It was a privilege to read Alex James’ Buried Alive: A story of hate and acceptance. To be given permission to enter someone’s deepest, darkest times is to be trusted with their fundamental core, the inner layers that make that person who they are today.
It does not escape me that I am responding to Alex James in the same way that many people respond to me when they read my book … and that is fair, because my poems and artworks are also deeply personal, exposing the ugly side of troubled times. It is only from having experienced such Dark that the profound value of the Light is recognised. (Nevertheless I continue to be genuinely taken aback at the realisation that some readers are moved to the extent that they are.)
I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of such authentic praise, and if Alex is like me he would be surprised at the impact of his book … which he shouldn’t be, as it’s a worthy addition to the world’s collection of survivors’ stories … so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised when people praise my book, as I have praised his … because it is a privilege to be let in to someone’s soul.
James’ book will hold its rightful place on the bookshelves of survivors and the wider public: it will add to the world’s healing journey and hopefully inspire others to talk about their experiences (which is James’ stated wish), as I have found audiences at my presentations open up about their experiences of sexual abuse and depression. Such literature is an important catalyst to large-scale healing, even if it’s slow, step-by-step, and its progress is not always evident.
Find my review of this commendable book here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/buried-alive-a-james
This review may seem more about me than about Alex James and his book. However, it is because his book resonated so much with me, and his responses and reactions reminded me of mine … like him, I published my experiences and exposed my soul … and would like to think that, in my own small way, I am adding to the collective healing journey through helping people on a personal level.
Annabel Harz: Author and Artist 