Seda's Story : A Memoir

Seda's Story brings to light writings of a young Persian Canadian woman who was sexually and physically abused by her father from childhood through her teen years. The text includes both poetic and prose reflections upon the life that she constructed in the shadow of this abuse. The over-arching climate of fear that surrounded Seda as a child is captured in a fictional “Persian Tale.” In her own voice, as a child powerless to resist her father, she composes nine Letters to Sharzad, powerful and graphic accounts of the physical violation she suffered.

Seda had asked her mother to arrange to have her writing published posthumously, and her mother contacted Bonnie MacLachlan, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, to do this. It is testimony to the strength and fortitude of the remarkable young Seda that in the face of her ultimate decision to leave her life behind, she was determined to broadcast a message of hope and solidarity to those who may be suffering in ways that she herself endured. The tone is poignant, not despairing. The book will be of particular interest to those who attempt to guide young people over these painful shoals, but is also intended for a general readership, to assist young women who find themselves in Seda's situation. The focus on her writing, rather than on an outsider's analysis of her situation, will strike a resonant chord in survivors who have overcome similar experiences.

Editor Bonnie MacLachlan has contributed contextual accounts in addition to editing Seda's writing. She has included a select bibliography of material that addresses the effects of abuse, self-abusive behaviour and experiences ofpsychotherapy. This important book represents an invaluable contribution to an emerging body of literature that grows out of the therapeutic value of journaling.