My Prison Without Bars is the harrowing tale of a young girl brutally raped and abused by her stepfather, and her efforts to find a normal life as she gets older, despite repeated encounters with sexual violence, rape and abuse at the hands of boyfriends.
Though she marries and has children, she is still haunted by the demons of her childhood (not to mention a selfish husband and an abusive mother-in-law) and only a catastrophic event can bring her to a place where she can begin to escape.
This is a very, very difficult book to read, especially for a parent. Not because it is badly written, to the contrary, it is vivid and forceful in its language – but because of the subject matter, which is agonizing. It is excruciatingly powerful, and will leave the reader shaken and furiously angry, as it ought. That is precisely why such books are necessary, and I am thankful for Ms. Fulkes’ courage in sharing her story so clearly and bluntly. Her courage and strength shine through the book, and with luck, may provide support, good advice and hope to other people trapped in the same nightmare.
It seems almost churlish to offer any suggestions for improvement, but there are occasional grammar errors which could be cleared up by a good editor (and I believe the author would be better-advised to call her next book Sins of My Father, rather than Sin’s of My Father). This is only a minor quibble, though, one that does not disturb in any way the power of the book.
This book is not an easy read, nor is it for the squeamish. But it is a very powerful book, a very painful book, and a very important book, particularly for those who have found themselves in a prison without bars, looking for a key.
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader