MUST READ

In 1984, Joanna Connors was a 30 year old reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer when she was raped by a stranger. Since then, she's raised a family and built a career while trying to bury the memory--but she says it won't go away. Now, nearly a quarter century later, she writes the biggest story of her life. It's a story of survival, crime and punishment, race and class, unintended consequences, fear, denial, hope, courage, and recovery.

This story had a tremendous impact on me, and I suspect it's one you won't soon forget.


Imagine having to walk down those roads again and unearth those feelings. How scary would it be to go public with such a painful private issue?

Life isn't so much about what happens to us. It's about how we handle what happens to us. These kind of stories are all very different and very much the same. I solute Ms. Connors for having the courage to recount her difficult journey through this ordeal so honestly.

http://www.cleveland.com/beyondrape/