A STORY OF...
If you--or someone you love--have been raped, this book is for you. Kristine Irwin was just a few months into her first year of college when she was raped and left in an unconscious heap on the side of the road. Her perpetrator was someone she had known for years. Her long, hard road to recovery was full of painful false starts and steps backward as well as forward. While Kristine is stable and healthy now, her experience of rape and trauma will always be a part of her. She has found that the best way for her to heal is to tell her story and advocate for others. Roughly 10 years into her recovery, Kristine realized that the sexual violence she had endured wasn’t just about her—the pain and struggle was also about every family member and friend Kristine encountered both before and after the incident. She began to discover the pain endured by her parents, college roommate, best friend, aunt, and others close to her. In order to continue her own healing, Kristine had to learn what those who loved her had gone through as a result of her rape. This book is the story of a rape survivor, her family and friends, their roads to recovery. In Voices of Hope, you’ll learn how they empowered themselves, built trust, and created solid relationships. The story in these pages demonstrates the power of the human spirit, love, and friendship to overcome trauma, allowing you to choose life on your own terms.
BOOK BLURB
Kristine Irwin is a wife, mother, and advocate for ending sexual violence, and bringing change to our culture. Besides her family and her day job, she runs a non-profit called Voices of Hope. The non-profit allows her to educate audiences on ways to prevent rape and sexual assault. She is a popular speaker at universities, organizations, and corporations globally.
In this honest, heartfelt memoir, Kristine Irwin recounts her journey from rape victim to rape survivor. Irwin was a virgin when she was raped by an acquaintance. The brutal act would affect her behavior and lifestyle choices for years, and greatly impact her family and close friends. Yet Irwin would also find the strength to move on with her life, and the courage to come forward and speak frankly about her experience. “Voices of Hope” is a must-read for all. It is an important contribution to the understanding that when it comes to rape, the victim is never to blame, and every victim has the right to a new lease on life.
Savita Iyer
Senior Editor, The Penn Stater Magazine
Kristine’s story and words are a remarkable reminder of the long journey required to overcome and triumph over rape. Voices of Hope illustrates in so many ways how we are all affected by just one act of violence, and reminds us that we must come together as a community to change our culture and end the prevalence of sexual violence.
Elizabeth Rosemeyer
Title IX Coordinator, Point Park University
Voices of Hope founder Kristine Irwin has taken brutal violence and turned it into a movement of positive force. This book is compelling, inspirational and important.
Beth Caldwell
Life and Business Strategist
