GREENPOND, Ala., May 24, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- In a heartbreaking autobiography, Spared: True Stories of Judy's Family and Friends (now available through AuthorHouse), Judy G. Watson details the pain and struggle she and her family have overcome in life, from lost childhood innocence to malicious violence.
Spared is an honest look at the people who hurt them and the effect abuse has had on her life. Years of accumulated pain prompted her to attempt suicide, and Watson writes that only Jesus Christ's love was able to pull her from the depths of darkness.
As a child, she was full of energy and a love of the outdoors, but sexual abuse scarred her childhood. The tumultuous times continued into her young adulthood, and Watson got involved with alcohol and drugs. Horrific experiences, such as witnessing a homicide and fighting with boyfriends and husbands, have shaped her outlook on the world.
Her daughter, Kim, also tells her story. Kim's uncles on her father's side and her grandfather, Tim, also sexually abused or assaulted her throughout the years, Watson writes. She was threatened with violence if she told, and the one story that she did describe to police officers was disregarded. Kim was forced to silence her cries for help.
Now, Watson tells their story. It is a testament to those born into hardship who rise above the decrepit ways of ignorant people and vow to make their lives and the lives of their children better.
"I didn't want to tell some of the things that happened to me," she writes, "but if these stories will be a blessing to others, then it is worth it all. I have kept things hidden in my heart for so long..."
Spared is a moving glimpse inside a painful life that has been given a second a chance to experience happiness.
"Many times, we are spared from danger and survive heartaches without realizing that it is not a coincidence, but the mighty hand of God," she writes.
Born in Tennessee but raised in Belle Glade, Fla., Watson hopes Spared, her first book, helps others overcome their problems.
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