Miracles in the Dark: How a Childhood Cult and Abuse Survivor Reclaimed the Light

by Tammy René

There is Hope!Abuse of any kind undermines our sense of self-worth and has a way of twisting reality, blinding us to the very light we need to see our way to healing.Miracles in the How a Childhood Cult and Abuse Survivor Reclaimed the Light is a compelling and raw story of overcoming the trauma of childhood abuse and finding hope and healing. In Miracles in the Dark you will gain insights

How trauma affects our mental and physical capabilitiesThe power in accepting and processing the pain of abuseHow the kind acts of others –no matter how small– can play a key role in the healing journeyThe reality that healing from devastating abuse is possibleRegardless of the pains and heartache we are called to go through, all of us can find light and hope, ultimately thriving in a life that is uniquely our own.

184 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2023

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Miracles in the Dark, by Tammy Rene, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Tammy has been through so much, but wants to share her story, to help others. It was not always and easy book to read, but its a good read about a very strong woman.

[Read-n-Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warning: There are sexual child abuse and cult abuse in this nonfiction novel.

Title: Miracles In The Dark: How A Child Cult and Abuse Survivor Reclaimed The Light
Author: Tammy Rene
Genre: Nonfiction; Inspirational

An inspiring true story of a woman, but was a child through most of the abuse by her mother and dad, who was terribly, sickeningly abused. Her mother and dad were Satan Worshipers. So, not only did they abuse her physical body, which does awful things to your mind too, but they also abused her darkly, in a murky, devastating way. But there was the Gardener that came to visit her in her mind that helped to keep her spirit alive in the light. I actually believe the Gardener was the LORD helping her through all of it. He also sent her toward and into churches and with people of GOD to help her as well. Keep her in the light, so when the darkness got so bad, Jesus would shine a light into her soul and spirit to keep going. It’s a beautiful inspiring true story of a strong woman depending on GOD’s light to help her through the darkness of her life.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review #MiraclesInTheDark with my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Tammy Renee, Ignite Press and The Non Fiction Association for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Tammy Renee needs to be commended for being so brave sharing her deeply personal story with her readers. Miracles in The Dark How A Childhood Cult and Abuse Survivor Reclaimed the Light is a quick read but not an easy read. However, it is a story that must be told in the hopes of helping others heal.

I totally fell in love with this beautiful cover design by KM Shadidul Arafat! It was the perfect graphic for this book!

Tammy would like to dedicate this book to her husband for his compassion, understanding and strength. One thing that I loved about this book is we not only heard Tammy’s story but her husband's side of it as well.

She would also dedicate this book to all the hurting children in each of us.

I appreciated the fact that right in the beginning of the book Tammy addressed some very sensitive topics that may trigger some.

D. Wayne Abbott, Ph.D wrote a note to the readers in his forward.. He agreed with me that this is not an easy read.

Tammy’s story was a fast paced one sitting type of a read. I enjoyed getting to know Tammy and her family better.

They always say to go with your gut instinct on things. Tammy had a hunch about her Dad and she was right. What she uncovered and how she uncovered it blew me away.

There were so many extremely important life lessons in this book that everyone could benefit from.

At the end of the book Tammy a note to survivors of abuse. Not only that but she includes a letter to friends from abuse victims. She also includes some important resources for her readers to have.

After reading this I think this book would be great for a book club discussion, in the school library, school counselor or health office for both kids and adults.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tammy René has written about overcoming the trauma of childhood abuse and finding hope. The little acts of kindness that happen to her meant a lot to her. For example she wanted a bicycle for Christmas but was sure that she would not get one. To her delight, she did get a bicycle for Christmas. Her childhood abuse is heartbreaking. The worse part besides the abuse done to her was who did it to her. She had no one to talk to. Her parents had forbidden it. The abuse of any kind undermines our sense of self-worth. How one survives it is amazing and how it is done with surviving it. Sadly, it can also become so overwhelming that one feels so much loss that it is difficult to think of living. This does need to be said. The author was lucky to find someone to believe in. It seemed that her experience of the lovely flower garden with a special person to give her peace and hope. It was a great source of help for her. Trauma doe not only th e physical but also the mental aspects of a person. When as adult, the author started to remember her abuse, she did come to realize that healing is possible but it is not an easy journey. Sharing her life in this book will help people understand about abuse and how to support that person. This is an important subject that needs to give people a chance to communicate about this and to discover what they can do to help.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Kira K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I appreciated the presence of sensitive content warning at the beginning of the book to help warn potential readers what they may be getting themselves into and forewarns those who could be triggered by reading it. The foreword from a therapist about dealing with ritual abuse and molestation was great, even more so from someone who knows Tammy and her journey through healing. I appreciated the into the light sections to help break up a difficult story with quotes and thought that the quotes Tammy feels are significant pulled was a great idea as it shows us the parts of her story she wants to emphasise. I liked endnotes, especially for the bible verses/pieces as I didn't recognise them from the text and the helplines are great after such a heavy book that may impact on its readers in ways they may not have predicted. Providing the husbands perspective to help those reading for a loved one is a great touch as it’s good to see the other side of handling the journey.The healing truths was an amazing way to end the book, and great for both those who experienced the trauma and those trying to support a loved one going through it.

Favourite Quote:
"There is still sadness in looking back at my childhood and the loss of my innocence. However, in the aftermath of the storms, the light penetrates the dark and exposes the beauty of the journey that is my life. "

[Laurel Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was harder for me to read than I thought. The imagery was exquisite and also kind of traumatizing because of the detail that she describes her childhood experiences. I almost felt like I was intruding on the authors private diary. I think this book would really help anyone who dealt with sexual trauma in their childhood and provide validity to their own feelings and experiences. Because I didn’t deal with something like that in my life, it was hard to relate to and brought some feelings of guilt for having such a good childhood.

I’m really glad the author was able to find peace and move forward in her life.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book. It seems odd to say that about such a dark subject. Knowing the author personally, she is a gift to help others heal, progress, forgive, and get to know the Savior better.
A must read for anyone who has suffered from any type of abuse. A definite must read.

[Ky Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very gripping, at least in the beginning. I understood that the nature of the book would get repetitive, as it was the same healing processes about different events, but it still seemed to drag near the end. You can tell it was written amateurly, but it was still a good story with good principles that hopefully leads people to light. I love my Heavenly Parents and my Savior and Their plan for our lives. I love that They can always help heal us, no matter how far off the path we’ve been taken.

“God cannot make the people who should love you, love you, but He can-and will-surround you with people who will.”

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌜