THE THIRD FLOOR WINDOW: A True Story of Secrets, Survival and Hope

The Third Floor Window is the story of Colleen’s journey of healing from child sexual abuse. As a child, Colleen would often look out the third floor window of her bedroom at the world outside, wishing for a different world inside.

After years of trying to forget her past, Colleen thought she had dealt with her past once and for all. Then the clergy sexual abuse crisis in her beloved Catholic Church hit the newsstands. Colleen was devastated by the memories and buried emotions bubbling up to the surface. And there was that question that she heard asked over and over - “why didn’t the victims tell someone?”

Feeling driven to help other survivors, Colleen decided to share her own story. So she set out to teach the world about the long term effects of child sexual abuse. What she found along the way was healing and hope. And the discovery that, while she has not always known God, God has always known her. And has been with her through it all.

Who should read this book?
Survivors of child sexual abuse
Families and friends of survivors
Counselors
And all who have carried heavy crosses and have asked that question: Where was God?

“To get out of this darkness Colleen shows that one must find hope in the light of Jesus and his teachings.” - Samuel Pizzi, Ph.D., M.A. (from the Foreword)

The Third Floor Window is not only an inspiring memoir. It is a story of God and hope and the discovery that we do not suffer alone.