DENIAL : A MEMOIR OF TERROR

IN THIS SKILLFULLY WROUGHT POWERFUL STUDY A TERRORISM EXPERT NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER (THE ULTIMATE TERRORISTS) AND LECTURER AT HARVARD RETURNS TO A DEFINITIVE EPISODE OF TERROR IN HER OWN EARLY LIFE AND TRACES ITS GRIM DAMAGING RAMIFICATIONS. HAVING GROWN UP IN CONCORD MASS. IN 1973 STERN THEN 15 AND HER SISTER A YEAR YOUNGER WERE FORCIBLY RAPED AT GUNPOINT BY AN UNKNOWN INTRUDER; WHEN THE POLICE REOPENED THE CASE IN 2006 STERN WAS COMPELLED TO CONFRONT THE DEVASTATING EXPERIENCE. THE POLICE INITIALLY TIED THE CASE TO A LOCAL SERIAL RAPIST WHO SERVED 18 YEARS IN PRISON BEFORE HANGING HIMSELF. STERN`S PAINFUL JOURNEY TAKES HER BACK TO THE TRAUMATIC AFTERSHOCKS OF THE RAPE WHEN SHE BEGAN TO AFFECT A STERN HARD VENEER NOT UNLIKE THE STIFF-UPPER-LIP APPROACH TO SURVIVAL HER OWN GERMAN-BORN JEWISH FATHER HAD ASSUMED AFTER HIS CHILDHOOD YEARS LIVING THROUGH NAZI PERSECUTION. COVERING UP HER DEEP-SEATED SENSE OF SHAME WITH ENTRENCHED SILENCE STERN HAD A CLASSIC POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER—WHICH SHE WAS ONLY ABLE TO RECOGNIZE AFTER HER OWN WORK INTERVIEWING TERRORISTS. STERN`S WORK IS A STRONG CLEAR-EYED ELUCIDATING STUDY OF THE PROFOUND REVERBERATIONS OF TRAUMA.