I finished Permission to Speak Freely by Anne Jackson in two days — it’s something very special for the community of abuse survivors (at least). She begins by recounting her own journey out of the tangled web of rationalization that abuse spins into the dry-mouthed unraveling of the realization that she is an abuse survivor. She described the journey so well that I found myself rationalizing right along with her about the relationship her 25-year-old youth director had with her when she was just 16. It was a wake-up call for this father of a 17-year-old daughter. My ignorance is part of the problem in a world that is entirely suspended by lies and silence.

Abuse survivors generally suffer from long-term poor self-image, shame and guilt though they were not to blame. Anne combats these issues with persuasive prose about who we are in Christ, arguing that is the true source of self-worth. I challenge any reader not to leap out of their chair at her passionate exhortation to embrace the truth of who they are spiritually and to use that to launch into the fullness of purpose only available in total surrender to our spiritual image, that is, our true image.

Anne Jackson is the voice of her own audio book and she narrates very well. It’s an added bonus for me when the author narrates and does it well; I feel like I’m getting a deeper peek into their head.

Anne’s writing style reminds of Donald Miller, author of Father Fiction and Blue Like Jazz, who calls himself a classical Christian essayist.

Permission to Speak Freely is a must read. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

This book was provided by Christian Audio as part of the Christian Audio Reviewers program.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo (audio version)
• The Sights and Sounds of Enabling
  by Diane Viere and Elaine Altman-Eller
• Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller (audio version)
• Father Fiction by Donald Miller (audio version)
• In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham