A Tulsa attorney is about to publish a memoir detailing a kidnapping and rape she survived nearly three decades ago, a story she says she began writing for the 19-year-old girl she used to be. Rhiannon Thoreson's debut book, “My Beauty From Ashes,” is scheduled for release on Oct. 15.
Thoreson describes herself on her website as an attorney, public speaker and advocate for survivors who now uses her voice to empower others, according to rhiannonthoreson.com. As reported by The Journal Record, the memoir recounts Thoreson's kidnapping and rape from nearly three decades ago along with years of post-traumatic stress disorder, her time away from the University of Tulsa, and obstacles she faced within the legal system.
On her own site, Thoreson writes plainly about what happened to her: “At 19 years old I experienced something that would change my life forever. I was kidnapped, raped and physically assaulted,” she says, per rhiannonthoreson.com. She has said she has finished writing the book and is now in the editing stage, telling her site, “I've completed the writing phase of my memoir and am currently in editing.”
A Book Written for Her Younger Self
According to the Journal Record's reporting, Thoreson said she began writing the book for the 19-year-old girl she used to be, and that she realized during the writing process she was also writing it for who she is today. The memoir's themes center on trauma, survival, identity and healing, according to rhiannonthoreson.com, which describes the project alongside Thoreson's featured chapter in the anthology “Deserts to Mountaintops.”
A commercial listing on Amazon identifies the book with a fuller title, “My Beauty from Ashes: Enduring the Fire, Becoming the Light,” which The Journal Record also prints. Thoreson has said she will post details about local bookstore availability at her website, per the Journal Record's report.
From Survivor to Advocate
Thoreson's public profile has grown well beyond the courtroom. She is an attorney with Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold and is also described as an advocate, author and speaker, according to TulsaKids. She has said her advocacy work aims to create spaces — in courtrooms, conferences and community settings — where survivors feel seen and empowered to use their voices, the outlet reports.
Per the Journal Record, Thoreson represents survivors of violence and abuse and trains advocates, law enforcement and attorneys. In 2023, she delivered a TEDx talk titled “Forgiving the Unforgivable,” according to rhiannonthoreson.com, extending her advocacy into public speaking well before the memoir's release.
Praise From a Fellow Advocate
Danielle Tudor, an author and advocate who serves on the state's sexual assault forensic evidence board, called the book heartbreaking, powerful and deeply moving, according to the Journal Record's report. Tudor's endorsement places Thoreson's memoir alongside a small but growing body of survivor-written accounts aimed at reshaping how sexual assault cases are understood publicly and legally.
Thoreson's memoir joins her TEDx talk and her anthology chapter as part of a broader body of work built around resilience and recovery, according to rhiannonthoreson.com. With the October release approaching, Thoreson has indicated she will share updates on where the book can be found locally through her own website.
