Baffled by love Stories of the lasting impact of childhood trauma inflicted by loved ones

Kahn is a very proactive trauma therapist who has spent decades working with people who suffered childhood abuse at the hands of those who were supposed to love and care for them. This complex subject can be difficult to read about, and the actions of the abusers are shocking, but Kahn navigates her topic with grace and sensitivity. Her narrative is mellifluous and never gratuitous as she expertly weaves together her own difficult family history with the stories of strikingly different women who share the burden of abuse. Kahn reveals the staggering prevalence of childhood sexual and physical trauma and aims to shed light on shame and pain that is too often hidden. But the focus of her book isn't explicitly on the horrors and challenges facing survivors of childhood abuse. Rather, the steadfast theme is love, as Kahn shows how this transcendent emotion shapes our lives and how learning to love is empowering. Kahn's in-depth look at childhood trauma is expert, caring, informative, and affecting.--Smith, Patricia Copyright 2017 Booklist

Psychotherapist Kahn (founder, Womencare Counseling & Training Ctr.), who specializes in the treatment of survivors of childhood abuse, relates the stories of her clients whose understanding of love was twisted by the mistreatment of those who were supposed to love and protect them. The -narratives range from a daughter whose father served as her pimp to a woman who grew up in a cult where women's role was solely to service men to an athlete who was preyed upon by her coach. Kahn also weaves in her own personal story as well as the often lasting effects of abuse-absence of trust, traumatic flashbacks, and the ability to see danger in relationships. She demonstrates how her clients grew and found solidarity with one another throughout a therapeutic experience and that hope and resources exist for survivors. VERDICT An unsettling yet compelling work on the issue of childhood sexual abuse that will be valuable for survivors and their loved ones as well as health-care professionals. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.