Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back chronicles the true story of a young girl's sexual abuse by her father, and her later descent into drugs and street life. It shows her mom's desperate and successful attempt to bring her back, and how she must change to help her daughter.
This book deals with a parent's two worse nightmares - sexual abuse and drug addiction. It serves as a cautionary tale, and potentially a guide book for parents going through similar situations.
You have to wonder how mom, Claire Fontaine, failed to protect her daughter, Mia from her father's sexual abuse. Looking back, Claire realizes she noticed signs of incest in her first husband's family. However, she chose to ignore them blaming her naiviete and youth. It's a clear example that denial is a powerful force that has huge consequences for our children - and how hard it is for us to deal with dark issues like drug abuse, incest, rape, and sexual abuse. Still the more we deny a problem, the more our children are affected. In Claire's case, it nearly killed her daughter.
The book also points out how our courts and social system fail to protect our children from sexually abusive relatives, especially if they're rich and well connected. Judges constantly granted Mia's father visitation rights, claiming that having a relationship with her father was more important than whatever abuse he inflicted on her. And every counselor or psychiatrist Claire contacted seem to know her ex-husband's powerful family, or was related to them.
It became a horror show of such magnitude that Claire considered running away, assuming new identities, and going underground with Mia. If it wasn't for Mia's father's reluctance to pay child support or attend court ordered therapy, they probably would have, and we'd be reading a much different story today.
I highly recommend Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back. It's an extemely powerful read that leaves you thinking, "There for God's grace go I."
For further information on the book and resources for both parents and those seeking help with child sexual abuse (for themselves or others) visit Claire and Maria's website.
