Any Girl : A Memoir of Sexual Exploitation and Recovery / Mia Doering

"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 Doering 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.