Chapter 7: Satanic Panic
As heartbreaking and upsetting as some of the stories in this book have been, there was something about this chapter that made me feel the most appalled. Reading about the children in Gilmer who were sexually abused by their own family and manipulated by caregivers, and of the coercive methods of treatment used and transportation of them across the state was devastating. For whatever the reason, the idea of Gilead in the Handmaid's Tale came to mind. It was a somewhat random connection but still very relevant at the same time. Throughout the story of June, I repeatedly thought to myself, "How in the world can someone endure so many traumatic events and come out okay ??" It was literally trauma after trauma for her, and I just couldn't find it possible that she would be able to recover from it all, assuming that she somehow managed to leave Gilead behind. And as a kid, all that trauma is without a doubt guaranteed to completely change you, impacting you and ...
