Broken Trust: A Memoir of Rape, Racism, and Love

Some betrayals happen in a moment. Others unfold over years.

Raised between Chicago and a tiny resort town in Northern Michigan, Patricia grew up navigating two worlds. In one, there were forests, lake water, and night skies that felt endless. In the other, prejudice, exclusion, and quiet lessons about where she did and did not belong.

When her family returned to Chicago during her teenage years, hope and independence seemed within reach. Instead, her vulnerability created an opening for a predator. Grooming gave way to years of sexual violence, eroding her sense of safety, identity, and trust—not only in others, but in herself.

Yet this is not a story told from the ashes. It is told from the long road through them.

With honesty and restraint, Patricia writes about the people who showed up in small but meaningful ways, about love that reshaped her priorities, and about the years she lived outwardly stable while inwardly divided.

When buried memories finally surface, she is forced to confront what was taken and what cannot be destroyed.

This is a memoir about trauma but more than that, it is a memoir about reclaiming voice, identity, and truth.

Warning: This content contains graphic sexual violence and use of objectionable language. Reader discretion is advised.