PDF The Little Girl on the Ice Floe eBook Adélaïde Bon Ruth Diver
Download As PDF : The Little Girl on the Ice Floe eBook Adélaïde Bon Ruth Diver
"Life itself is in these pages in this candid, poetic style there is storytelling of real quality" - LEILA SLIMANI, author of Lullaby
A powerful and personal account of the devastating consequences of childhood rape a valuable voice for the #MeToo conversation.
Adélaïde Bon grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in Paris, a privileged child with a loving family, lots of friends and seemingly limitless opportunity lying ahead of her. But one sunny afternoon, when she was nine years old, a strange man followed her home and raped her in the stairwell of her building. She told her parents, they took her to the police, the fact of the crime was registered ... and then a veil was quietly drawn over that part of her childhood, and life was supposed to go on.
Except, of course, it didn't.
Throughout her adolescence and young adulthood, Adélaïde struggles with the aftermath of the horror of that afternoon in 1990. The lingering trauma pervades all aspects of her life family education, friendships, relationships, even her ability to eat normally. And then one day, many years later, when she is married and has a small son, she receives a call from the police saying that they think they have finally caught the man who raped her, a man who has hidden in plain sight for decades, with many other victims ready to testify against him. The subsequent court case reveals Giovanni Costa, the stuff of nightmares and bogeymen, finally vanquished by the weight of dozens and dozens of emotional and horrifying testimonies from all the women whose lives and childhoods he stole.
PDF The Little Girl on the Ice Floe eBook Adélaïde Bon Ruth Diver
"“The Little Girl on the Ice Floe†by Adelaide Bon, is narrated by a character named Adelaide who refers to herself in both the first and third person. This is a highly effective way to tell the story of Adelaide, who at nine years old was sexually violated. The lasting ramifications of that violence were monumentally heartbreaking, and caused a “split†between her mind and body:
“She convinces herself that she is made up of two completely separate parts: the disgusting, treacherous body, and the pure, bright, joyous mind.â€
Adelaide’s self-loathing, eating disorders, depression, manic activity, physical self-abuse, addiction, suppressed rage, hyper sexuality/frigidity, and suicidal ideation are meticulously described. Our hearts break for Adelaide. She imagines that she has jellyfish inside her, tormenting her; they are demons. Adelaide wears a mask to hide her torment from the world (from friends and family) and aspires to become an actress. She imagines herself a little girl on an ice floe; when will someone come to save her? How can she save herself?
Bon describes eloquently how civilization has relied on “the culture of rape, male domination, and the mistreatment of children for so many centuries.†She describes Adelaide being told hers was not a “real†rape. Finally Adelaide realizes that “I am what remains of a woman after she is raped.†Warning: there are highly detailed descriptions of sexual abuse and sexual situations.
I have no idea if this story is semi-autobiographical or if Ms. Bon created it from her work with sexual assault victims, but either way, it is an important work; beautifully rendered, extremely articulate, and a profoundly moving tale. Adelaide is eventually able to know: “I’m not crazy. I’m not worthless. I’m not weak. I’m not violent. It’s just that, one day in May, a man snatched me up, and he annihilated me.†Thank you for this story, Ms. Bon."
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The Little Girl on the Ice Floe eBook Adélaïde Bon Ruth Diver Reviews :
The Little Girl on the Ice Floe eBook Adélaïde Bon Ruth Diver Reviews
- When Adelaide was 9 years old, she was raped in the stairwell of her apartment building. She told her parents and they made a police report. For years, no one was apprehended.
This memoir follows Adelaide's life and struggles from the time she is nine years old until she is 32. Her family loves her but they are not the type of people who talk about things so Adelaide has a lot of pain and anger that she keeps to herself. Often, what she calls 'the jellyfish' come out and she feels panicky, angry, suicidal, and has a strong desire to harm herself. She has bouts with anorexia, bulimia, self-harm, compulsive masturbation, and risk taking. She often feels outside herself, dissociated from the world around her. This is most likely to occur when she is having sex.
On the outside, Adelaide appears normal. She laughs when she is supposed to laugh, has friends, dresses nicely and studies acting. On the inside however, she doesn't know what 'normal' is. She tries to act normally by observing those around her. On the inside, she feels empty.
Adelaide goes to therapy and tries desperately to help herself and get better. It is a long road. Once she realizes that she has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and can put a name to how she feels and what she does, she experiences a sense of freedom. "She has a diagnosis. She is suffering from something that is part of an illness, something that can be treated and cured. The jellyfish are pathognomonic symptoms."
Twenty-three years to the day, after Adelaide's rape, the police tell her a suspect has been found. Adelaide feels both eviscerated and free. Now things will happen and her accuser will be punished.
There were times when I wasn't sure whether this was a memoir or a novel. The author's name is Adelaide and it is also the protagonist's name. Adelaide writes with such accuracy about the aftermath of sexual assault that it is uncanny. In addition, she writes of this horrific subject in a poetic and personal way that is psychiatrically accurate. As a clinical social worker, I worked with many patients in the aftermath of their abuse and Adelaide tells their stories as well as her own. She is a speaker for those who don't know how to use their voice and are lost.
This is an amazing book. However, I feel it necessary to warn potential readers that the strength of the book's content may trigger very strong feelings. If you have suffered abuse, proceed with care. - “The Little Girl on the Ice Floe†by Adelaide Bon, is narrated by a character named Adelaide who refers to herself in both the first and third person. This is a highly effective way to tell the story of Adelaide, who at nine years old was sexually violated. The lasting ramifications of that violence were monumentally heartbreaking, and caused a “split†between her mind and body
“She convinces herself that she is made up of two completely separate parts the disgusting, treacherous body, and the pure, bright, joyous mind.â€
Adelaide’s self-loathing, eating disorders, depression, manic activity, physical self-abuse, addiction, suppressed rage, hyper sexuality/frigidity, and suicidal ideation are meticulously described. Our hearts break for Adelaide. She imagines that she has jellyfish inside her, tormenting her; they are demons. Adelaide wears a mask to hide her torment from the world (from friends and family) and aspires to become an actress. She imagines herself a little girl on an ice floe; when will someone come to save her? How can she save herself?
Bon describes eloquently how civilization has relied on “the culture of rape, male domination, and the mistreatment of children for so many centuries.†She describes Adelaide being told hers was not a “real†rape. Finally Adelaide realizes that “I am what remains of a woman after she is raped.†Warning there are highly detailed descriptions of sexual abuse and sexual situations.
I have no idea if this story is semi-autobiographical or if Ms. Bon created it from her work with sexual assault victims, but either way, it is an important work; beautifully rendered, extremely articulate, and a profoundly moving tale. Adelaide is eventually able to know “I’m not crazy. I’m not worthless. I’m not weak. I’m not violent. It’s just that, one day in May, a man snatched me up, and he annihilated me.†Thank you for this story, Ms. Bon. - The hardcover apparently indicates this is a memoir. I read the paperback, which doesn't say "A memoir" on the cover, so it's a bit confusing. But it does become clear this is her own story. It's an excruciating read, but she lived it. I sincerely thank her for her efforts on the part of all rape and sexual assault victims, of which I'm one.
