I'm at a loss for words to describe the rawness and courage of this memoir. I inhaled Jessica Willis Fisher's words within 24 hours and am still thinking about them now. A huge trigger warning for child abuse, sexual abuse, violence and more - but if you are in a good place to be able to read something this heavy, I highly recommend it.

Having heard of the Willis family and then seeing the news of what was really happening behind the scenes, I was interested in reading this book. Jessica Willis Fisher shares her childhood memories with transparency and gut-wrenching honesty. The Willis family appeared on TV as a happy, loving family who really had it all. However, that was a mirage to cover up the insidious nature of what was taking place behind closed doors. It was horrifying to read about the sexual, verbal, and physical abuse that Jessica and her siblings had to endure.

While this book was hard to read, it was eye-opening and a good reminder that you just never really know the real truth. It was especially hard to read about how the Bible and religion was used as a weapon and bartering tool. The author did a great job of explaining the specific counseling techniques that helped her. I'm so thankful that she is doing as well as possible now, and incredibly happy that her father is behind bars where he belongs.

It's hard to rate this book as a "5" due to the awful nature of the material, yet I really appreciated Fisher's honesty and her writing style. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

September 27th, 2015 my husband and I went to see the Willis Clan at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount, Virginia. My husband wasn't familiar with them but I was a big fan of the TV show. I liked their sound and was very excited to be able to see them. Before we went to the show we decided to stop at a local restaurant and eat. I was stunned to see the family, or most of them, eating there too. I did not go and interrupt their meal but my husband kept saying they look like they're upset. I thought maybe it was the weather because it was a rainy day. But as the dinner progressed I noticed that nobody met each other's eyes and they were very quiet, with little to no conversation. They had to have been aware that people knew who they were but there was literally no interaction with anyone else or each other. The show was wonderful! Great banter with the audience and perfect dancing and singing. My husband came away as a fan. We bought the shirts and the CDs and met most of the family. Brenda was working the merchandise table and I was thrilled to be able to meet her. But I noticed that she was very flat faced. Literally no emotion at all. She smiled and said the right things but her eyes were just kind of hollow. She was also very skinny. My husband made the comment that he didn't know how a woman who had had that many children managed to look that skinny. I thought maybe she was just tired. I was stunned when the news broke about the allegations against their father but looking back it was obvious something must not right with the family.
When I was given the opportunity to receive an advanced copy of Unspeakable I jumped at the chance. I was hoping that it would stop my imagination from going to dark places about what might have happened with the children. But I was wrong. The story is even worse than I think any of us could have imagined. How Jessica Willis Fisher lived through the trauma and managed to come out as a stronger person is beyond me.
My technical review of the book is it is very well written, informative, and educational. By that I mean there is so much information available for people who are going through trauma. Not only how important counseling is but different levels of trauma and recovery that you go through as a victim and books that can help you begin to understand the process. One big takeaway for me. Jessica began to better understand her father when she realized that it was his problem and not hers. Her problem was surviving and moving on. Her father's problems were so deep and ingrained in his mind that I can see no way he could ever be rehabilitated. Here's a scary thought. So many of the ideals and beliefs that he enforced are present in the religious groups today. Fanaticism has taken the place of a loving God. Toby Willis used this religious fanaticism to justify his behavior. So, if you are even slightly religious, be prepared.
The impact this book will leave on people will the life-changing. I am not a victim of child abuse or sexual assault. The horror and sadness I felt while reading this book was so intense that I cannot even imagine what people who have lived this life will feel. I guess some of them will feel relief knowing that they aren't the only ones. This was one of the revelations that Jessica realized on her road to recovery. Several times I had to put the book down and walk away. It was too overwhelming. I forced myself to read it in one day because I was afraid that if I did not then I would never pick it up and finish it. Even then I had an extremely restless night with dreams that I won't talk about. I do recommend that you read the book. First of all to understand that this happens in the world around us every single day. That air awareness and empathy is vital for people to survive this type of horror. And it is horror not just trauma.
My emotions are mixed when it comes to Jessica's family's response and reactions before and after this story came out. My heart breaks for Brenda but I'm also angry at her as a mother. I understand her helplessness but so many opportunities presented itself for her to save her children. Having never lived it I'm not passing judgment on her. I just feel incredibly sorry for her.
I know this is a long review but the reader simply cannot say it was good or bad, yes you should read it or no you shouldn't and walk away. If someone reads this book and it doesn't touch your soul and your heart then you also have a problem. Having said that, as Jess says in the first of the book, this is a huge trigger warning before you pick the book up to read. It is explicit, raw, and heartbreaking. But after having finished the book I have more respect and admiration for Jessica Willis Fisher than any other person. Her bravery and determination to tell her story in order to help others is simply incredible.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

Jessica has written of her family trauma with strength, truth, and grace. What a blessing that she was able to find people to believe her and work for her, even when she sometimes felt she did not deserve their help. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

Unspeakable

Memoir by Jessica Willis Fisher

where she recounts growing up in a family now know as the Willis Clan, singers, dancers, musicians, songwriters. She was the oldest child in a family that finally totaled twelve children. Home schooled, in a closed to non-believers Christian family. Pushed by the father to perform as a group, yet abused by that same father; sexually (touching), beaten, ignored, alienated, until she finally ran away (in her 20s).

Heartbreaking story by a survivor.

this ARC was given to me by Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.

If you are like me, you look at the smiling faces of photographs of celebrity families and wonder if the family is as happy as they look. The Willis Clan, who performed as a music group, had a secret that made Jessica extremely unhappy. It was one she found she couldn't talk about . Until she felt she had no choice.

This a thoughtfully written, clear narrative that outlines the problem of family sexual abuse in one particular circumstance in
an authentic noninflamatory manner.