Book excerpt: Suzzan Blac s early years were the stuff of the darkest nightmares: abject poverty and spirit-crushing abuse. The monster in her house was hardly imaginary, but her very real mother. In her tough urban neighborhood, even school did not offer a safe haven merely institutionalized mayhem. The only solace and release for Suzzan was in the art that allowed her to express her anguish: surreal drawings of monsters crying red tears. But the intensity of her drawings was too stark for those around her and so she suppressed her expression then stopped altogether. Adolescence brought a harrowing coercion into the horrific world of the sex trade where she was held prisoner. She escaped, but spiraled into depression. Eventual marriage to a kind man brought her the greatest joy two beautiful children and a sense of normalcy for the first time in her life. But the long buried memories of her past kept her an emotional hostage. She realized that to free herself and truly heal, she needed to release them in the best way she knew how through art. And so she began to paint 42 stunning, graphic pieces, done over four years, capturing the raw, unvarnished truth of a child neglected by those who were supposed to protect her. It would be a decade before she could summon the courage to show the artwork to anyone. When she did, she realized that bringing the paintings to light, enabled other victims to speak up and seek help. Not surprisingly, international acclaim has followed: her art is shown in galleries around the world. This spellbinding book is ultimately an inspirational story of resilience, healing and the power of unconditional love.