It shows in horrific detail what physical and emotional abuse looks like.

The abuse from her over zealous religious survivalist father and her very physically abusive older brother made it at times difficult to

The abuse in the family was bad enough, but the gaslighting was worse.

But the abuse she suffered at home—emotional and psychological from her father, and by extension from her mother who parroted him—was dwarfed by the physical abuse she suffered daily from her brother Shawn

The abuse at the hands of a family hypnotized by a strict way of life was shocking, and yet, Tara's resilience shines even brighter

This didn’t bother me because it wasn’t well written or conceived, it bothered me because it’s hard to read that much abuse, brainwashing, and neglect and not be bothered

Many who have experienced spiritual abuse are just now waking up to it

Sexual abuse serves these ends, as well

I think the difference is that this book was more focused on the domination/power of a man and the way he uses that to hurt/abuse others over and over which I think is what was tiring about the book

I'm sure it would be a difficult read for anyone whose history includes severe physical, emotional and mental abuse, but if you're interested in psychology and the effects that the mentally ill and their enablers have on others, I can't think of a better read.

I hope and pray that he gets help, or at least, knowing eyes are upon him, tempers his abuse.

A riveting book describes the struggles a very bright girl has growing up in a family where the patriarch is mentally ill and where abuse is ignored.

the horrific childhood she claims to have suffered and the abuse she keeps returning to as an adult.

However, trying to accommodate this huge accomplishment with her absolute subjection to the horrendous abuse she tolerated from her family members ruined the whole picture for me

Also suffered abuse but again listens to her inner self and learns to advocate for herself.

It's as thrilling as fiction while actually being an honest memoir/autobiography from an author who made the amazing journey from unimaginable abuse and dysfunction to the highest levels of education and life in society.

The gaslighting, the racism, the sexism, the ignorance, the abuse all seems impossible

I think she was overly generous with her portrayal of the family and tried harder to make this a story of finding herself amongst a literal and figurative scrapyard littered with warped indoctrination and constant abuse

Such as her parents brainwashing her or her brothers constant abuse towards her

Tara lived through horrible abuse and managed to rise out of it.

she grew up in, but the story was much more focused on the horrible abuse she endured.

The abuse at the hands of a family hypnotized by a strict way of life was shocking, and yet, Tara's resilience shines even brighter

She suffered psychological abuse, physical abuse, and educational deprivation, yet rose above it

The abuse that Tara had to endure is horrible and difficult to imagine

Re many of the reviewers who question the authors story - If you just stop to consider that If you have never been poor/abused/uneducated, you might not be capable of understanding the resulting mental and psychological and behavioral effects of abuse and poverty, what or how to do anything to change your life?

We all have our own sack of rocks, but this girl suffered abuse on many levels

This book also shows how often we tend to overlook abuse and believe the abuser instead of the abused and those who survive the abuse.

This is an account of severe abuse and those who tolerate it

Difficult to read at times, the abuse was so graphic

That said, she probably did suffer abuse and overcome difficulties

cruelty and psychological abuse in the name of religion.

It underscores how destructive belief systems can be in the support of blatant child abuse.

And the second thing that seemed to force Tara's eyes open was the continued and severe abuse she endured from another older brother

She experienced horrible abuse physically and mentally.

It was not an engaging story, rather a list of gruesome family accidents and abuse... boring...

Tara suffered abuse at the hands of her family

very repetitive abuse that she never seemed to overcome and avoid

Given her horrific abuse from her brother, who in my opinion should be behind bars, and the protection he was given by her parents it isn't surprising she has distanced herself as self preservation

It was from the start clearly a story of extremist ideology, but then it became a horrifying reflection on child endangerment, on gross psychological and physical abuse sustained over years and protected by a misogynistic and controlling father

However it’s challenging to read due to the terrible abuse in the family

I should think that abuse as brutal as she described and the family denial will take her much longer to recover from than she describe

Tara’s story might help people to better understand who they are and inspire them to make themselves a fundamental change in their lives, as well as it might help the world, the public opinion, and people in position of leadership to better understand the dramatic lives of people isolated from education and health services

Furthermore, like her old sect, her new religion will reward her so long as she follows its tenets.

Brave as in everything she went

Well how come the rest of us can’t get into an Ivy League or get A’s on essays or 100% on finals that we failed the midterm for?