I Choose Elena: On Trauma, Memory and Survival (Mood Indigo)

The science of trauma and the challenges of recovery are on beautiful and difficult display here. Lucia Osborne-Crowley's book feels full of empathy, for others and for ourselves, as it traces how someone must face the violence of their past, accept successes and setbacks on the path to improvement, and ultimately finds peace and healing in a world full of good and perpetuating bad. Powerful and motivating writing. Good for the mental health.

Powerful & significant. A must-read for survivors of sexual abuse/rape and for those close to them.

An important memoir about the effect sexual trauma has on the body. The only thing I cannot agree with is that endometriosis is a psychological disorder caused by rape. It's a real physical disease. The physiological effects will be greater in trauma survivors but it cannot cause them.

A brave, stunning, thoughtful and beautifully written account of how an assault affected her health to the point of breakdown and recovery.

This is by no means an easy read, but it is a necessary one. I cannot overstate how open, honest and raw this account of abuse and as its short- and long-term impacts is. Beautifully written and entirely unforgettable.

This is not the type of book I usually read. Something made me read this after I saw the author interviewed on ”The Drum” on the ABC. Another panelist remarked that the book was ”beautifully written”. It certainly was. While the topic, dealing with a brutal rape, is challenging, the author’s journey in finding the best way to some sort of recovery, is inspiring.

This book is written so well that it makes reading about a terribly hard topic almost easy. It explores the way the author’s trauma, devastated her body in ways that took her years to understand. With understanding came help and eventual relief of both her mental and physical pain.