What do you think?
Rate this book
Apocapiphany
"A frank, mesmerising and often comedic account of one woman's inner struggles with Good vs Evil, abusive relationships and high control, coercive religion, namely the Jehovah's Witnesses cult"
This book is an autobiographical account featuring religious indoctrination, child sexual abuse cover ups and abusive relationships. It contains coarse language, graphic depictions of sex and other content which some readers may find triggering.
This book is an autobiographical account featuring religious indoctrination, child sexual abuse cover ups and abusive relationships. It contains coarse language, graphic depictions of sex and other content which some readers may find triggering.
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 21, 2023
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 23, 2024
Not a book for the faint hearted. Helen van Dahl has three stories of abuse to tell. An abusive father; an abusive religious background, which effectively enabled and colluded with him, even if no one technically laid a finger on her; and an abusive relationship as an adult, with a man reaping the fertile ground planted by the first two.
And yet, here she is, still standing, astonishingly resilient and able to talk about it. If you want to understand any of the three kinds of abuse described, and the effect they have on their innocent victim, then you need to read this.
The two physically and sexually abusive relationships with other people are her stories to tell in her own way. The religious one involves the Jehovah's Witnesses, and to her credit she does not just rant from experience. She has done her research. She has studied the movement's history; she even wrote to its leaders, and received a reply, which is reproduced here. But she is able to distinguish between the leaders and the genuine seekers and innocent pew members; she treats genuine religion with respect; and she is obviously a fan of Jesus, if not a believer. May her healing continue.
My one complaint is that while I understand she wrote it as therapy and the words came pouring out, I wish she had employed a copy editor.
And yet, here she is, still standing, astonishingly resilient and able to talk about it. If you want to understand any of the three kinds of abuse described, and the effect they have on their innocent victim, then you need to read this.
The two physically and sexually abusive relationships with other people are her stories to tell in her own way. The religious one involves the Jehovah's Witnesses, and to her credit she does not just rant from experience. She has done her research. She has studied the movement's history; she even wrote to its leaders, and received a reply, which is reproduced here. But she is able to distinguish between the leaders and the genuine seekers and innocent pew members; she treats genuine religion with respect; and she is obviously a fan of Jesus, if not a believer. May her healing continue.
My one complaint is that while I understand she wrote it as therapy and the words came pouring out, I wish she had employed a copy editor.
July 10, 2023
A refreshing and brutually honest account of a person's life amidst abuse by several key male figures throughout her life.
The fact that she keeps positive and strong out of such ordeals is the real miracle at work here and not the controlling and disturbing practices of the religion, the Jehovah's Witnesses, that shaped and manipulated a key part of her life.
Apocapiphany is written in a raw and brutal language that feels as though she is sat next to you relaying her life directly. A disturbing story of an amazing person that hopes to learn from bad decisions and peer coercion in order to help and support others that suffer the same abuse.
Well done and we look forward to more writing in the future!
The fact that she keeps positive and strong out of such ordeals is the real miracle at work here and not the controlling and disturbing practices of the religion, the Jehovah's Witnesses, that shaped and manipulated a key part of her life.
Apocapiphany is written in a raw and brutal language that feels as though she is sat next to you relaying her life directly. A disturbing story of an amazing person that hopes to learn from bad decisions and peer coercion in order to help and support others that suffer the same abuse.
Well done and we look forward to more writing in the future!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews