Broken Silence is an exceptional book that I found to be very captivating. I am an African-American male and I believe that every "brother" should read this book, and gain an understnading of the women in their lives as well as themselves. We all have loved ones, friends or co-workers who at some time in their life will go through a period of emotional or psychic distress and will need guidance to successfully cope with the situation. All too often the women in our lives suffer in silence, hence the title of the book.

In the preface, Dr. Singleton stated that she had to undergo therapy herself as part of her training and found it to be an unpleasant experience. This helps to explain part of the reason for so much resistance in our community towards therapy, especially if the therapist comes from another cultural background. Dr. Singleton manages to combine therapy with good old-fashioned wisdom and thereby gain the trust of those who have come to her for help.

Eight women are profiled in the book, a representative sample of the thousands of people Dr. Singleton has assisted over the years. Dr. Singleton shows in each different situation, how to turn a negative experience into one of empowerment and triumph. Pychological counseling is not an easy process and it takes a lot of time and hard work, just like in any good relationship. As I read this book, it brought to mind a movie I saw last year, the Antwone Fisher Story. I saw men who were moved to tears by that film and this book could have the same impact.

This culture and society has never been a facilitating environment for good relationships between African-American women and men. Today our young people are constantly bombarded with misogamist (hatred of marriage) and misogyny (hatred of women) messages through videos, music and television. The society has never embraced us as equals in the workplace either as we witness the attack upon affirmative action. It is very hard to be sane in an insane world. Dr. Singleton shows in her book, Broken Silence, that no matter how dire your personal, family, or work situation, through therapy and love, you can become a strong and vibrant woman. The process works for the "brothers" too. We all need help from time to time and should not be ashamed to seek it. This book should be placed upon everyone's "must read" list.