Under the Orange Blossoms
“The rustling of the orange tree leaves was so soothing. It felt like a blanket wrapped around me. The shadows of the leaves danced across my closed eyes. I could have stayed here forever, living off juicy oranges and sleeping on the warm earth beneath the blossoms, intoxicated by their aroma. Maybe it would help me forget.”
— Cindy Benezra, Under the Orange Blossoms
Cindy doesn’t know what’s happening to her.
An American teenager living in Spain, she’s rocked by nightmares revealing dark secrets. Her childhood is being rewritten at night and everything she thought she knew about herself is wrong. She must rediscover who she is in light of the revelations.
As a young girl, Cindy endured years of abuse at the hands of her father. From the outside, their family seems to have it all together. Their middle-class, respectable family image hid the dark secrets of Cindy’s childhood. As the truth surfaced, her mother scrambled to deal with the abuse within the confinements of the 1970’s mindset of women and abuse. As an adult, Cindy seeks freedom from her past while also dealing with her mother’s death, divorce, and her son’s ongoing health crises. Despite her father’s unthinkable violation, Cindy cared for him as an old man facing his mortality. In his final years, she interviewed her dad, chasing his guilty confession before it’s too late.
A deeply moving memoir, Under The Orange Blossoms is a story of overcoming unthinkable trauma, and creating a life of hope, love and purpose. In a world where abuse is often silenced, Cindy confronts paralyzing fears head on and speaks to the most sensitive points of abuse. Her book blends a harrowing account with self-help practical tools for healing from trauma. Her courageous approach to healing offers hope that healing is attainable no matter how big the obstacle is.
Cindy’s vulnerable story is one of hope… of finding the way out of the darkness and into the light.
Readers will explore:
Speaking
Together, chains and cycles can be broken, fears can be faced and control can be regained. Hope is possible, healing is available and freedom is near. Invite Cindy to share her inspiring story with your group and join forces to raise awareness and ignite change for those affected by trauma. Together, a brighter future is possible.
Cindy’s on a mission to bring awareness of the effects of sexual abuse and offer hope to those who have endured its impact. Through powerful keynote addresses, impactful speaking engagements and strategic collaborations with mission-driven organizations, she inspires healing dialogue on challenging and overlooked topics and is a catalyst for change, advocating for policy reforms, improved support systems and increased awareness of trauma-related issues.
