‘Becoming the Brave One’ charts a path of trauma, justice, and hope through the eyes of a survivor and advocate
From a childhood shadowed by abuse, loss, and silence, Folsom’s Amanda Carrasco has emerged not only with her voice intact, but with a mission to help others find theirs. The local author, survivor, and restorative justice advocate is preparing to release her debut memoir Becoming the Brave One: My Journey to Justice, arriving August 26 through Blue Hat Publishing.
Raw, riveting, and deeply personal, Carrasco’s memoir takes readers through the harrowing terrain of childhood trauma—including sexual abuse, violence, and betrayal—and into the long, nonlinear path of healing. But Carrasco’s story is not just one of survival; it’s a journey toward reclaiming power, redefining justice, and transforming pain into purpose.
“These early experiences really warped my sense of autonomy,” Carrasco shared in a recent interview. “I had feelings that what was happening wasn’t right, but when adults are in the room and not saying anything, it completely stifles the inner sense of wrong that we are built with.”
Carrasco candidly recounts how layers of abuse—at home, in school, and within the church—shaped her perception of worth. “My value only came from giving other people what they wanted,” she said. “The abuse was the anchor that held me under water to drown, not ground me in safety.”
Yet Becoming the Brave One is not a story defined by suffering—it’s defined by the fierce work of healing. Carrasco revisited her memories across ten painful revisions, writing through tears and trauma. “You don’t just get over these things,” she said. “I’ve learned to live with my pain and use it as fuel, instead of being consumed by the flames.”
A turning point in her journey came not from a single breakthrough, but through what she describes as “a series of small wins.” These wins, slowly but surely, became steps forward—toward education, faith, motherhood, and ultimately advocacy. Carrasco now holds four master’s degrees, two in law, and is a certified restorative justice facilitator through the Restorative Justice Council.
The memoir is unflinching in its honesty, including Carrasco’s decision to sit face-to-face with two people who caused immense harm: her own brother, who abused her as a child, and the man responsible for the deaths of a dear friend and her children. These conversations, rooted in restorative justice, helped her reclaim agency and understanding.
“In that moment, I got some of my power back,” Carrasco said of the second meeting. “He had to sit in it with me. He could not hide from what he did.”
Still, Carrasco is clear: forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation, and love requires boundaries. “I am not loving if I allow you to harm others,” she said. “Love is not love if it doesn’t have boundaries.”
Her relationship with faith has been just as nuanced. “I have a complicated relationship with the church, but not with Jesus,” she explained. “The church can be a place of healing or a place of harm—or both. But my faith helped me hold onto something greater than myself.”
For Carrasco, healing is not about punishment—it’s about transformation. “I gain nothing by punishing you,” she said. “Healing myself on the inside changed my behavior because I started making decisions according to my values.”
That shift has extended to her role as a parent. “The first and most obvious [lesson] was to not yell at my kids,” she said. “Watching my children grow, especially my daughters, I see myself in them and what I could have been had I been given a better start. I am so excited to have daughters just like me.”
Community, she adds, is key. “I could not be who I am without the people who have poured into my life,” Carrasco said. “Pain is lighter to carry when you can find meaning in it.”
The title of her memoir, Becoming the Brave One, reflects a shift in how she now defines courage. “Bravery isn’t being fearless or rescuing others,” she said. “It’s doing things afraid and starting by saving yourself. Your healing should ripple out to touch others.”
Asked what she would tell her younger self if she could, Carrasco’s answer is quiet and resolute: “I would whisper in her ear, ‘you make it.’”
Becoming the Brave One: My Journey to Justice will be released August 26, 2025, and is available through Blue Hat Publishing. More about Amanda Carrasco’s work, advocacy, and speaking engagements can be found at amandacarrasco.com.
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