The Price of Truth

Genendy grew up in a large, ultra-Orthodox family – the third of twelve brothers and sisters – that held a dark secret. When she was a young girl, the people who were meant to protect her committed violent atrocities that left her battered and broken. But after years of struggle, torment, and therapy, Genendy was able to build her life and confront her abusers. But that confrontation came with a steep price.

Genendy was a lively, curious, energetic child, the third of twelve brothers and sisters in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. But she carried a big, painful secret. From the time she was a toddler until the age of seven, she was sexually molested by members of her family, as well as young men in her community. For many years, Genendy repressed the memories of these experiences. But when she was a teenager, the truth began to emerge. With the help of therapists and friends, she gradually began to remember. And then the hard work began. Genendy chronicles her journey through memory, trauma, dissocation, depression, suicide, religion, sexuality, and the attempt to restore wholeness. She shares the painful process of healing and therapy. In the meantime, she also deals with confronting her family of origin, and suffers the most painful consequences of all. Not only does her family refuse to believe her – despite the fact that there are other victims in her family – but they cut her for the betrayal of their secret. Genendy pays the ultimate price for speaking the truth: she loses connections to the people she loved most in the world. The secondary trauma and abandonment leave her with emotional and spiritual gashes that are almost as difficult to mend as the scars of sexual abuse. The Price of Truth is a courageous memoir about a topic that is so often considered taboo. Genendy's stunning autobiography paints a vivid picture of incest and its impact on the child's spirit. The book will provide an invaluable service to other victims of incest and child sexual abuse, as well as to families, communities, and healers.

Genendy has been an early childhood educator for over twenty years in both the U.S. and Israel. She is an advocate for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, an activist for child safety, a writer and blogger. Although her identity is not a secret, as a gesture of respect for her family's privacy, Genendy chooses to sign her book using her first name. Genendy lives in Israel with her husband and children. Find her at www.genendyspeaks.blogspot.co.il