Invisible Witness by Lisa Kroulik ~ A terifying look at life as a child in a home of Domestic Violence.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Adults who witnessed violence between their parents when they were
children often carry emotional scars that last a lifetime. The trauma to
their developing brains can be so great that some psychologists have
compared it to what soldiers experience in war. Like soldiers, children
from violent homes are hyper-alert and expect to see danger at every
turn. Since they don't possess the skills to process what they have
witnessed, these children

often suppress the memories well into
adulthood. It often takes employment and relationship problems, a mental
health diagnosis, addictions, and other serious life issues for them to
make the connection between the events of their painful upbringing to
what they are experiencing in the present.




As a society, we tend to minimize the effects of domestic violence,
especially for those who witnessed it without experiencing direct abuse.
Children are especially vulnerable because they are completely
dependent on their parents for survival. They don't want to do anything
that might upset them even more. Although their behavior might say
otherwise, these kids often insist that they are fine.




In this autobiographical book, author Lisa Kroulik takes readers
back to her early childhood when she witnessed her father abuse her
mother and some of her siblings on several different occasions. Ms.
Kroulik discusses the abuse only to set the backdrop for the rest of her
story. She then goes on to talk about the multiple devastating effects
that witnessing abuse had on her as she became an adult. As she
discusses each issue, the author traces it back to its origin in order
to understand and release it.








My Review:

This book is not a novel, a short sweet read that has a happy ending, but the life experiences of a woman who survived growing up in a household of abuse.  While it is a difficult book to read, it is one that can open the eyes of many who do not realize the extent to which abuse, whether personally experienced, or watched through the eyes of a child as it is happening to others; can significantly impact that person in ways that often are not seen until well into adulthood.



This was a very difficult book for me to read and still haunts my dreams even now, days after I finished reading it.  I wasn't sure what to write in my "review" as I felt such a personal response to the "child" in the story.  It is well worth reading, but not for the faint of heart, or young readers, or anyone who is not willing to take the subject of abuse seriously.  Please read with an open mind, and a prayer in your heart.



*During my review time, the ebook was redone and reposted under a new title and new cover, but the story remains the same.



Invisible Witness can be found on Amazon for only $1.99

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review using Tomoson.com. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.