Finding Angela Shelton, Recovered

Angela Shelton began interviewing other women with her name with the goal of making a movie that inspired women to unite. What happened is heartbreaking, joyous, sad, miraculous, and a one-of-a-kind read. Finding Angela Shelton cleverly moves through the filmmaker’s life story along with the recurring dreams she had while on the road in search of women who shared her name. She discovered that 70% of the Angela Sheltons she interviewed were victims of child sexual abuse, rape and/or domestic violence. Her namesakes inspire the filmmaker to confront her own past along with her abusive father when one of the Angela Sheltons lives in the same town as the filmmaker's father who abused her and her siblings for five years. Finding Angela Shelton is read in many Women’s Studies programs around the US. The message of the book urges survivors of any kind of abuse or trauma to break the cycle of violence and find joy, no matter what they've been through. "With relentless honesty, humor and vitality, Angela Shelton combines the voices of other Angela Sheltons to expose the depths of sexual and physical abuse toward women that pervades the America family. Angela Shelton opens the door for countless others to stop denying their pain, tell their stories, and join together in the revolutionary act of getting well and loving themselves. What started as a road trip to interview a cross section of women—all named Angela Shelton—turned into a tsunami of people confronting the horror of abuse. One wonders if we should stop worrying so much about terrorists crossing our borders, and focus on the terrorism that exists on a daily basis in millions of American homes. Read this book and understand why." Charlotte Sophia Kasl Author of Women, Sex, and A Search for Love and Power, If the Buddha Dated, and Many Roads, One Journey, Moving Beyond the Twelve Steps“Though she takes on serious issues, Angela Shelton is joyous, irreverent, funny, and feisty.”Ellen Bass Author of The Courage to Heal "Angela Shelton may be the first woman in history to turn a horrific childhood into a movement so full of hope and inspiration, even people who haven't suffered any form of child abuse want to get involved. In her first book, Angela describes suffering through the type of violence that usually leads to a lifetime of debilitating dysfunction. Angela defied the odds and turned her pain into real power. If you want to understand how the human spirit can thrive in the face of unimaginable childhood trauma -- read this book!" Wendy MurphyAuthor, And Justice For Some