By: Penny Christian Knight
Publisher: BookBaby Publishing
Publication Date: May 19, 2023
ISBN: 978-1667885926
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: January 4, 2024
Immediately in the introduction of Developing Resilience, Penny Christian Knight sets the tone with: "...My life has been a Heroine’s Journey with many rugged mountains to climb and dragons to slay..." This is a profoundly adept anchor that has been set for the horrific journey this woman has been on.
The crux of Ms. Knight’s biography begins with her sharing of the emotional trauma, sexual abuse, the absence of love during her formative years, and a turbulent marriage she certainly felt to have been hostage to. To expand on the introduction, Ms. Knight pens: "...Those acquainted with reincarnation will know we are here to learn in the dimension (Earth). Earth is a virtual school, and that is what it has been for me. We are also here to meet ourselves, the personalities we once were. That is karma. Indeed, we do reap what we sow, both negative and positive. My life also has been about that. I have been living an extremely active vibration this time around. Hopefully, I have cleared up a lot of karma without creating more..." (pg. 1) I give Ms. Knight huge props for penning such an impactful opening to her story. From the onset, the reader is introduced to the author’s sense of feeling unloved, which is nuanced with a persistence of the premise that was her shadow ‘companion’ since childhood.
The overarching theme addresses her early experiences at the hands of a sexually abusive older brother, and this was tantamount to her self-identity of a lack of ‘self-worth.’ It’s no wonder that when Ms. Knight enters her adult life, she marries Edward. Her vulnerabilities are palpable in that he, too, was emotionally and physically abusive. The relationship was beyond toxic, and the consequences were devastating. She is not alone in this union, however. She and her husband, Edward, bring two children into the world, and perhaps it is the saving grace of their innocence that Penny has her first encounter with: life isn’t meant to be this way. Paralyzed with the control and the difficult choices between staying with such a visceral spouse (or ultimately acquiescing the custody of her children to him), was perhaps a defining moment in Penny’s road ahead to personal strength and recovery.
Ms. Knight pens a poignant and soulful narrative that conjures a wide range of emotions that touch upon pain, frustration, anger, and (at times) happiness. There is an underlying message that resonates throughout that addresses the critical importance of sexual education, particularly for young women—an education that should begin long before that same young lady has crossed from childhood to womanhood. There is an extremely useful guide on Page 5 that outlines her family tree, which is a tremendous facilitation into the dynamics (and roles) each family member held. There is a tangible sense of hope even through the myriad of tragedies Ms. Knight experiences. It is a beacon of light (through her eloquent narrative) that delivers a strong sense that even though her tragedies and experiences were many, she refused to let her experiences define who she is. This is Book One in a series of three books, and having read this, I look forward to the opportunity of reading the next.
Quill says: Developing Resilience is a poignant guide that should be on bookshelves in many middle school library shelves. It’s a great portrayal of the importance of developing solid life skills (particularly for young ladies) by a parent (or parents) who genuinely have the utmost care and concern of guiding their precious child(ren) through love.
For more information on Developing Resilience: Secrets, Sex Abuse, and the Quest for Love and Inner Peace Book One , please visit the author's website at: www.pennychristianknight.com
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