Resilient: Unlearning the Pain, Rebuilding a Life

How do you move forward when some of your earliest memories are coloured by abuse? How do you survive trauma that is, for many, unimaginable? Is it your responsibility to forgive those who hurt you, even if they won't admit they did wrong?

Vulnerable, honest, and beautifully written, Resilient tells the powerful life story of author, artist, and incest survivor Rannie Galt. One of many children in a big family, Rannie grew up subject to the predation of her father and one of her elder brothers. As an adult, she started travelling and meeting people. She came to realize that the environment she had grown in was not normal and there were many kind people in the world. Struggling under the weight of this past, she eventually gives way, seeking support. She comes to give recovery everything she's got, throwing herself fully into all manner of therapeutic approaches, modes of creative expression, and physical practices in her search for healing. Eventually, she comes to the brave decision to extricate herself from her family, who largely continue to minimize what happened, and pursue legal action against her abuser. Along the way, she explores the healing she has been able to attain thanks to the support of vital figures, from nuns to teachers to therapists, and meaningful experiences, from volunteer work in Haiti to seeing the great artworks of Europe.

Here is a path for all those who have survived such harrowing abuse: an inspiring tale that teaches that not only survival, but the creation of a beautiful life, is possible-even in unthinkable circumstances.

Rannie Galt is an artist, poet, and author whose passion for reading led to her conviction that she would one day write a memoir. She writes poetry to express the love of her family, the emotional turmoil she has experienced, and the triumph of her healing, and her art to explore much the same. She has written a number of letters to the editors of local newspapers about issues she feels are important, including the abuse of children. She hopes that this, her first book, will provide solace to women who have been through similar experiences, and show them that they, too, can heal.