I Will Not Break: A Memoir - Softcover

Mattison, Judith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0692163972 ISBN 13: 9780692163979

Publisher: New Sun Press, 2018

Synopsis

As a child she had to forget in order to survive. As an adult she had to remember in order to be free.

Judith Mattison had a conventional 1940s Midwestern childhood, followed by college, marriage, and children. Still, throughout her life, she was haunted by a mysterious terror of deer head hunting trophies. With the help of a therapist, she began to recover memories of severe abuse at the hands of her father.

Unearthing her repressed past, she learned that forgetting was how she coped as a child. Remembering as an adult broke her apart--and then put her together again. In the process she struggled to overcome shame and fear, to embrace anger, and to claim her truth.

I Will Not Break was a finalist in the annual book awards of Midwest Independent Publishing Association memoir category. It has been a valuable resource for survivors of trauma and their support people, as well as those people concerned about issues of shame, family or abuse.

About this title

About the Author:

Judith Mattison is the author of fourteen previous books, including "I'm Worried About Your Drinking" and "Divorce: The Pain and the Healing," and the first woman to be pastor of the largest Lutheran church in the United States. She is a popular speaker and has served on several nonprofit boards. Judith currently volunteers in a preschool for children at risk of abuse and neglect.

Review:

I Will Not Breakis a testament to the strength of a child's soul. Within the abyss of abuse, Judith Mattison finds beauty, refuge, and solace in nature. Her inner strength to experience profound harm, protect others, seemingly forget, remember, and ultimately heal is hopeful and astounding! She tells her story so that we as individuals, families, and communities commit to protecting and advocating for every child's sanctity.
--Julie Ellefson, executive director, Southside Family Nurturing Center, Minneapolis

An inspiring story of a woman's courageous confrontation with her horrific past. Readers struggling with the long-term effects of child abuse will find an honest, informed, and ultimately compassionate supporter in Judith Mattison's excellent memoir.
--Bill Percy, PhD, psychologist emeritus

Judith Mattison's memoir is an extraordinary testament to courage in the face of abuse and gratitude in the face of loss. By her candor and witness, she invites all of us to be more vigilant to the possibilities of abuse in our communities. More than that, she empowers us to seek help, offer comfort, support each other, and in all these ways be shaped more fully into a community of healing and grace.
--David Lose, senior pastor, Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis

About this edition

• Publisher: New Sun Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0692163972
• ISBN 13: 9780692163979
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 302