Healing the Wounded Heart

Healing the Wounded Heart  *****
by Dan B. Allender

This book is truly about what the subtitle says..."The heartache of sexual abuse and the hope of transformation." The first part of the book is about how sexual abuse harms the heart and why that harm is so deep and long lasting. The second part of the book is about what the road to healing looks like.

I was hesitant to read this book because so often ignorance is bliss. However, God has brought some people into my life who have suffered from sexual abuse. As much as I want to pretend these horrors do not really exist, I know they do and I should seek to understand if I can help the healing process in any way.

This book is really long and in depth. I skipped some of the chapters that didn't seem to apply as much. And a few chapters I skimmed just because they were so hard to read. The book seemed balanced in that it talked about the subject from so many different angles. I learned about the brain and how it is affected by sexual abuse. I learned about why people behave certain ways after abuse. I learned about different kinds of sexual abuse and signs that they are occurring. And in the end, I was left with some hope. I think I also gained some understanding as to the depth of the pain these people have gone through so that I can be more empathetic to their current struggles. And while the author says that these victims won't be fully healed until heaven, God can begin to heal, and He can use me in that process.

This isn't a light read or a fun read, but I would recommend it. We are surrounded by sexual abuse, and I feel like we need to ask God what our part is in ending it and supporting those who have already endured it.
  
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.