Silent Screams from the Hamptons

Christa Jan Ryan
Robert D. Reed Publishers (2008)
ISBN 9781934759059
Reviewed by Wendy Cleveland for Reader Views (6/08)


Christa Jan Ryan opens her memoir “Silent Screams from the Hamptons” with an Introduction stating that “this book is about the Disease of The Family of Origin” and how we intentionally carry over our patterns of hurts, hang-ups, and habits into the next generation.”   Throughout the book, Ms. Ryan hopes to change this cycle through the power of willingness, love, and forgiveness.  She did not grow up in a typical “Leave It To Beaver” family environment.  Her parents struggled with their addictions to alcohol and drugs while she was growing up.  She was the youngest of six children with her triplet sisters being born with Cerebral Palsy.  Christa and her older siblings carried the burden of caring for their mother and sisters.  These family episodes, as well as being raped when she was twelve by a teacher, led Christa to make the wrong choices in her life leading to one chaos after another.  This included marrying her husband Jacob who was also a product of a dysfunctional family.  Both Christa and Jacob turned to drugs and alcohol while trying to maintain their landscaping business which included rich and famous clients in the Hamptons.  Gardening and landscape design was a passion of Christa’s since she was a little girl.  As an adult, she found solace in this, from her abusive husband.  Once she had her two sons and with God’s guidance, she decided that she needed to break free from this cycle of abuse and seek help.     

“Silent Screams from the Hamptons” was a remarkable story of breaking free of addiction and domestic violence.  Ms. Ryan was a brave woman to not want her children to grow up as she did.  She was determined to break the cycle of disease and torment.  I found it heartwarming at the end when she said that her husband, Jacob, is still battling his addictions, but that she prays for his deliverance and hopes that he will soon be the father he needs to be.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who comes from a family of addictive personalities to see how she comes full circle with her strength and the grace of God.  “In him, we can do all things.”

Make comment on weblog