What people are saying about Not Child’s Play
“If you think that brothers sexually abuse their sisters only in soap operas or deeply sick families, you need to read this book because it reveals how prevalent and mundane such misuse of power is. If you think you’re the only one who went through it or is going through it, you need to read this book because you’re not alone. Not Child’s Play not only brings to light the vast amount of harm family members do to other family members, it also gives survivors a place for their voices. It showcases the creativity, wit, resilience, and determination that survivors use to get through, to hold aggressors accountable, and to heal. Not Child’s Play is a stepping stone on the path survivors are walking to get safe and free.”
— Lauren R. Taylor is director of Defend Yourself and co-author of Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World
Now in an updated second edition, NOT CHILD'S PLAY continues to impress and inform anyone searching for an authentic anthology on brother-sister incest. What makes this collection so useful is not only its daring, by addressing an issue society prefers to ignore, but also editor Risa Shaw's unique approach to speaking the unspeakable. The contributors present their long-buried truths in memoir, story, poetry and art, a stunning variety of approaches to narrating painful family legacies and paths to healing. The volume is thus as readable as it is challenging, exposing landscapes of intimacy and confrontation, and ultimately transcending shame with a literary call to action.
— Bonnie J. Morris, PhD, University of California at Berkeley, author of The Feminist Revolution and Women's History for Beginners and other books
“The pull to pretend that sibling sexual abuse does not occur is exactly why this book needs to be seen, read, and discussed. In heroic fashion, Dr. Shaw pushed past her own feelings of fear and shame, and now invites, no, incites us to follow her. Our willingness to listen to the voices of survivors and to follow them on their journeys towards healing is a crucial step towards acknowledging and then preventing the recurrence of this trauma. Young girls, teenagers, and families need to know that they are not alone. Discomfort, denial, distress: these are the feelings that may cause us to ignore Not Child’s Play. Be brave enough to read this book. You will be glad that you did.”
— Jeannie Witkin, MA, parent, writer
Not Child’s Play is a must-read for anyone who cares about children and our society. This book addresses the taboo of sibling incest with an anthology of powerful survivor stories and poems that convey the feelings of fear, self-disgust, and sense of betrayal that these sisters felt at the hands of their brothers and step-brothers. It also reflects their feelings as victorious survivors through their artwork, including the homemade Action Figures. Though less well known than father–daughter incest, the effects of sibling incest are just as heartbreaking. Not Child’s Play highlights the need for educating children and their parents, guardians, and caregivers about healthy body boundaries.
— Roxanne Yamashita, Parent, PhD, Executive Director of Small Things Matter