Tulsa attorney shares survival story in new memoir

Tulsa lawyer Rhiannon Thoreson has published a book detailing her recovery after a kidnapping and assault. Her new release aims to support other crime victims who face lasting trauma. The author drew directly from her past to help people through their own healing journeys.

Thoreson was 19 and a sophomore at the University of Tulsa when she was attacked at a car wash. The incident occurred in daylight.

“Somebody came up from behind me and held a knife to my throat, put a hand over my mouth and kidnapped me right there,” Thoreson explained.

She said her attacker drove her to a remote spot. He physically and sexually assaulted her for hours before she escaped.

Officers located the man later that evening. Thoreson began a long path toward recovery.

“I don’t think you can go through something like that without it touching every single part of your life.”

Thoreson stepped away from school for a period. She dealt with nightmares, flashbacks, panic attacks and anxiety.

She also blamed herself and struggled with shame. She hid her trauma for years.

Speaking out showed her that many victims experience sexual violence. Many of those individuals feel alone.

Thoreson went to law school after her experience in the justice system. She wanted to help other survivors.

Her Tulsa practice shifted to focus on crime victims and their rights. She seeks accountability from offenders and institutions.

Thoreson noted the value of Oklahoma’s adoption of Marsy’s Law. She said questions still linger regarding how authorities apply those victim protections.

Her memoir, My Beauty from Ashes: Enduring the Fire, Becoming the Light, debuts on October 15, 2026. She started the text six years ago.

Thoreson wrote the material with her younger self in mind. It took years to balance the assault details with her message of survival.

“I needed to read a story, not a fiction story, but like an actual experience of someone who had been through something horrific and had kind of turned out okay because I thought I was going to forever be damaged.”

The writing process helped her find peace with her past choices. She stopped questioning her initial reactions.

“There may have been a better way I could have handled it, but I did the best I could at the time.”

Colleges can offer vital aid after violent crimes. Thoreson praised the University of Tulsa for waiving tuition and academic penalties when she withdrew.

“They did what they had to do to take care of me as a student and that’s huge. That’s huge and that’s not the experience everybody gets.”

Marsy’s Law amends state constitutions to give victims formal rights during legal proceedings. These provisions grant victims notification about hearings and ensure their voices are heard in court.

My Beauty from Ashes: Enduring the Fire, Becoming the Light is sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart. Thoreson also shares details on her website.