Stolen Beauty

About the Book

At a young age, author A. L. Madden was exposed to the kind of inconceivable treatment no one, let alone a defenseless child, should endure. A brutal stepfather with a murky and painful history of his own found himself in an environment in which he continued the cycle of trauma, committing unspeakable acts of sexual and emotional abuse against Madden and her siblings.

Meanwhile, her struggling, overworked mother didn’t see the pain and damage being inflicted on her children. Madden felt ashamed, hurt, angry, and, most of all, unable to talk—to anyone—about what was happening. She felt as though it was her fault. The only route to dealing with the anguish was to submerge herself in a distrustful, insecure, depressed state. As have many survivors of abuse, Madden felt abandoned, unable to see who she really was, unable to hold on to any glimmer of hope.

Only through a long soul-searching process that involved a combination of therapy, study, prayer, and the eventual strong faith in the power of her own inner strength and spirit—the innocence and beauty she had once possessed as a child—was Madden fi nally able to reach a place of understanding and peace. Stolen Beauty tells a poignant story for anyone who seeks guidance through his or her own recovery from abuse or for anyone who works to help survivors and abusers alike.

About the Author

A. L. Madden is the mother of three children. She is a travel writer for one of the top travel management companies in the world. She became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in 2009 and volunteers in her spare time. Madden is an accomplished chef and former caterer. She completed a cookbook for college students called, Look Dude, I Can Cook! published in July 2007.