Book Recommendation

50 Years of Silence

by Jan Ruff-O'Herne 

The extraordinary memoir of a war rape survivor

There are thousands upon thousands of victims of sexual assault and rape throughout history, and that includes currently. It is another horrible example of suffering because of the evil man is capable of inflicting upon his fellow man. During wartime throughout the millennia the conquerors  considered it one of their rights by virtue of the fact they won out to take what they want - including the women. The Japanese during the years between 1929 and 1945 certainly did. 

But this is not a story to heap coals upon the head of the Japanese soldiers of a previous generation because there is plenty of blame to go around and as long as mankind is what he - and she - is, there always will be.

It is the well written and amazing story about Jan herself, beginning during her wonderful childhood years raised in Indonesia prior to WWII.  Almost all of the civilian population of Indonesia who were of European descent were interned in concentration camps during the war years, as were Jan and her family. A large amount of the book is spent telling the reader about those horrific years, and the terrible experience of being chosen as a sexual tool for Japanese officers. Jan is defiant the entire time, and often sustained by her character and her deep abiding faith. 

The hard times don't end when the war does. She and the other victims are accused of willingly submitting to their captors, Indonesia is rocked by revolution, and it seems as thought there will never be happiness and stability again. There are also physical repercussions that come back to haunt her, and must be dealt with as well.

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HLK318/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

So how can this be an uplifting story? Because of Jan herself, and because of her sustaining faith, which does not fail but provides the healing so desperately needed. This is another great example of being more than just a survivor, but also being an overcomer. Jan falls in love with a wonderful man and eventually for her, those she loves, and many others, life is good again.

Half a century later when she breaks her silence and tells her story, it is timely indeed for more than one generation of those women who are still bearing the scars of their own abuse.  And one cannot help but realize healing and forgiveness is available for all of us, no matter what our wounds may be.