Under The Orange Blossoms: An Inspirational Story of Bravery and Strength

by Cindy Benezra

Cindy doesn't know what's happening to her. An American teenager living in Spain, she's rocked by nightmares revealing dark secrets. Her childhood is being rewritten at night and everything she thought she knew about herself is wrong. She must rediscover who she is in light of the revelations.

As a young girl, Cindy endured years of abuse at the hands of her father. As an adult, she seeks freedom from her past while also dealing with her mother's death, divorce, and her son's ongoing health crises.

Despite her father's unthinkable violation, Cindy cares for him as an old man facing his mortality. In his final years, she interviews her dad, chasing his guilty confession before it's too late.

"An emotionally vulnerable, authentic memoir, Under the Orange Blossoms is a testament to human strength and the power of positivity. This harrowing but sensitively written book follows Benezra’s life story and struggles, and the reader feels very up close and personal with her emotional and mental state as events occur. A powerful and important read, Benezra’s perseverance is inspiring, for a uniquely crafted memoir that deserves a wide readership." Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★★

255 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2021

About the author

When a traumatic event happens, do you ever feel like you cannot completely move past the trauma? It’s easy to feel angry, fearful and unable to move forward.

In the cycles of trauma, I searched for the freckles of light to give me hope to move forward from the heartache. Freedom took on a new meaning.

Through my memoir, Under the Orange Blossoms, I share how I’ve found healing at different stages of my life. We do not have to take on the role of victim unless we allow ourselves to. You can create the outcome you choose. Nothing can been taken unless we allow it. I hope those who have walked a similar path to me find inspiration and self compassion through my story. You are not alone.

I currently live in the greater Seattle area with my husband and four children. I find happiness in discovering new recipes, entertaining and decorating. I own a luxury event business with my eldest daughter, and steal away time to be with friends and family. In my free time, I enjoy gardening and traveling.

Reviews

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under the Orange Blossoms: An Inspirational Story of Bravery and Strength is a very interesting book written by Cindy Benezra. This book wasn’t what I expected and I really celebrate that. It is original, provocative, and inspirational. The book narrates the author's personal growth and her evolution as a person through her journey from a childhood of abuse to a present of difficulties and struggles as an adult woman. The story tells fragments of the author’s life and her thoughts. I could really immerse myself into the feelings and emotions the book transmits, and I think this is a sign of the quality of the narrative. The prose is interesting, captivating and completely devoid of any florid language. These characteristics help readers empathise directly with the author’s experiences and descriptions.
Apart from her moving story, the author also introduces techniques and practices that helped her go through difficult times in order to inspire and help readers. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under the orange blossoms is a self-help book demonstrating how strong an individual can be. As Cindy lets you in her past, you understand so much about her personality, character, and inner beauty.

This is such a beautiful book. I have read many memoirs of this nature, so I always feel that I have read it all. This one, however, really moved me, and it wasn’t because of all the hardship Cindy faced. It was because of how much compassion and understanding she has. How many individuals have you met with such a big heart, especially after everything you read?

The literature is written well, and right from the beginning, you can connect and relate to Cindy. After the loss of her mother, caring for her father, and all the abuse, you really hope for some light or at least some closure.

I love to read books that always show two sides of the story and provide a fair and understanding perspective.

I recommend this book to those who like to read biographies and moving memoirs.

[Conscientious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under The Orange Blossoms by Cindy Benezra is an inspirational memoir of a woman who not only surmounts every obstacle in her path but also finds the strength to be a beacon of light. A father is supposed to be a sanctuary but for Cindy her father turns out to be opposite one. Cindy's powerful personality and her courage helped her navigate through abuse by her father, divorce, disabled child, the death of her mother and financial constraints but she not only emerges triumphantly but also finds heart to care for her ailing father. Cindy's story is a testament of her being a woman of valor and integrity.

Cindy doesn’t let her readers down; I am amazed at her brutal honesty and the strength that she exhibits at every adversity. As she pours her heart out, we can feel her vulnerability and her bravery. I highly recommend this book for an inspirational story of a woman who focused on growth, love for her children, hope and perseverance in the face of life's most tragic experiences.

[Ashley Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest and insightful

Under The Orange Blossoms: An Inspirational Story of Bravery and Strength by Cindy Benezra is a startling honest memoir. I think it’s the most detailed, straightforward, and yet compassionate thing I’ve ever read. From the start, I appreciated that Benezra notes that this is her own recollection of her past, showing self-awareness and fairness. As she shares her childhood experiences, she proves that there is real strength in children, and also in us to move past excuses and make a good future for ourselves.
Benezra’s language is incredibly detailed and vivid. She also dives into not only her thoughts and actions in the past, but also insightful comments about why she felt that way. It definitely hints at somehow who has had therapy, and approached her demons head-on.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This powerful memoir is so much more than just a telling of a story. Her bravery, compassion, and strength are a times hard to comprehend. The story centers around trauma and abuse, but it covers so much more. From divorce, supporting a child with special needs, raising a family, to forgiveness, there's something here that will touch any reader. Unlike some memoirs dealing with heavy issues, you walk away from reading this with hope, tools for healing, and strength to rise above your circumstances.

[bookhaven__ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the author's brave self-discovery journey after being abused by her own father as a little girl. Cindy's mother is usually aware of things but she wasn't aware of the abuse that was going on with her daughter by the hands of her husband. As a little girl, Cindy sometimes pretends to sleep hoping that after his evening drink her dad wouldn't come to her bedroom.

Her dad taught her how to be a good girl and how she can make him happy. At that tender age, Cindy couldn't understand whatever was happening with her. She was confused if this is what being a good girl means. Her traumatic memories are from the age of five or six. These memories were there but they emerged later in life when she was about to be an adult.

Cindy feels frustrated sometimes. At the age when she should have been a carefree teenage existence, she was struggling with traumatic memories from her childhood.

The author's writing is raw. The narration is smooth and I was able to follow this book easily. Since the story involves abuse and childhood trauma, the content of this book could be triggering to some people. Therefore, I would like to give a sensitive content warning to the readers. The cover of the book is attractive. The author has done great work in this book. I highly recommend this book to others.

[Readers Choice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading self-help stories, especially the ones that inspire others to be healed. This time, I got my hands on Cindy's book "Under the Orange Blossoms". In this story, Cindy has shared her thoughts and feelings. When her father abused her in childhood, those thoughts weren't there in her teen years initially. At the elementary school, Cindy wasn't doing fine.

At the age of seventeen, she is struggling to keep herself alive. Many times a thought crosses her mind, that if she would do suicide, her pain would stop forever. She knows that she can't take her life as people would pity her or chances would be there that she won't die immediately and would have to live on life support.

Whenever she hears a clinking of a glass, she goes down the memory lane to her traumatic memory. Will Cindy ever feel happy in her life? Will she have a family of her own after this traumatic incident?

The story is heartbreaking at times. I appreciate the author's bravery in sharing her story with everyone. It takes resilience to move forward in life after any traumatic incident. Cindy is surely a brave woman and a living inspiration for many.

Those who are fans of memoirs should get their hands on this book.

Rating 4.5/5

[_sassy_39 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Under The Orange Blossoms'' written by the author Cindy Benezra is an inspirational Story of Bravery and Strength. This is the story of Cindy. She moved to Torremolinos, Spain, back in 1979. She loves oranges as they bring her a sense of calm. Cindy has her parents and her sister Sonya in her family. She is currently 17 and has been having nightmares and it's difficult for her to live with this pain.

Cindy has been on the verge of taking her life many times but she can't do it as others would pity on her. The dreams that haunt her are from her childhood. She was physically abused by her own dad.

Cindy sometimes thinks that it was a nightmare but it's a memory. She can't trust her mother or sister to share the abuse with them. Read this story to know will Cindy feel peace with her past.

The writing style of the author is nice. I loved how the oranges have so much importance in the story. The character of Cindy is well written. I appreciate her strength and resilience. Cindy is an inspiration to those who are struggling in their own healing journey.

[Gilion Dumas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cindy Benezra was abused as a child by her father. She struggled with the ongoing trauma of her abuse, especially the shame and self-blame she carried with her. After much work brought her own healing and peace, Benezra wanted to write her memoir to share her story. In her book, she also grapples with her mother’s death, her own divorce, and her son’s ongoing health problems.

Benezra’s strength and bravery are an inspiration particularly for abuse survivors. But the story she tells in Under the Orange Blossoms can be a comfort to anyone who has faced trauma and helpful for anyone supporting trauma survivors.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very well written and I'm incredibly impressed with Cindy's ability to write so openly about her own life. Trauma can be a very difficult topic to discuss, but Cindy does it with such grace. She shows incredible strength through all that she has experienced in her life and has an amazing dedication to healing. I love that she shares not only the hardships of her life in this book, but also the techniques that have help her in the healing process. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced some level of trauma and is looking for inspiration for their own healing journey.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the dark, searching for ‘freckles of light’ - a wondrous memoir!

Washington author Cindy Benezra shares one of the most powerful memoirs that addresses facing cruel childhood trauma and not only surviving but incorporating the experiences into personal growth, compassion, resilience, advocacy. and love. Written in a near poetic fashion, the horrors experienced with her father as a child are presented in a way that allows the gradual healing process she describes as an adult, dealing with other painful challenges in addition to facing those abusive memories a journey into empathy for the reader. The circle of life, as beginning with an abusive father and completing with proffering elder care for a dependent and needy father, propels this sensitive story indelibly into the mind of the reader - one of the most compelling paths of growth imaginable. Victim to survivor to thriver. A must read!

[Eira Hawthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t the kind of book you rush through. I found myself putting it down often, not because it was hard to read stylistically, but because the emotions were heavy. Cindy’s honesty about abuse, grief, and forgiveness felt incredibly brave. By the end, I felt like I’d been trusted with something sacred.

[Jorvik Zuleika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually write reviews, but this book deserves one. Under the Orange Blossoms is raw without being exploitative, painful without being hopeless. Cindy Benezra tells her story with a kind of quiet strength that made me stop more than once just to breathe. It’s heartbreaking, but also strangely comforting to see someone survive and keep choosing compassion.