"Determined to Survive Mary's Shunning", after Mary's Shunning is the second book about the true story of a girl surviving sexual abuse, rape, and her Mennonite Cult family. She learns how to live in the world and to help herself heal.

"Running away from my sexually abusive life was daring and created a whole new world for me. The train ride to Philadelphia was like traveling into another space where I faced new challenges and tragedies. I found freedom by turning anxiety into curiosity. Overcoming the fear of being followed led into a bouncing life full of so many new things. I was so excited about this big city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that I never wanted to leave. I was free of the life I lived in the first book of Mary's Shunning." Approx 63,000+ words.

Mary's early life story is a horrific tale of child abuse, rape, incest with no one to believe her or anyone to turn too. As a teenager, she escaped with nothing in order to survive. This second book is about her discovery of the world outside the very closed Mennonite community. How basic things worked you and I take for granted, how living can be fun. All manner of people cross her path, nice, generous, giving, but also mean, and treacherous. She has to contend with the family trying to find her and drawing her back in. Gradually building new friendships and getting counseling, she comes to a point where she wants truth and recognition from her family.

I've known Mary for 35 years. In her you find obvious scars, but also a determination and pure grit to make life a better experience and sharing that with others.

Angelica Hammer