Coming April 2026
How Do You Keep A Secret For 50 Years?
Darlene Lekowski had a perfectly normal childhood. The youngest of five siblings in an upper middle class family, she lived in a beautiful house in the kind of neighborhood where all the kids play in the street and dads whistle out the back door when it’s time to come home for dinner. Popular at school, Darlene was involved in everything from sports to ice skating to church youth group. Her life, to some, might seem idyllic.
Except, Darlene had a secret.
From the age of seven, Darlene was sexually abused by her two eldest brothers. These assaults were periodic, sometimes years apart, leaving her confused, scared, and unsure of the future. The one thing that was constant were the threats. Threats that if she told anyone, she would be sent away, labeled as “dirty”, and responsible for tearing apart her family.
Darlene believed those threats. And so she kept that secret.
Following the death of her mother in 2021, Darlene confronted her brothers with the sole intent of finally receiving an apology for their actions. Instead, one of her brothers sued her for defamation. Distraught at the thought of having her trauma relived in detail in a court of law, but firm in her conviction about what was true, Darlene countersued….
And WON!
Darlene’s memoir is the story of her experience with sibling sexual assault (SSA), how it shaped who she became, and the work she’s done to recover, heal, and move forward with her life. What starts as a tragic beginning becomes a story of hope and resilience as Darlene finds purpose in becoming an advocate for kids like herself who never had a voice. Her mantra, “Your story always matters”, reminds people of all ages that it’s never too late to shine light on the truth.
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“There Are Bits And Pieces Of Yourself Scattered In Every Book You Read”
-Unknown