Raccoon Girl Rising

When she was twenty-one, Jennifer got a tattoo of a women’s symbol with a fist in the middle of it. To her it represented her anger at the injustice women experience, especially sexual violence. A former partner refused to acknowledge that the tattoo included a fist, explaining to others it was a raccoon instead. Over time, as Jennifer actively worked on healing from personal and generational trauma, she fought to create and hold boundaries that required others to treat her with respect. She was no longer the dutiful “raccoon girl” but instead someone who could look back on the traumatic events marking her history and move forward not only as someone intent on changing the world, but also honoring herself. Raccoon Girl Rising recounts the hidden trauma affecting multiple generations within a family, and how it is possible to find peace.