Compare The Terrible and Wonderful, Ugly and Beautiful Story of My Life So Far

Set against the backdrop of the comfortable life of a seemingly happy and prosperous Jewish family, the story of how a little girl-smart, talented, and eager to please-was repeatedly molested by her maternal grandfather and then by one of his friends strikes at the heart of the tradition of safety and comfort and the sanctity of the family itself. Jenny's recounting of her childhood-with her beautiful bedroom, dance lessons, and childhood friends and activities, interspersed with her for-many-years-suppressed memories of her violation by her grandfather-is shocking and infuriating. How could a trusted family member do such things to a little girl, his precious first grandchild? Her painful childhood is followed by years of confusion, sexual acting out, and addiction, all the fruit of that terrible violation. When she begins the long and difficult process of recovery, we root for her, even as we rail against the terrible reason for all her pain. Finally, as we see her emerge from the dark wood, we cheer for her and begin to understand that victims can become more than what happened to them: they can, as Jenny has, move forward under their own power and find peace and maybe even a little justice. This story of Jenny's struggles, her insights, her determination, and her triumph will be a powerful inspiration to all.