Joanna Connors

Courageous, compelling and often a very disturbing telling of long standing consequences caused by violence. Victims are seen in a different light at the end than they are at the start of this emotional journey and we find that while people can overcome their circumstances, too often we are left with the fact that they don’t. This isn’t just about one woman; this is the story of family, circumstances, and choices. It’s a story about facing and overcoming yourself. I walk away a bit show more different than when I started it and I like books that can move me this much. This is a must read! show less

Very difficult to read about the author's experiences, but her honesty is compelling, as is her attempt to learn about and describe where her rapist came from. A sad story, but I admire that while suffering her own pain she can feel others' as well.

The author of this book, Joanna Connors, courageously writes about the rape that profoundly affected her life. Twenty years after the crime, she tracks down her rapist's family (he himself is dead) to interview them and try to understand how he came to do what he did and to gain peace and closure in her own life. This account is extremely moving and brought tears to my eyes several times. Highly recommended.

The author, a reporter, uses her significant investigating skills to uncover the story behind her rape that had occurred approximately 20 years ago. The trigger for this desire came when her daughter started looking at college campuses because she was raped on a college campus trying to meet people for an interview. This is an insightful look at how this crime changed her immediately, as well as how it affected all of her relationships – including her husband, children, family, friends and show more even strangers – for the next two decades. Trying to take control of her life once again, Connors visited places where her deceased rapist had lived, talking with people in prisons and with those who knew her rapist through different periods of his life. In the end, Connors is a survivor, but she paid dearly for that status. show less