Out of the Dark (Paperback)

INCREDIBLE PERSON, INCREDIBLE LIFE, INCREDIBLE FAITH!

This is the story of my sister’s life...about a quarter of it...so much had to be left out for printing purposes, and it’s a great pity. This book, however, gives the gist of her life and, of course, the core is about her breakdown, repressed memories surfacing, and her triumphant conquest of the evil which had oppressed her all her life.

I read the first very short draft about 5 years ago and through the long and, at times, very painful birth of this book, I have adamantly refused to read another word: I wanted to read the finished product with the eyes of a newcomer to the story.

Although I have known of Linda's pain-filled life, the writings hit me below the belt: I cried, whimpered and sobbed many times, and then thanked God for bringing her through her trials, battered and bruised, but WHOLE for the first time in her life. Our family will forever be in Robin's debt for his recognition of the reality of Linda's situation, the danger she was in and the determination to bring her through it and not take the easy way out by medicating her into oblivion. As he said, this would have sublimed the very real evil for a while, but it would eventually emerge again and possibly have a greater hold.

Knowing what a very difficult book this was to write and edit, I am delighted in how it turned out: the prose style is easy for a reader to follow and absorb, with everything explained in layman's terms, and Linda's and Robin's narratives flow smoothly into each other. Linda's bewilderment, desperation and determination to survive while paradoxically wanting to die, and Robin's desperation to see her through to survival and his and the Ticehurst staff's deep anxiety for her are communicated very effectively. The narrative draws the reader completely into their world - one surfaces every now and then, dazed and surprised to be in the present, and then dives right in again!

I could not put "Out of the Dark" down until I had read the final word, going without sleep, drinking gallons of coffee and using almost a box of tissues. My nose was red, my eyes sore, my chest ached, my brain felt bruised, but it was with a song in my heart, praises to God and deep gratitude to Robin that I closed the book.
The story is dramatic, heartrending, suspenseful, agonizing, amusing, interesting, thoroughly descriptive and evocative, and, most importantly, uplifting. It will hold the interest of – nay! spellbind - whoever reads it, be they adult or teen, male or female, Christian or not.

It should serve well in many fields: as a tool to show depressed individuals there IS treatment available, that they CAN come out of it with counselling and, yes, with medication as well; for those coming out of depression, that they will learn coping skills and WILL survive in their future life; for Christians, that they not feel guilty about seeking secular help as well as spiritual in finding the peace they seek; for families who have suffered with their loved ones, that they realize they CAN survive and go on.

My sister views her life as just this: as a tool to help others through their trauma, and she is very hopeful that her story will bring comfort to the suffering.

I give this book, the authors and editors an "A plus", and thank Transworld Publishing for their faith in Linda and Robin from the very beginning, and for the incredible support they have given them in this painful and, at times, very tedious process.

It is a little like Dave Pelzer's books, but I felt that it had more appeal because of the narrative style. It is told half by Linda, who is trying to understand why she is experiencing depression, and half by her pscyhologist, so you feel like you get a bigger picture of the events that are happening. It has the feeling of a detective story as you are trying to uncover the truth of the events of Linda's past, and that kept me turning the pages.

It is interesting as pure biography - the events of this woman's life as she grows up in Africa are amazing. But it is really as a thought-provoking look at what depression really feels like and the nature of abuse and how to deal with it that this book really shines. It made me both laugh and cry; it is told with refreshing honesty.

I would recommend this book to anyone who was enjoyed Dave Pelzer's books, and to anyone who has experienced or knows someone who has experienced the pain of depression or abuse.

This is a completely gripping and thoroughly moving book. I cannot recommend it more highly. Read it!

Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Autobiographical books can often feel a little slow, but because it was written in the style of a detective novel, uncovering the secrets of the past, it gripped me from beginning to end.

It was a little like Dave Pelz's book, 'A Child Called It' in its subject matter, but I felt had more depth as it had the analysis of Linda's psychotherapist as well as autobiography, making it a fascinating read. I can recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about how ordinary people can become suicidal and what depression and abuse looks like in real life. It is also interesting for the account of life in Africa in the 50s and 60s.

I would urge anyone vaguely interested to buy this book - this is an excellent and moving true story of a remarkable woman who survives against the odds.