Reviewed by: G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing major at Taylor University

Introduction

Title: Out of the Darkroom, Into the Light: A Story of Faith and Forgiveness after Child Abuse

Author: Tracy Casciano

Publisher: WestBow Press

Publication Date: Oct 21, 2015

Format: Paperback

Length: 106 Pages

OVERVIEW

It takes real courage to open up about a traumatic past, especially when it involves something such as child abuse. Tracy Casciano boldly talks about her own past, not for extra sympathy but to show other abused women there is hope. She describes her childhood, an only child growing up with a physically abusive father and an alcoholic mother, and the many struggles that trauma led to as an adult. Tracy starts to heal after telling her husband John about her past, and she begins a long journey toward forgiveness and uneasy reconciliation as her relationship with God grows stronger.

Casciano writes her story as a memoir, and it has that honest but entertaining tone good memoirs are supposed to have. However, it’s also peppered with Scripture references and theological vignettes that are clearly designed to be instructional, to show readers God can give abused women the strength to overcome. This means the book will work well with readers who have a high regard for Scripture, whereas those who don’t have a Christian background or were abused by someone within the church will probably find it off-putting.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

4 out of 5 stars

Suggested Audience

Christian women who have experienced abuse and are searching for biblical teachings to help them heal; also, friends and family trying to help them.

Christian Impact

All of the chapters have some form of Scripture reference, and most of them end with a short vignette that links the struggles described to a particular Scripture passage and theological truth. This makes it ideal for small group teaching as well as personal reading.

Bio Note: G. Connor Salter is a student at Taylor University, pursuing a BS degree in Professional Writing.

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