Since purchasing my Kindle, I have taken to downloading massive numbers of free books that look interesting in one way or another at first glance. I figure I'm not losing any money and if the book isn't any good I can just delete and move on to the next one. Elephant Girl was one of those freebies. When I first started reading it, I almost stopped due to the graphic nature and topic, thinking that it was fiction. After taking the time to look up the book online, I discovered that it is an autobiography, so I decided to continue.
The book details the author's abusive childhood and less than pleasant early adulthood. It shows the importance of early intervention in the life of abused children and the need for counselling and lots of love. Jane's life was thoroughly harsh and unimaginable for the average person. It is good to see that she seems to have overcome her past hardships through no easy feat although it took her over 46 years to do so.
That being said, Elephant Girl is not an easy read. The story sporadically jumps around in time including early childhood, teen years, young adult, and older adult. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to the order that she tells her story and is confusing to keep up with what time period she is writing about at any particular juncture of the book.
While I don't recommend this, her first book, Jane Devin currently has a blog that is much better written, and I believe that over time, future books of hers may be worth a read.
*WARNING* If you are a survivor of child abuse or sexual abuse, Elephant Girl contains many possible triggers, so you might wish to avoid this book.
Elephant Girl: A Human Story
Jane Devin's Personal Blog
Jane Devin's Blog on Huffington Post
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