However Misty meets these setbacks head on as she prepares to embrace her life long dream of becomeing a medical missionary. This sends her reeling out into the modern world with out any ID or social security number and only a second grade education.

When she refuses to recant her police report she is then shunned by the Amish church.

After Misty is attacked by the Bishop of her church she refuses to be silenced and involves the local law enforment. If the victim refuses to be quiet about the incident they are paid a visit by the ministers in which they are harshly reprimanded and if they still refuse to be silenced they are shunned until they comply. This ancient tradition in wich Amish sex abuse victims are made to forgive their atackers and continue to live life as normal. This is short lived however when she finds herself refusing to be silenced. Eighteen year old Misty breathes a sigh of relief no longer having to fear her step-father will kill her. Here they learn German, are made to change their names and eventualy become baptized members. Fourteen years later after unspeakable torture and constant threats against their lives Misty and her sister are taken to an Amish community in rural Minnesota. Day by day Misty and her sister are brainwashed into believing that dressing and living like the Amish is the only way to get into heaven. Here they are succumbed to severe physical and mental torture, sexual abuse and isolation from the rest of the world. After her mother meets up with her step-father when she is at the young age of four, she and her younger sister are whisked away from their father to begin a life of solitude and sorrow. In this memoir the author writes in detail about the horrors she sustained at the hands of her mother, step-father and the hands of the Amish church. A heartbreaking yet inspiring true story.

Tears of the silenced by misty griffin