In the first section, Evert describes how she tried to cope with the vivid memories of abuse that occurred when she was 5 years old and the fear, pain, guilt, and shame these memories engendered. She describes how she was unable to discuss these feelings until she was in her 20's and then only with a small group of friends. While this brought the victimization into the open, the emotional damage caused by the abuses continued as an overriding emotional focus that still disrupted her life. In the second section, Evert describes the effects of major crises in her life when she was in her 30's. These included the unexpected death of a friend, a murder-suicide committed by one of her substance-abuse counseling clients, and the terminal illness of her mother. She describes seeking therapy to deal with the ensuing depression and eventually working through her repressed feelings during a 9-month course of experiential psychotherapy. In an afterward, she provides advice for other survivors trying to cope with the aftermath of childhood incest. The therapeutic process is outlined in an afterword by the therapist.