Reclaiming Aphrodite by Amrita Grace is the account of the author’s healing journey to recovery from sexual abuse and sexual addiction. She succeeds in this courageous quest by using the system of seven chakras to provide the guidelines. She explains each of these chakras, where they are based and what emotions they are associated with, and describes how she was able to harness them to her advantage. Each chapter poses a question for the reader, offers exercises and meditations as a way of finding the solution, and there is a personal story and photo from the author. Amrita Grace literally walked over hot coals on her quest for self-healing. Readers don’t need to go to such extremes since they can learn from her experiences.

What struck me most about this unique book was its honesty and genuine intention. The author’s aim is to help us accept and appreciate our selves, just as she has done. She wants us to achieve wholeness, the state of unbroken completeness, whatever our background, and however damaged we are. She is ‘deeply grateful’ to herself for overcoming her problems and wanting to help others as a result. At first glance, you might think the book has a very narrow focus and isn’t relevant to many people. However, as the author explains in her conclusion, we have all been damaged by the ‘collective sexual shadow’ in advertising and our sexually unhealthy society. By loving and accepting our bodies, and forgiving and loving ourselves we can live responsible, fulfilled lives. Every reader will gain something from this book.