when i decided to read this book, i didn't realize that it is an anthology collection, nor that it focuses primarily on child sexual abuse issues among african-american and black communities and individuals. on a personal level, i chose to read this book to learn how i might facilitate or encourage healing related to an incident of sexual abuse i've recalled recently of what I interpret as my perpetrating an act of child abuse against my brothers. openly acknowledging this perceived role as a perpetrator of an abusive act is certainly something i would be forthcoming about if directly asked to share about it, though i don't think this is the right forum for me to share the details of the event, but to encourage any readers of this review, the perpetrated abuse is something i am seeking therapy to work through  and learn to cope and help others, especially my brothers, cope. i was highly impressed and encouraged by the several women and also few men and non-binary individuals who shared stories within this anthology about various paths taken toward healing, as well as ideas and experiences regarding the implementation of different forms of justice, including punitive and restorative varieties. i do still at least consciously attempt to recognize and be respectful of differences between child sexual abuse incidents within african-american and black households and those that have occurred in hegemenous white households, being that the house i grew up within from my perception likely matches the latter description, and acknowledging too that other immigrant-american communities have these experiences as well. that said, i still do believe i'm able to draw relevant information from this collection of stories, particularly those coming from survivors, most of whom were women, because even in discussing an incident that occurred during childhood years with myself and my brothers, i still want to do the best i can to approach these conversations with a consciousness of how my actions stemming from this incident and possibly any abuse-triggered behaviors from my brothers related to this incident still exist within a world in which we are surrounded by women, and knowing that at least some of these women and sadly even young girls carry with them experiences of trauma related to sexual abuse and particularly child sexual abuse. and also too that i will certainly bring some of the language regarding the abusive incidents i read with me from this book to my upcoming therapy appointments in which i hope to follow the advice of the book's subtitle and dig as closely as possible to the roots of child sexual abuse that i think was inflicted by me, and potentially still exist somewhere within my family nucleus. and lastly, i'll mention as well one social dynamic discussed within the book, particularly that of transgender peoples, particularly with regard to how these peoples more often become victims of sexual assault than the rest of the population. trans-genderism is still a social dynamic i struggle to comprehend , even though of course i don't want these individuals to be victimized in childhood years or otherwise. one mental connection related to this social phenomenon i was able to draw from this book related to the existence, at least in America, of "black churches" and "white churches." i've read about the existence of historical discrimination within "white churches" and also witnessed aspects of this, and have also read some about and received some first-hand experience of the sacred time that functions within "black churches." and i personally believe there may be some work that can be done to advocate for more exchange or diversity of membership and opinion within different "black church" and "white church" spaces that may help cis-gendered, binary individuals like myself have more positive exchange with transgender folks. though, i do recognize that trans-genderism was just one aspect of this book, and that any progress or positive change that were to occur within this connection between church and gender-identity would more than likely have to be lead or facilitated by a woman who sees a need for these sort of connections to be made.