The Price of Truth

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.