What are your favorite books with an abused or traumatized heroine? Who did you enjoy watching overcome pain and suffering to get her Happily Ever After?
1

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4.14 avg rating — 17,855 ratings
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2

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4.43 avg rating — 189,024 ratings
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3

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4.07 avg rating — 229,199 ratings
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4

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4.20 avg rating — 98,566 ratings
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5

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4.18 avg rating — 40,338 ratings
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6

by
4.39 avg rating — 117,456 ratings
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7

by
4.13 avg rating — 169,452 ratings
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8

by
4.12 avg rating — 109,211 ratings
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9

by
4.32 avg rating — 202,206 ratings
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10

by
4.28 avg rating — 42,198 ratings
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11

by
4.21 avg rating — 95,281 ratings
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12

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4.10 avg rating — 2,920 ratings
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13

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 69,488 ratings
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14

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4.52 avg rating — 32,843 ratings
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15

by
4.13 avg rating — 37,098 ratings
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16

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4.27 avg rating — 28,897 ratings
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17

by
4.13 avg rating — 550,126 ratings
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18

by
4.26 avg rating — 30,160 ratings
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19

by
4.13 avg rating — 27,792 ratings
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20

by
3.95 avg rating — 2,774 ratings
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21

by
4.16 avg rating — 117,317 ratings
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22

by
4.34 avg rating — 131,150 ratings
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23

by
4.13 avg rating — 203,780 ratings
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24

by
4.16 avg rating — 36,405 ratings
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25

by
4.04 avg rating — 40,331 ratings
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25

by
4.33 avg rating — 86,615 ratings
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27

by
3.65 avg rating — 20,222 ratings
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28

by
4.07 avg rating — 33,378 ratings
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29

by
3.99 avg rating — 768 ratings
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30

by
4.17 avg rating — 48,469 ratings
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31

by
4.08 avg rating — 4,775 ratings
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32

by
4.37 avg rating — 58,574 ratings
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33

by
4.04 avg rating — 55,923 ratings
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34

by
4.01 avg rating — 4,395 ratings
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35

by
4.20 avg rating — 671,185 ratings
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36

by
4.02 avg rating — 23,496 ratings
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37

by
3.72 avg rating — 872 ratings
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38

by
4.32 avg rating — 3,602 ratings
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39

by
3.86 avg rating — 1,047,723 ratings
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40

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4.41 avg rating — 28,151 ratings
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41

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4.33 avg rating — 4,429 ratings
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42

by
3.96 avg rating — 25,481 ratings
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43

by
4.06 avg rating — 29,561 ratings
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44

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4.03 avg rating — 17,887 ratings
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45

by
4.16 avg rating — 14,446 ratings
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46

by
4.12 avg rating — 6,597 ratings
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47

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3.91 avg rating — 13,160 ratings
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48

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4.43 avg rating — 33,671 ratings
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49

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4.28 avg rating — 73,728 ratings
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50

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4.25 avg rating — 56,468 ratings
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51

by
4.03 avg rating — 7,880 ratings
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52

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4.27 avg rating — 9,775 ratings
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53

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4.13 avg rating — 29,521 ratings
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54

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4.24 avg rating — 35,139 ratings
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55

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4.46 avg rating — 28,022 ratings
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56

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4.29 avg rating — 365,001 ratings
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57

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4.48 avg rating — 2,621 ratings
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58

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4.02 avg rating — 5,618 ratings
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59

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3.96 avg rating — 16,835 ratings
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60

by
4.17 avg rating — 5,667 ratings
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61

by
4.18 avg rating — 200 ratings
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62

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4.29 avg rating — 47,019 ratings
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63

by
4.02 avg rating — 64,269 ratings
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64

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4.31 avg rating — 28,833 ratings
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65

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3.79 avg rating — 19,149 ratings
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66

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4.28 avg rating — 21,714 ratings
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67

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4.36 avg rating — 50,457 ratings
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68

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3.91 avg rating — 56,675 ratings
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69

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4.41 avg rating — 32,071 ratings
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70

by
4.38 avg rating — 14,550 ratings
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71

by
4.28 avg rating — 21,554 ratings
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72

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4.11 avg rating — 8,081 ratings
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73

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3.86 avg rating — 2,093 ratings
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74

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4.11 avg rating — 9,951 ratings
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75

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3.94 avg rating — 24,300 ratings
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76

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3.97 avg rating — 560,236 ratings
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77

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4.13 avg rating — 3,741 ratings
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78

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4.06 avg rating — 9,189 ratings
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79

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4.06 avg rating — 2,049 ratings
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80

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4.10 avg rating — 8,815 ratings
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81

by
4.49 avg rating — 63 ratings
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82

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3.94 avg rating — 836,194 ratings
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83

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,230 ratings
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84

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4.17 avg rating — 45,386 ratings
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85

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3.92 avg rating — 4,703 ratings
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86

by
4.05 avg rating — 24,781 ratings
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87

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4.31 avg rating — 34,358 ratings
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88

by
4.20 avg rating — 73,872 ratings
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89

by
4.70 avg rating — 119 ratings
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90

by
4.20 avg rating — 408 ratings
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91

by
4.04 avg rating — 49 ratings
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92

by
4.22 avg rating — 67,913 ratings
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93

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4.34 avg rating — 13,348 ratings
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94

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4.33 avg rating — 9,330 ratings
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95

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4.04 avg rating — 20,279 ratings
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96

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4.34 avg rating — 18,873 ratings
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97

by
3.92 avg rating — 50,964 ratings
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98

by
3.95 avg rating — 5,498 ratings
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99

by
4.02 avg rating — 321 ratings
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99

by
4.12 avg rating — 221 ratings
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929 books · 848 voters · list created January 1st, 2012 by ☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ (votes) .
238 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


☽ Rhiannon ✭ 3650 books
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Anna's Herding Cats 5615 books
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Kate 2944 books
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Lisa M 610 books
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FlibBityFLooB 14853 books
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Jaimey 1364 books
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laurie 770 books
218 friends
~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ 4731 books
291 friends

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Comments Showing 1-16 of 16 (16 new)

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☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ Ok, so I really just made this list in the hopes that other folks would come across it and add to is so I could find some recommendations! I got lazy in ordering my votes so disregard the numbers. :)


message 2: by Jaimey (new)

Jaimey PNR wrote: "Ok, so I really just made this list in the hopes that other folks would come across it and add to is so I could find some recommendations! I got lazy in ordering my votes so disregard the numbers. :)"

I'll add some books to this list (I have to go through my "read" list first) but I have a question in the meantime. Would you object to me adding a couple of my own? They do fit the description but I won't add them if you'd rather I didn't since it definitely could be considered self-promotion.

:O)

~Jaimey


☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ I'm fine with authors adding their own books, so long as they fit the theme! :)


message 4: by Jaimey (new)

Jaimey PNR wrote: "I'm fine with authors adding their own books, so long as they fit the theme! :)"

Thanx! :O)


☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ I guess maybe my definition of "trauma" is different than others, but I would appreciate it if people would stop adding books where something vaguely unpleasant happens to the heroine. This list was meant for stories of a heroine surviving rape or abuse or violence and overcoming her fears and insecurities that arose from trauma. Not for girls who are sad their boyfriend broke up with them.


message 6: by Kirsty (new)

Kirsty Dallas Thanks to whoever added Saving Ella, my debut novel.. it also somehow made the best romance by an indie author and cracked #1 there.. Yeah baby... And Ella is definitely a heroine who has lived a difficult life... She is well and truly beaten, but never down!!!


message 7: by Nicole (new)

Nicole Hi,

Check out my bookshelf. I have tons of raped/abused heroine books.


message 8: by Marie-Ève (new)

Marie-Ève PNR wrote: "I guess maybe my definition of "trauma" is different than others, but I would appreciate it if people would stop adding books where something vaguely unpleasant happens to the heroine. This list wa..."

Yeah, same here.
It's sad because it seems like this list has now become a list of romance/erotica books...I don't feel books like 50 shades of grey should be there...


message 9: by Elyse (new)

Elyse Is this list just for novels? I added some non-fiction books but will remove them if you mean just romance novels.


message 10: by Anna (last edited Jul 24, 2016 05:34AM) (new)

Anna I aded a few one of them just came out Pennies (Dollar, #1) by Pepper Winters a very dark book and heroines trauma is shown brilliantly


message 11: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Dec 27, 2016 07:08AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) PNR wrote: "I guess maybe my definition of "trauma" is different than others, .."

Same here, as I was wondering about some of the titles.


message 12: by Scarlet (last edited Dec 27, 2016 07:03AM) (new)

Scarlet Bonnet Hi all. I am a new author and would love to hand out some ARCs of my new novel Call Me Ana (viewBook.at/CallMeAnaGR ). The main character overcomes abuse/rape. Shoot me a message if you'd like a copy.


message 13: by Millystargirl (new)

Millystargirl this whole category is so disturbing


message 14: by ☽ Rhiannon ✭ (new)

☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ I'm sorry it bothers you. For some people, watching a heroine who has been abused heal (in romance novels, through her relationship with the hero) can be positive and hopeful. But it is certainly not for everyone.


message 15: by Millystargirl (new)

Millystargirl i suppose so...i think i thought it was another list which glorifies abuse/even rape/ horrible men i'v seen a fair few of these lists but its a lot better than i first assumed


message 16: by Midniteillusion (new)

Midniteillusion Millystargirl wrote: "i suppose so...i think i thought it was another list which glorifies abuse/even rape/ horrible men i'v seen a fair few of these lists but its a lot better than i first assumed"

I always go with the heroine overcoming her past trauma and finding someone (the hero) who gets her an her trauma.

I do keep a separate shelf for books I feel romanticize and glorify abuse and I wouldn't put any of them on these kind of lists.


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