By Derrick M. Gordon, Ph.D.
Book Review:
I Will Survive: The African-American Guide to Healing from Sexual Assault
By Julia A. Boyd
I
Will Survive by Lori S. Robinson is the first definitive book for black women and men that addresses not only the devastation and trauma of being sexually assaulted, but the power of emotional healing.
Using her own story as a backdrop, Robinson takes us on a step-by-step journey of healing. Robinson continues to remind us throughout the book that while the journey may be rocky, our destination is what’s most important. I Will Survive gives us permission to take care of ourselves while acknowledging and validating the difficulty we may experience in needing support from others.
I read I Will Survive twice: once straight through from beginning to end as a body of knowledge, and, the second time, skipping around to different chapters for quick reference-guide information. Both times I felt I had gained supportive information and useful techniques for putting one’s life back together after the trauma of sexual assault. The book provides a realistic overview of both the medical and legal systems as they related to survivors of domestic violence.
Most importantly, she instructs the reader that “Emotional Recovery” (title of chapter 3) is not business as usual; we’re not super-human, we’re human, and with that distinction comes the ownership of feelings. Robinson reminds us that a violation of the body often involves a violation of the spirit, and having loving, supportive family and friends around is the best medicine. In this beautifully written, factual and wellgrounded book, Robinson has given a long overdue voice to black survivors everywhere.
Julia A. Boyd's poetry and short fiction have been published in several small press anthologies, and in Essence magazine. She is a contributor to both editions of The Black Women's Health Book (Seal Press, 1990 and 1994). The article above is an excerpt of the book’s foreword.
