Any Girl: A Memoir of Sexual Exploitation and Recovery

(Paperback)

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"It became untenable for me to remain silent about a part of my life I had long kept secret. I had to follow the persistent, uncomfortable pull of truth, wherever it would lead me."

From the outside looking in, the young life of Mia Doring seemed unremarkable, as she pursued her studies at a prominent Dublin art college, immersed in a vibrant social scene.

Unbeknownst to those around her, however, Mia's life was anything but ordinary. At age sixteen, she had been sexually exploited by an older man, which carved a direct path into the Irish sex trade, where she remained for several years until finally leaving it behind over a decade ago, at age twenty-four.

In her literary memoir Mia, a psychotherapist specialising in sexual trauma, excavates her difficult history as she sets about integrating her past with her present-day life. Along the way, she presents an ardent and intelligent refutation of a culture that affirms and applauds the industrialised sexual violation of women and girls, ultimately offering something more precious - a way forward for society bedded in true understanding and compassion.

Any Girl is a ferociously honest, intensely tender and utterly unforgettable book that is as thought-provoking as it is timely.

Reviews

An immensely powerful memoir, written with absolute courage and grace. Searing and generous, Any Girl holds a blazing beacon for others * Donal Ryan *
Mia is to be commended for her immense courage in writing this powerful and important book, which provides a chilling account of the brutal lived reality of the sex trade * Ivana Bacik, T.D. *
A powerful and compassionate deconstruction of one of the most insidious forms of male violence. Every young woman and man should read this * Sabina Higgins, First Woman of Ireland *
Written with honesty, power and insight * Roisin Ingle *

Author Bio

Mia Doring is a writer and psychotherapist specialising in sexual trauma. She lives and works in Dublin. Her essays, fiction and articles have been published in Litro Magazine, The Bohemyth, Ropes Journal and Huffington Post. Any Girl is her first book.