One Survivor’s Inspiring Story

Book Review: The Journal of My Broken Life by Carolee J. Horning.  Available in paperback or a Kindle edition

Carolee Horning is an inspirational and brave woman who broke decades of silence about how her Catholic priest seduced and sexually molested her when she was an immature teenager.  When she was 40, she came forward to bring a claim against the Portland Archdiocese and tell the world about her experience.

While victims of sexual abuse have the right to sue without disclosing their names, Horning wanted to use her own name to get her story out in the hopes it would help other victims have the strength to come forward and talk about what happened to them.

The Journal of My Broken Life is Horning’s first-person account of her abuse, her lawsuit, and her path from victim to survivor.  Particularly inspiring is how she never lost her personal faith and found a new church home that continues to support and encourage her. She drew on journal entries and her work with her counselor to write this book.  It is an honest, straight-from-the-heart story that deserves a wide audience.

I recommend this book for anyone who works with or supports child abuse victims, any victims working on their own healing, or anyone looking for greater understanding of how child sexual abuse affects adults even decades later.