Stephen Mills (3)

Powerful and heartbreaking are only two of the many adjectives I can use to describe Chosen, Stephen Mills’ account of a life nearly destroyed by sexual abuse he encountered at age 13 by the head of his summer camp. The abuse continued until he was 15. The abuser wormed his way into the Mills family, becoming a close friend of his parents, and he was always afraid that his parents would find out.

Skillfully told, Mills recounts the story of his life, and his terrifying experiences with PTSD brought on by the abuse. These episodes were very difficult to read emotionally, knowing from our current perspective what the cause was, yet not necessarily known at the time Mills was in therapy. It also recounts his efforts at bringing his abuser to justice.

This book should be widely read as it provides a powerful insight into how lives are devastated by sexual abuse.

My thanks to Henry Holt and Company and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this extremely important book.… (more)