STOLEN INNOCENCE

Based on a True Story

Non-Fiction - Relationships
132 Pages
Reviewed on 07/27/2023
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Facing retirement at the age of 76, I planned to spend my golden years writing.
The covid pandemic prompted me to stop editing and publish my first book. The Miracle Known as Ed Levine is fiction based on the life my friend trusted me to pen. From birth in London during World War II to terminal cancer at 62, his is a story of survival and success despite daunting challenges.
Anny & Me relates my unique friendship with my Taiwanese soul sister, proving that cultures and lives are similar despite geographical distance.
My friends Sam and Marilyn Gray live a never-ending nightmare. Their true story, The Injustice System, It Can Happen to You, is a frightening account of our government’s power. An international contest with thousands of entries, Readers’ Favorites awarded me fifth place in their 2022 Nonfiction-True Crime category.
Stolen Innocence is a story that would be unbelievable if it weren’t true. My friend trusted me with her deepest, darkest secrets. Her success overcoming abuse, abandonment, and betrayal can inspire other victims to speak up and end their torment.
I believe that it’s never too late to follow your dream. I’m doing it.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite

Stolen Innocence by Ronarose Train is uniquely and sensitively written. It is based on a true story of abuse, rejection, and betrayal. Abigail and her brother were left in the care of their grandparents by their mother. They did not fully understand the structure of the household and only saw their mother infrequently. Abigail was only four years old when her mother began abusing her. Her mother made sure that Abigail believed she was ugly and that the abuse was her fault. Abigail could not take anyone into her confidence because her mother made her understand that she would be taken away if she repeated what was going on. Abigail's life turned upside down after she was forced to visit her mother one afternoon. This time her mother crossed the line.

Ronarose Train wrote Stolen Innocence in the hope that victims of abuse will have the courage to come forward and seek help. Abigail’s life was a conflict between the evil her mother did to her and the love she received from her grandmother. Once I started reading, I was so caught up in Abigail’s circumstances that I could not stop. It was unbelievable to discover that a mother did this to her daughter. I could feel Abigail's emotions, her fear of her mother, and the anguish caused by the abuse. It is disturbing to know that such a little girl had to endure so much. The description of the events was handled tactfully. It's a sad story to read, but it gives other victims hope that they can be freed from their situations.

Pikasho Deka

Stolen Innocence by Ronarose Train is the harrowing true story of a girl named Abigail. The story follows the life of a woman whose traumatic childhood shapes the course of her life in ways she could never have imagined. Born in 1955, Abigail grew up in a big house with her grandparents and her younger brother Billy in Roswell, Illinois. It isn't until she is three years old that she meets her mother, Barbara, a beautiful yet cruel woman whose terrible treatment of her children would be the cause of much grief for them as adults. Left at a young age at a children's home in Stillbrook, Kansas, with Billy and her half-brother, Tory, Abby still has to bear the occasional meetings with Barbara, the experiences of which will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Stolen Innocence is a heartbreaking story of child abuse and long-term psychological trauma. Ronarose Train's memoir is a hard-hitting gut punch from start to finish. Abigail's story will break your heart and force you to think about the millions of abuse victims whose childhoods were ruined by psychotic monsters who use their power and position to prey on the weak. Despite the subject matter, this is also a story about the resilience of the human spirit. Abigail suffers through a life of torment, plagued by the memories of her abusive mother, yet she never fails to be a protective big sister to her younger brothers. Train's prose is evocative and brings Abigail's woe and trauma out of the pages. Highly recommended.

Edith Wairimu

Based on a true story, Stolen Innocence by Ronarose Train is a courageous memoir that documents the continuous rejection, torment, and sexual abuse Abigail suffered at the hands of her mother. Abigail and her brother, Billy, live with their grandmother and grandfather. Her grandmother, Daisy, is kind to them and becomes a mother figure to them both. Their mother is in and out of their lives throughout their childhood and teenage years. Abigail dreads her abusive mother’s return. The constant emotional, physical, and sexual abuse she endures leaves her feeling rejected, silenced, and disempowered. Even when Billy and Abigail live in a children’s home, the horrors of what she has experienced continue to plague her and the abuse continues when she stays with her mother.

Stolen Innocence is a heartfelt and touching memoir that inspires victims of sexual abuse to tell their stories. It is also an important work that sheds light on the short-term and long-term effects of child sexual abuse and neglect. I found Abigail's courage and her ability to grow stronger and take charge of her life, despite all the anguish she endured, inspiring. Victims of abuse will find hope in her story as she rises above her fears and achieves accomplishments in her life. A heartbreaking account of continued sexual abuse and mental torture, Ronarose Train offers a candid memoir detailing a woman’s journey of dealing with her traumatic experiences. Readers will appreciate the work’s insight into the trauma suffered from abuse and will find the ending inspiring.

Keith Mbuya

Things had been going well for Abigail Paxton and her brother Billy while living with their loving grandparents until their mother Barbara – whom the kids had never seen or heard from before – showed up. Abigail was barely five when her mother first subjected her to a despicable act. As Abigail would learn later, this was but the first among the many forms of abuse her mother would subject her to. Threatened with dire consequences if she ever shared the obnoxious things her mother did to her, Abigail never dared to say a word to anyone. Things got even more complicated when Abigail and Billy were dropped off and left in the care of a children’s home in Missouri by their grandparents. Get yourself Ronarose Train's Stolen Innocence: She Haunts Me Still, Based on a True Story to learn more about Abigail and Billy.

Ronarose Train's Stolen Innocence is a must-read memoir for anyone going through or recovering from any form of abuse. The author opens a gateway into the world of a child whose closest parental figures are her aging grandparents. A child who has an abusive woman for a mother. A child living in a children’s home. The author depicted Abigail’s memories with so much vividness. She captured her emotions in a down-to-earth way and this had me on an emotional rollercoaster. This coupled with the use of introspection made me connect with Abigail, among other characters, on a personal level. It broke my heart to imagine that someone as young, innocent, and helpless as Abigail could be abused by her mother. It tore me apart when Abigail had to stay in an abusive marriage because of a pregnancy her mother was completely responsible for. Stolen Innocence will serve as a voice for those suffering abuse, encouraging them to speak out before it’s too late.

Ananya Hazarika

Stolen Innocence by Ronarose Train is based on a true story. Abigail was the victim of emotional and sexual abuse since she was aged four. Her peaceful life with her grandparents, her brothers Billy and Tory, and her uncle and aunt was disrupted by a series of visits from her mother Barbara. Her mother abused Abigail and made her perform morally questionable acts that changed her life forever. It is an account of Abigail's journey toward freedom and how she managed to deal with all the threats, secrets, and betrayals by her loved ones. Her trust in people was lost because adults failed to recognize the emotional and physical trauma that she endured from a very young age. She felt unsafe and unprotected in her own home, like the day her grandparents left her and her brothers at a Children's Home, which she believed was a consequence of the evils inflicted by her mother. She questioned her existence and blamed herself for every unpleasant situation. As she stepped into adulthood, Abigail tried to find meaning in her life and did not lose hope, eventually finding peace and success.

Stolen Innocence by Ronarose Train is a personal account that deals with many social ills, such as child abuse, trauma, issues of parenting, the judicial system, Christian values, incest, suicide, abortion, and mental health. The memoir shares the experience of loss and the constant threats and abuse that victims endure through a child's eyes. While sharing her experiences, the author emphasizes the mental state of the victims. Many resort to substance abuse as they fail to open up about their personal lives, fearing being judged and rejected. This is a common phenomenon, accompanied by depression. The constant guilt and self-blame dominate the victim's mindset, which then leads to suicidal thoughts. They have trust issues because of abandonment, which then become problematic in later life.

The book discusses childhood trauma and its role in molding a person for later life. The account depicts the reality of some parents who are so engrossed in their lives that they fail to acknowledge the struggles faced by their children. It also questions the failure of the legal system to protect children during the 1970s. The author inspires and motivates the victims of sexual abuse to come forward and speak out, face themselves, and seek therapy to overcome the trauma. This is a must-read for anyone who needs a new perspective on life or those who have lost all hope.