Counterpunch

On Valentine's Day 1984, the author, an actor, was brutally assaulted while jogging in Los Angeles's Will Rogers State Park. Here she recreates the horrifying experience and its aftermath. Although left for dead by her sledge-hammer attacker, who was not apprehended, Rossen recovered physically with the help of facial surgery; her emotional healing was a lengthier ordeal. As she recalls the ways she emerged from being a victim, passing through terror and anger to eventual triumph over her fear, she interweaves snippets of her background: her father, a Hollywood producer; her relationships with her former husband, actor Hal Holbrook, lovers and other friends; and her California lifestyle. Narrated with humor and a certain self-indulgence, Rossen's story provides catharsis for the victim and illustrates that, for her, survival is an act of will. (June)