Relentless: A Journey of Forgiveness

by Kellie Springer

What does forgiveness look like?

In Relentless, Kellie Springer's memoir, she shares her very human experience on the path to forgiveness for the abuses she suffered as a child.  

She explores the depth of trauma and the long journey to healing, self-awareness, and self-compassion. Readers will be captivated by her candid story, anxiously accompanying Kellie through her walk of personal growth, and finally celebrating her realization of compassion and forgiveness.  

In telling her story, Kellie seeks to inspire others to own their stories and the truths that lie within themselves, in order that they may live from a place of authenticity.

“I don't know how my story will end but nowhere in my text will it ever read…’I gave up.’”  ~ Anonymous

About the
Kellie Springer RN, is the founder of Anam Cara Kellie, where she practices as a Reiki Master with a gift for intuitive insights to help her clients explore themselves and their lives more deeply. Prior to that, she worked as a psychiatric nurse for thirteen years. She joyfully shares her life in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and two dogs to hug. www.anamcarakellie.com

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2016

Reviews

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated this book....but, bear with me, it's not in the way you might think. I hated that it was a true story. I hated that the author endured the horrors she did. And, I hated that I could relate to so much of it. To be completely honest, this book was an incredibly hard (but necessary) read for me as it should be for everyone; childhood sexual abuse is a horrific trauma to survive and the recovery from it is a lifelong journey that is anything but easy as Kellie so authentically describes. But, she recounts her experiences in a way that educates those who thankfully have not been abused and inspires those, like me, who unfortunately have. I am grateful for her willingness and ability to put into words what so many of us have not and to offer hope in what seems like a completely hopeless situation. She shows that through hard work and a harder, determined drive for healing that it's possible to move from simply surviving to truly thriving. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or assault and for anyone else who hasn't but knows or loves someone who has (and, spoiler alert, that's all of us whether you realize it or not....it's that prevalent!). And, I pray that everyone affected by it is able to go from what feels like ruin to a search and discovery of true freedom that is nothing short of relentless!

[Diane Yannick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by an author who has found it in her heart to forgive the unforgivable so that she can move forward. The abuse she suffered was tough to read and truly relentless. The crib scene when Charley, her much loved family friend, molested her was one of the saddest for me. There was nowhere safe for Kellie to turn--her flute teacher was inappropriate; school became a nightmare when she looked for acceptance through promiscuity. Her father created a pervasive atmosphere of fearful alertness and "internal pandemonium" with his sick attitudes and actions.

Yet this is a story of hope. She has created her own family based on love, honesty and understanding. Craig's patience certainly helped her to carve out this future. She tells her story not for sympathy but in hopes that other survivors might not feel so alone. The mutual dialogue and understanding of abuse survivors far surpasses the empathy that I can bring to the topic. I was not at all surprised that she needed to sever ties with her parents in order to walk into her own future. Her sons will benefit greatly from her wisdom. This book is a testament to Kellie's courage and unwillingness to sweep her past under the proverbial carpet. This is an important story that needed to be told.

[Please Pass the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relentless: A Journey of Forgiveness by Kellie Springer is the author's memoir, a detailed account of her own childhood trauma, its aftermath, and her journey to finding self-redemption and forgiveness. Springer begins her autobiography with a raw telling of a multitude of physical and sexual abuses, endured since her earliest memory as a mere toddler, and extending throughout her youth, adolescence, and teenage years. Lost in the cruel and manipulative offenses of the people who are supposed to protect her, and further violated by others in both positions of authority and trust to a child, Springer offers a brutally honest and heartbreaking account of a life nobody should ever suffer through. The aftershocks continue as she pulls away, having a palpable impact on the way she views herself, her self worth, her body, and everything around her, including relationships and her work life. Slowly, and with the help of therapy, Springer is able to move forward, persevering and finding a sense of normalcy in her personal and professional life.

Relentless: A Journey of Forgiveness by Kellie Springer is not for the faint of heart. There is no sugar coating of experiences and I was totally grateful for—and in absolute awe of—her candor. She bares her soul and courageously exposes her burdens, allowing for her personal transcendence and reclamation to be seen as it most certainly should: nothing short of miraculous. Readers who have experiences that resemble any part of Springer's history or journey may find solace in her words, and perhaps a sense of not being so alone. Readers who have never, and couldn't possibly comprehend, will find themselves engrossed in one of the most poignant stories of endurance and deliverance recently told.

This review was written by Please Pass The Books for Readers' Favorite.

[Kelly Meanix]

This was a difficult book to read.

[Susan Weidener · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a relentlessly courageous, honest memoir. Writers know this ... they have a story that only they can tell. This memoir is a testament to that, a journey distinctly Kellie Springer's. That said, it is also a story of the many women who have suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of a narcissistic father, enabled by a sabotaging mother. The journey, while dark at the beginning, moves relentlessly forward; the reader joining the author's quest to survive and forgive. In the spirit of full disclosure, Kellie attended the Women's Writing Circle, reading to us fledgling drafts of her memoir, touching us with her story, and offering us the honor of being a part of her unfolding healing and empowering writing journey.