Unresolved trauma can take a serious toll on a child, but sometimes families just don’t know what to say or where to turn for help.
Hidden: Her Truth Her Pain, from Shun Jamerson Tomlin, is a thought-provoking story about a young girl who was victimized by a close family friend and the profound impact of her family’s decision to keep quiet.
Hidden takes an honest, unvarnished look at the emotional toll that unresolved trauma can have on a child, often opening doors to places no one wants to go—depression, low self-esteem, suicidal tendencies—and explores family secrets that are hidden in the walls of far too many homes.
Tomlin says she also explores themes of self-forgiveness, strength and salvation, and why God’s voice is necessary in the healing process.
“It is time to break the generational stigma of ‘what happens in the house stays in the house,’” Tomlin says. “Youths who suffer in silence will ultimately become adults who suffer in silence.”
With Hidden, Tomlin hopes to ignite open and healthy dialogue surrounding childhood trauma and to encourage those who have experienced trauma to find their voices and speak up.
“In order to heal, you must reveal what is hidden,” she says.