Facing the Sunshine: A Young Woman's Emergence from the Shadows of Sexual Abuse and Anorexia

Facing the Sunshine is a true account of a journey to well-being following a childhood lost in the shadows of sexual abuse. At age sixteen, Sara Jane Thornton left home and spiraled into self-starvation, which nearly took her life. Hospitalized for two years after a suicide attempt at age twenty-one, she was subjected to seclusion, shock therapy, restraint with medication, and other adverse treatments. Aided finally by psychotherapy, self-empowering, strength-based interactions, and her own innate resilience and determination, she defied expectations and was discharged. A failed attempt to live independently then convinced her to move in with her father, her abuser of many years, where she compiled this book. Merging her past with the present, she succeeded in shaping a radiant and meaningful future.