Misty Griffin's Tears of the Silenced: An Amish True Crime Memoir of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Brutal Betrayal, and Ultimate Survival

by Misty Griffin

Surviving Severe Child Abuse, Sexual Assault and Leaving the Amish ChurchIn May 2022 Misty Griffin released the Child Rights Act petition calling on Congress to take action and help abused children in religious communities. It is currently gaining momentum and national media attention.

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#1 Best Seller in Cults & Demonism, Parenting & Relationships, Notable People, Religious, Survival, Sexual Assault, and Biographies & Memoirs

A gripping story that takes you on the journey of a child abuse and sexual assault survivor turned activist. (Photo gallery included).

True story of child abuse. When Misty Griffin was six years old, her family started to live and dress like the Amish. Misty and her sister were kept as slaves on a mountain ranch and subjected to almost complete isolation, sexual abuse, and physical violence. Their step-father kept a loaded rifle by the door to make sure the young girls were too terrified to attempt escape. No rescue would ever come since the few people who knew they existed did not care.

Sexual abuse among the Amish. When Misty reached her teens, her parents feared she and her sister would escape and took them to an Amish community. Devastated to again find herself in a world of fear, cruelty, and abuse, Misty was sexually assaulted by the bishop. "...I knew I had to get help, and one freezing morning in early March, I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. After reporting the bishop, I left the Amish and found myself plummeted into a strange modern world with only a second-grade education and no ID or social security card." Ultimately Misty graduated nursing school and currently works as an activist for abused children.

Inside learn

A cycle of abuse can be brokenAbuse was not your faultMoving forward is possibleRead true crime books and child abuse true stories like Educated, A Child Called It, The Family Next Door, or Etched In Sand? Then Tears of the Silenced is a must-read.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Crime

328 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2025

About the author

Misty Griffin is the author of her best selling memoir Tears of the Silenced. Misty wrote her memoir to raise awareness about child abuse and sexual assault cover up among the Amish and other strict religious groups.

Misty Griffin’s inspiring story takes you through her ordeal as a severely abused child and then her experiences as a young woman in an Amish community- a place where pedophilia was never reported or punished - and finally her escape and efforts to save her sister and bring the perpetrators to justice, all while adapting to a modern life she had never known.

Now a Registered Nurse, happily married and with a child of her own, Misty has dedicated her life to making a difference.

Misty has also been to D.C, accompanied by her former Mennonite friend Jasper Hoffman and spoken personally to a member of congress about sexual assault and child abuse among the Amish and Mennonites.

Misty hopes to pass legislation to mandate reporting of child abuse in cloistered communities such as the Amish and to extend Erin’s Law - which mandates age-appropriate sex abuse prevention education in public schools - to private schools and religious communities. Misty’s change.org petition #invisible calls on Congress, the Senate and President Biden to take action.
You can sign the petition on Misty's website https://www.mistygriffin.com/

Email Misty at mistyegriffin@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @Misty_E_Griffin

Reviews

[Lacey May · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow wow wow
ive never been a big fan of the Amish as they treat most of the animals horrid. knowing now what happens to a lot of the women and children is horrifying. Misty Is an incredible woman and a true survivor

[Michaela (viddyviewsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚠️TW: child and physical abuse, SA, incest

I applaud Misty Griffin for speaking out and having the bravery and strength to live her life the way she wants.

Misty writes her account, in detail, about the horrors she sustained at the hands of her mother, step-father and at the hands of the Amish church.

This book was not a light read, heartbreaking and difficult at times however the whole reason Misty wrote her account is so that people out there know what is going on in some Amish churches.

I know there is a separation between church and state so it does get tricky however, if people are using a form of religion to help cover up crimes against women and children I cannot support them or that. I’m happy to hear there is an effort being made and fully applaud all of the survivors out there who have stood against abuse.

As always, I rate memoirs four stars no matter what because I applaud anyone who takes the time to write about their own experiences as a way to heal, reflect or move on.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

haunting, depressing, inspiring, interesting

[Danielle Brannen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grab your tissues and brace yourself for a moving experience. The tragedies that are suffered by the author and others is heartbreaking. This book opens your eyes while squeezing your heart and turning your stomach, all at the same time. The author is commended for her bravery, strength and dedication to exposing abuse. She is a champion for human rights and is a hero of her own story as well as others.

[Katryna L Booker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book provides insight to the terrible things that happen in a religious community & remain protected under “religious” guidelines. A lot of trauma & abuse. She has become an advocate & helped so many others start over.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misty Griffin faced violence, isolation, and abuse from an early age. At the age of six, the sight of the loaded shotgun by the door reminded her often that there was no escape from the "slavery" of daily chores, verbal assaults, and physical abuse. Her mother and stepfather gleefully worked her and her younger sister to the bone in the isolated, poorly insolated cabin in the northern mountains.
As Misty approached 18, her dream of going on her own were dashed when she was sent to an Anish community. Her family had identified as Plain people. The Amish had even more rules. She felt she finally belonged somewhere but then began to see and feel the cloak of secrecy the women wore.
Once again, she was abused. This time by the Bishop of the church.
Misty finally made a run for it to the small police station. Her journey does not get much easier as shefaces the unknown world, but she is plucky. As an adult, she clawed back from a 2nd grade education to where she is today, a college graduate and professional, helping others who have suffered from childhood abuse.
I want to see the movie that has been made on her story, though I am sure it will not be easy to see. It was hard to read.

[Faith Boehmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable story of someone who was the victim of abuse on so many levels. The ones that should protect children seemed uncertain, unwilling to speak up or advocate fell silent. Perhaps they really were uncertain. Maybe they did not have the tools to know how to take action. We (adults, citizens, etc.) need to do better. We must be the voice to ensure that ALL children grow up in safe nurturing environments in their homes, places of worship, schools, extra curricula and more. Thank you Misty for sharing your story! Your strength and courage is inspiring!

[Agnese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Purely subjective thoughts ahead!

CWs: Violence, abuse
Personal category: Piece of life
Note: ★★★★☆
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This is quite outside my normal reading zone, but I am doing a reading challenge and I had to read a book about a cult, so here I am.

I’m not sure how one is supposed to rate or express an opinion on books like this. On someone’s life and suffering, on their vulnerability. So I’ll just say that this book was raw emotion and warm tears on my cheeks.

[Alexys Kontny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy to read what happened to these people. heartbreaking

[Nicole Trautt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What an honest and heartbreaking recollection of a really miserable childhood.

[Musing Midnight Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid writing, but i feel the story was still kinda all over the place.

[louvain o’donoghue · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was incredible, such an insightful heartbreaking memoir but perhaps one of the truest tales of hope i have ever has the pleasure of hearing

[Kiara Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

And it is proven again: men suck and women can overcome anything.

[Caitlin Gifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm Rating this book 5 Stars because she had the courage to write this, she had the strength to fight, endure and survive.

[Jennifer Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an incredible story about perseverance and survival. The fear and sadness was felt throughout the story. It was very hard to listen to at times.

[Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Good

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is heartbreaking but I could not put the book down. Reminds me a lot of educated. It will be a story that sticks with me forever.

[Deb Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifying to know this continues to happen and nothing is done about it!

[Grace McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

no words can express my thoughts and feelings

[Tanya Welly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so heart wrenching and real. No one really knows the true story until someone speaks up. I’m so glad you got out and are now able to help others!!

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

It sounds strange but I loved this book. I find these sorts books on fringe religious cults to be fascinating, regardless of the horrible details.

[Brenda Pindras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly be careful with this one if you have triggers. It’s pretty intense.

[Zen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's possible that I don't read enough true crime, but this book read more fiction than non-fiction, except for the final chapter.
I believe this book is the second condensed version published in 2018 of the early self-published 2014 book.
A hard look at institutionalised abuse amongst a section of the Amish community, as well as abuse within one family.
Not a pleasant read, but an important one when looking at child abuse amongst religious sectors.
The author has become an advocate for abuse victims, so the fallout for the book seems true, even if the book itself falls flat in its feel of truthfulness.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the personal account of the author, who escaped a life of abuse and religious trauma to become an advocate and activist for children who are victims of childhood sexual assault and religious abuse. If you cannot handle graphic details of sexual abuse, skip this. I hate to say books like this are good books because of the grim content, but it was a good book. It is also currently free to listen to on Audible Plus.