Debra Jean Hawley

Reclaiming Magdalen: a Memoir of Sexual Healing Debra Jean Hawley

At twenty-seven, when the label "incest survivor" first crash-landed in the author's awareness, she was living the perfect suburban life-the one that was supposed to make her happy, content. And for a while it had. But more often than not, she was running. Running from a truth that crept around the shadows of her mind: the trauma of early childhood sexual abuse. Retracing the steps of her rebellious youth-including encounters with bikers, prostitutes, and rock 'n' roll musicians-the author shifts into the role of healer, gently retrieving and welcoming lost aspects of her young psyche. With evolving mid-life wisdom, and practices ranging from dance to meditation to training with a jungle shaman, the horrifying truth is uncovered. Told with wry humor and deep compassion, this remarkably candid memoir culminates in a spiritual homecoming: the author's communion with her Magdalen self in the truest experience of "grace."