Barbara Jean August

Compromised Barbara Jean August

What would you do if you knew that your stepfather was a child predator, but your mother did nothing to protect you-and you could not rely on the court system or anyone else for help? What would you do if you found yourself, many years later, faced with becoming your mother's caregiver: Would you do the right thing and help her, despite what she failed to do for you? Barbara Jean August was just four years old when she realized that she was a victim of child sexual abuse. A few years later, she learned that her stepfather was also targeting her four other siblings-a discovery that eventually cast her out of her home at age sixteen and into a world that she knew nothing about. Yet, with the help of her faith and her remarkable strength in character, Barbara Jean somehow overcame her difficult upbringing to become a loving mother and wife, a successful career woman, and an advocate for other victims of child abuse. What she did not know is that the repercussions of her own abusive experience would continue to compromise her health and well-being every day of her life. Compromised is an empowering story of surviving childhood sexual abuse in spite of the odds, and the pivotal role that which the author's faith in God plays throughout her life. It is also a story that examines the relationship between mothers and children in our society, and the unique bond between daughter and mother that the author chose to honor.