelson is Assistant Director of Libraries, University of
Saskatchewan; and Director, Saskatoon Gateway Plays, Regina Summer
Stage, and La Troupe du Jour.

The virtue of this account of sexual abuse and recovery is that it is
not just a series of snippets from case studies chosen to illustrate
each clinical point. It follows one person through her process of
healing: identifying the memories of her childhood, working through the
paradoxical pain of therapy, and emerging as a “woman in command . . .
belonging to the ordinary wonders of the day.”

The book covers five years of Lilian Green’s life, from 1986 to 1990.
Preceding each chronological set of journal entries is a concise
introduction that offers considerable insight into a number of aspects
of sexual abuse and the surrounding family dynamics. The latter are of
particular importance, because the incest described in these pages
issues from within the quintessential “nice Jewish family.” The
situation that provided both a breeding ground and a cover for the
victimization of Lilian Green is one in which the parents “were still
children into their mid-thirties . . . consulting [Grandmother] about
everything.” Green minces no words in describing the trauma she
suffered at the hands of her brother and grandmother, and the abusive
relationship that was perpetuated in her marriage. The healing process
itself is revealed for the emotional rollercoaster that it is. For
Green, the act of writing is an integral part of her therapy, and she
does it with skill.

The impetus behind publishing this book is surely the exposure of
incest and abuse in the traditional middle class, which professes to
embrace strong “family values.” It is likely, however, to be of
particular value to women who need to relate immediately to a peer
through the diarized moments; they will at the same time profit from the
general insights of the introductory passages. Green provides simple
footnotes to explain Jewish holidays and customs. A list of recommended
readings focuses on the female survivor.