Victims Make the Best Birdhouses

Larry Franklin believes he should have known on that summer day in 1950 that this was not normal. But he was the youngest and smallest of the four boys in a place where the unspeakable was normal.

In 1992, when Franklin turned 50, a chance conversation with his mother opened the door to repressed memories of physical and sexual abuse. The worst left him hugging the bathroom stool throughout the night. As his mind began to crumble, a piece here, a piece there, he learned that the trips to the barn were far from normal. Separating fact from fiction was like finding a gnat in the forest.

The '90s were damning times for the believers of repressed memories. Non-believers shunned those who claimed to be victims of childhood sexual abuse. These doubts and Franklin’s reluctance to believe the unbelievable, increased his anxieties and likely added years to his struggle.

With the guidance of his therapist, Franklin began his 20-year journey from sexual abuse to a better life. He went from short-term to long-term therapy with a psychologist and a few individuals who became Franklin’s support group. Together they served as a non-judgmental team that helped him through the most challenging time of his life.

His memoir is a blueprint for moving from victim to a survivor; a place where injured souls can flourish when light is allowed to shine. The story is an emotion-packed story designed to allow the curious listener to visit a different world.