To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence

by Robert Uttaro

Overview

To the Survivors is about one man's journey as a rape crisis counselor with true stories of sexual violence shared by survivors in their own words. Gently and beautifully constructed, To the Survivors is moving, tender, sharp, and piercingly true all at once. Readers will encounter uncensored written stories, poems, and interviews from women and men who have experienced rape and sexual assault, plus the advocate-author voice that weaves their experiences together. The survivors are diverse in age, gender, and ethnicity, yet each gives a similarly raw and heartfelt account of his or her victimization and recovery. The authenticity and vulnerability with which survivors speak resonates profoundly. But this book is not just for survivors of sexual violence. Robert Uttaro believes anyone can benefit from the words in these pages, rape survivor or not.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781490931661
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	10/23/2013
Pages:	268
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.61(d)

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/30/2014
Rape counselor Uttaro draws upon his years of experience to warn that sexual abuse is far more prevalent than most people suspect, and provides a moving series of survivor stories. Uttaro persuasively argues that each survivor's story is unique—and this militates one-size-fits-all advice. The surprising revelations of the survivors Uttaro interviews corroborate his claim that justice is an individual concept that depends on what redress survivors seek. Uttaro's assurances that survivors are not defined by sexual abuse offer the possibility of a positive resolution. This book is both informative for the general public and supportive for those who have suffered sexual abuse. It is hard to imagine that members of either group will not gain from reading it.

Publishers Weekly

2014-01-20
A debut memoir about a man working as a rape crisis counselor. Uttaro, who spent years as a volunteer at a crisis center, aims to "alleviate [the] shame" directed at victims of sexual assault, but he quickly asserts that he doesn't have "all of the answers." In college, he was inspired by a classroom visit from the center's staff, during which he found himself "called" to work there. He chronicles his service as a counselor and occasionally includes the poetry of some of the rape survivors with whom he worked. He frequently addresses readers directly and offers compassionate advice. Occasionally, the memoir reads more like a journal, particularly when Uttaro reflects on feelings of nervousness: "Dude relax….Chill out," he tells himself. His use of expletives may jar some readers, and the book's tone often shifts between personal and professional. At times, he wanders off track, as when he vents about the lack of enthusiasm at a "pathetic rally," but for the most part, he focuses on his admiration and respect for survivors and counselors alike. He also makes an effort to encourage his readers: "There is often more power in our own voices than we can fathom." Some anecdotes are uneventful, but others are quite moving. He describes several "speaker engagements" in which survivors talked about their assaults, including Rebecca, a college student attacked by a friend; Corey, a transgendered man who took his attacker to court; Alexis, who was raped by an acquaintance in her college dorm room; and Jim, who was abused by a Roman Catholic priest. Some of the most effective segments are interviews with various staff members, including Aila, who works for the center's legal department. She explains the difficulties of rape prosecution, concluding that "[o]nly the survivor" can truly define justice. Uttaro is particularly disturbed by "victim blaming," and on this subject, his language swings between belligerence and poignancy: "Drunk or sober, [victims] are not to blame," he writes. "They are never to blame." An engaging examination of a painful subject, with a focus on healing and forgiveness.

Kirkus Reviews