Through emotive prose, Lariviere-Traub tells and examines her story, drawing links between experiences in a full-circle narrative. She reflects warmly on the love she shared with Daniel while taking stock of the traumas of her childhood and her first marriage to a man who became physically abusive after the birth of their daughter, Melanie. She writes with welcome frankness about the “belief that my love could change him,” a conviction she now recognizes as rooted in the “power of an abusive man” skilled at “creeping into your mind, making you believe … that you deserve the pain.” Eventually, she managed again to run away.

The result is an impactful story of resilience and growth, forgiveness and love, and finding the strength—and, in women’s shelters and other crucial sources, the support—to break cycles of abuse. Reminding readers that "healing is not a destination, but a journey,” The Silent Echo of My Childhood finds “glimmers of hope and new beginnings” in new connections, the act of writing, and, above all, in the strength of the human spirit and the healing power of love.

Takeaway: Poignant memoir of love, grief, foster care, and ending cycles of abuse..

Comparable Titles: Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces, Beverly Engel's Raising Myself.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-