Trading Fathers is not fluff. Neither is it full of psychobabble. It is real. It is the hardcore reality of the long term effects that come from sexual abuse. Karen Rabbitt’s biography will challenge those that believe they know all there is to know regarding sexual abuse and it’s consequences. That is, because although there are books out there that address the clinical and psychological affects, little has been said regarding the spiritual ramifications. Every word of every line that is written is the plea Rabbitt cried out for years to know her Papa-God in spite of what happened, and to be able to not only function but thrive in her life that was overturned as a child.
When she writes of being a child and the insecurities she endured following the abuse, it is such a vivid portrayal that I want to defend her and protect her and tell her it’s not her fault. When she recounts mistakes she made in college I groan out loud “Oh No. Don’t do that.” Yet, you can’t help but be drawn in to the emotional journey as Rabbitt narrates with graphic and dramatic descriptions her journey to being made whole. As she walks through the minefields of psychosis, vulnerability, and forgiveness, the reader actively desires healing for her. And once it’s achieved, there is much to celebrate.
Trading Fathers is an honest account of Rabbitt’s journey-good, bad or ugly-proving that there is a way to deal with the aftermath. Rabbitt could have approached this with bitterness, denial, and self righteousness. But she doesn’t. As a social worker that at one time provided psychotherapy to women, she could have filled the book with statistics that did nothing but finger point and mount up blame. But she doesn’t. She could have used the tool of sensationalism to draw the reader into pity for her. But she doesn’t.
What Rabbitt does is relay a powerful affirmation that she heard at the beginning of her journey-“Our God can, our God will, and, if not, he has something better.” She spends the rest of the book showing how that happened.
Paperback: 315 pages
Publisher: Winepress Publishing (January 14, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1579219950
ISBN-13: 978-1579219956
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 1 inches
