Book Review: Such a Pretty Picture

Reviewed by Toni Woodruff | Content warnings: child sexual abuse

Heartbreaking and vulnerable—a story that should never exist

It takes power to tell this story. It takes bravery and strength and a machete—a way to chop through the tangled vines of trauma to forge a path ahead. Such a Pretty Picture is a powerful story that will break your heart and, hopefully, put it back together again.

Be ready for it though—the content warning is an important one. If you have experienced sexual abuse and are not up to experiencing someone else’s, this book will likely be triggering.

Andrea Leeb was four years old when her father first started molesting her. Her mom even saw it, but she went blind directly afterward. Her vision may have come back two weeks, but her figurative blindness remained. They didn’t speak of the molestation after the event, and her mother denied it when Andrea was finally old enough to confront her about it.

It wasn’t the only time either. Andrea was sexually molested by her father for more than ten years after that. He’d always follow up his actions with kindness and gifts, and he kept up an impeccable outward persona. He was a professor, a reader, and a confusingly kind dad.

We know, like Andrea knows, how bad her father is from the very beginning, but everyone else, including her mother, would have to wait years to find out that he’s been tricking people—completely separate from the abuse of Andrea. The perfect perception of him comes crumbling down even as he’s propped up by Andrea’s frustratingly forgiving mother.

Unfortunately, Such a Pretty Picture is a very real story. It’s a meaningful book for sexual abuse survivors to recognize that they are not alone. They’re likely going to have to confront their own pain to do it though. Scenes of sexual abuse are included, and while Andrea’s story lifts us up in the end, it’s only after our hearts are broken over and over again. She’s a smart, brave, and strong young girl who grows into a powerfully inspiring survivor.

This is also a story of sisterly love. Andrea and her younger sister Sarai are close and best friends. In their younger days, Andrea would stick up for Sarai and protect her with a glowing, angelic love. In a story of so much sadness, it’s a relief to get to experience this deep well of sibling love. You’re going to love their relationship.

The storytelling is spare and clean, yet packed with emotion. Such a Pretty Picture reads almost like it is made of stone—something you can drop but never break. A moving story with a heavy load to bear.

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