The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse was written for some of the most deeply wounded of people — immeasurably loved and precious to God, yet subjected to suffering, humiliation, and betrayal through sexual abuse at an age when they were utterly defenseless and vulnerable. This horrific abuse was committed by those who were meant to protect, defend, and love them, and it has left such a mark on their souls that for years they have been unable to escape either its memory or its physical, emotional, and spiritual effects. In the author's view, sexual abuse, though the worst and most horrifying form of abuse, is not the only form: everyone living in a world that, for all its beauty and goodness, is caught in corruption, is in some way both wounded and wounding. The book therefore speaks both to particular readers and to all. Its author, Dr. Dan Allender, an experienced and well-known Christian psychologist whose profound books and rich seminars have been of great help especially to survivors of sexual abuse, wrote this book from his theoretical and practical experience in this field. A patient, careful reading will not only help; its insights may even prevent future abuse.
