Face the Storm by C D Kreger
“Beautifully encapsulates both the light and the dark of the human experience.”
Author C D Kreger delivers a memoir as gut-wrenching as it is uplifting with Face the Storm, inviting readers into her world with fearless honesty, recounting a life shaped by childhood neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional turmoil. Yet this book is far more than a recounting of dark experiences. Face the Storm is a story of resilience, self-discovery, and the transformative power of connection and love. With vivid storytelling and a deeply authentic voice, C D Kreger balances raw pain with glimmers of hope, offering readers both reflection and inspiration.
A Childhood Torn by Chaos and Pain
Face the Storm begins with a haunting portrayal of growing up in a household marked by volatility and neglect, where love was conditional and stability fleeting. The author shows how she grappled with a profound sense of abandonment due to her mother’s erratic behavior and father’s emotional and physical absence. What’s more, these formative years were further marred by the silent agony of childhood sexual abuse, an experience that left scars far deeper than the visible eye could perceive.
The author’s family relationships are further explored with a complexity that avoids oversimplification. Her mother’s volatility is portrayed with a mix of frustration and empathy, while her father’s absence looms large as a quiet yet undeniable influence on her early sense of self. The narrative doesn’t paint these figures in black and white but rather in shades of gray, allowing readers to understand how love and pain often coexist within family dynamics.
These relationships are not just sources of trauma but also catalysts for growth. As C D Kreger reflects on her family, she begins to untangle the threads of inherited pain and dysfunction, finding clarity and, ultimately, a sense of liberation.
Shadows of Trauma and the Search for Healing
Of course, the author’s exploration of trauma is one of Face the Storm’s most compelling elements. She delves deeply into the long-lasting effects of abuse — shame, feelings of unworthiness, and the isolating silence it creates. These are not easy topics to tackle, yet C D Kreger confronts them with extreme courage and illustrates how trauma can seep into every corner of a survivor’s life.
Most impressively, though, is how C D Kreger also sheds light on the nonlinear nature of healing. Therapy, self-reflection, and the willingness to confront her past all play pivotal roles in her journey of reclaiming her voice and identity.
A Balancing Act
Amid the heavier themes of Face the Storm, C D Kreger also captures the fleeting moments of joy and connection that punctuated her life. Childhood adventures, friendships, and acts of kindness serve as lifelines, reminding readers of what the human spirit is capable of enduring. These moments provide a necessary counterbalance to the memoir’s darker elements, illustrating that even in the midst of profound suffering, there is room for light.
The author’s ability to hold space for both the joyful and painful aspects of her life is one of Face the Storm’s greatest strengths. By sharing these moments, she reminds readers that healing is not just about overcoming darkness but also about embracing the beauty that exists alongside it.
An Authentic Voice
Face the Storm beautifully encapsulates both the light and the dark of the human experience, and the author’s journey through trauma and self-discovery is told with such authenticity and emotional depth that it resonates on a universal level. For anyone who has faced their own storms, C D Kreger’s Face the Storm serves as a beacon of hope, offering both solace and strength. This is not just a story to read — it is one to carry with you.
About C D Kreger:
C D Kreger survived the trauma of a physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive childhood. Along the way Kreger realized that social isolation can cause more harm to survivors than the abuse itself. Social isolation and shame prevent survivors from seeking help & support. When we do reach out we are too often shunned or silenced while our abusers are protected and enabled by the “see nothing, say nothing” culture. Kreger believes that breaking this wall of silence and invisibility is the most important step we can take today to stop the abuse.
C D Kreger is a proponent of educational equity and accessibility. Kreger left home as a teen and spent a number of years surviving on minimum and low wage jobs before eventually furthering her education through public Community Colleges and Universities and with the help of needs-based scholarship funds. Kreger holds a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland.
Kreger is a civil servant and currently lives in central Maryland with her loving husband of over 30 years.
Publish Date: 3/26/2023
Genre: Biography, Memoir
Author: C D Kreger
Page Count: 342 pages
ISBN: 9798388647184
