Silent Cries

Susan Thomas is a middle-school guidance counselor, teacher, anad social
worker in Milton, Ontario.

In this powerful book, Pauline Mantley describes in horrific and graphic
detail her childhood sexual abuse by an uncle. In addition to raising
important questions about sexual abuse (e.g., How do we recognize it?
How should we respond to it?), the book provides an excellent
first-person account of the court process following the laying of
criminal charges. The author’s account of her efforts to contact a son
fathered by the abusive uncle and then given up for adoption makes for
emotional reading.

Mantley’s case received the attention of the Nova Scotia court
system, required arguments based on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
and was eventually heard by the justices of the Canadian Supreme Court.
Her book, which is highly recommended for survivors and workers in the
helping professions, casts a searching light on the inadequacies of our
professional response system.