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Marion Elizabeth Witte

Goodreads author profile

url

http://www.goodreads.com/MarionWitte

gender

female

website

http://www.marionwitte.com

genre

Biographies & Memoirs, Parenting & Families, Health, Mind & Body

member since

December 2009

About this author

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Marion Witte was raised on a farm on the North Dakota prairie, where she lived with her mother, father, older brother and younger sister until she was 18.

Conditions inside the Witte household were often as brutal as the outdoor winters. Disobedience was severely punished and Marion in particular was the target of her mother’s wrath. She was beaten for the slightest offense and locked in a terrifyingly dark cellar. The violent dysfunction seemed contagious -- Marion’s brother once slaughtered her beloved pet rabbits with a shotgun in a fit of anger.

In her compelling memoir, “Little Madhouse on the Prairie,” Witte vividly describes how abandonment, alcoholism, isolation and unhappiness plagued her family for generations, creating a perfect s...more Marion Witte was raised on a farm on the North Dakota prairie, where she lived with her mother, father, older brother and younger sister until she was 18.

Conditions inside the Witte household were often as brutal as the outdoor winters. Disobedience was severely punished and Marion in particular was the target of her mother’s wrath. She was beaten for the slightest offense and locked in a terrifyingly dark cellar. The violent dysfunction seemed contagious -- Marion’s brother once slaughtered her beloved pet rabbits with a shotgun in a fit of anger.

In her compelling memoir, “Little Madhouse on the Prairie,” Witte vividly describes how abandonment, alcoholism, isolation and unhappiness plagued her family for generations, creating a perfect storm of child abuse. We learn of her parents’ and grandparents’ grueling struggles as they scratched out livings on the harsh Midwestern plains, where lessons were taught by beatings and children were seen, never heard.

Witte’s great compassion and clear-eyed perspective elevates “Little Madhouse on the Prairie” beyond a story of violence. By shedding light on the cultural roots of her own abuse, Witte sets the stage for a way out of the cycle of violence against all children. “Little Madhouse on the Prairie” is an impassioned plea for action to extend human rights to the planet’s youngest citizens. Her memoir also suggests ways one can heal from the wounds of abuse. Left untreated, she writes, those wounds can lead to self-destruction, and turn an abused child into an abusive adult.

Witte finally escaped her misery by attending college, where she excelled academically and graduated in three years at the top of her class with a degree in business administration and accounting. She passed the CPA exam while a junior, becoming the youngest CPA in the country that year.

Yet even as her career soared she was haunted by the emotional damage she had suffered as a child and which followed her into adulthood. In 1991, she began the long road to emotional recovery. In 2007, Witte sold her successful business to provide the funding necessary to pursue her passion – empowering children. She established the Angel Heart Foundation, whose vision is “All Children Deserve a Safe and Just World.”

Witte lives in Ventura, California, not far from her daughter, Angela.
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Marion Elizabeth Witte's Blog

I Feel So Blessed to Be Able to Help Others!

Reading Little Madhouse on the Prairie was like taking a journey through my own life. There were pieces that were a bit different than my life and yet I felt connected, so connected in fact that I felt the need to contact the author directly and convey the message to her. Her book gave me ideas on how I might move forward in healing my own traumas and bring light and love to the parts inside th...

View more on Marion Elizabeth Witte's website »

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Published on April 28, 2012 13:35

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Books by Marion Elizabeth Witte

Average rating: 4.49 · 57 ratings · 46 reviews · 1 distinct work

Little Madhouse on the Prairie: A True-Life Story of Overcoming Abuse and Healing the Spirit

4.49 avg rating — 57 ratings — published 2011

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Marion's Recent Updates

Marion liked Kayla's review of Little Madhouse on the Prairie: " This was an amazing, and very inspirational book. Marion did a fabulous job at telling her story through her emotions as a child. It is easy to read, but very hard to put down. It keeps you captivated, hanging on every word. Every one has some sor... " Read more of this review »
May 09, 2012 05:30pm · see review
Marion liked Tim's review of Little Madhouse on the Prairie: " It's hard to say that you enjoy a book that deals with serious topics such as child abuse. But, I definately had a soft spot for this engaging read. You can't help but think back to your childhood while reading the account of her own. This book de... " Read more of this review »
May 09, 2012 05:30pm · see review
Marion liked Malia M's review of Little Madhouse on the Prairie: " I loved reading this book. I didn't want to put it down. But if I had to put it down I was excited to pick it back up to get the stories of her childhood. I think child abuse was so much easier to get away with then because it wasn't paid attenti... " Read more of this review »
May 09, 2012 05:30pm · see review
Marion liked Danielle Jones's review of Little Madhouse on the Prairie: " First of all I want to say that I would reccommend this book to people everywhere who have suffered childhood abuse and/or grown up in an addict household. I found this to be a compelling story about a woman who kept on going despite her awful upb... " Read more of this review »
May 09, 2012 05:30pm · see review
Marion said "yes" to attending the event: The Ace Study Presentation date: March 06, 2012 09:30AM location: Oxnard Community College, Oxnard, CA, The United States description: ADS Case Management Class
Jan 26, 2012 07:06pm
Marion gave to: Bossypants by Tina Fey	My rating:
Sep 19, 2011 07:50pm
Marion gave to: Room by Emma Donoghue (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Sep 11, 2011 04:09am
Marion added: Little Madhouse on the Prairie: A True-Life Story of Overcoming Abuse and Healing the Spirit by Marion Elizabeth Witte (Goodreads Author) read in April, 2010	My rating:
Jul 20, 2011 09:21pm
Marion gave to: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook--What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry read in April, 2011	My rating:
Apr 26, 2011 06:39pm
Marion gave to: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) read in March, 2011	My rating:
Mar 13, 2011 05:00pm

More of Marion's books…

Quotes by Marion Elizabeth Witte

“The past always comes knocking, and sometimes it doesn't call first.”
― Marion Elizabeth Witte, Little Madhouse on the Prairie: A True-Life Story of Overcoming Abuse and Healing the Spirit

5 people liked it

“I have learned that it is not the truth that will hurt you - it is the lies.”
― Marion Elizabeth Witte

5 people liked it

Quotes Marion Likes

“I have learned that it is not the truth that will hurt you - it is the lies.”
― Marion Elizabeth Witte

5 people liked it

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard

tags: friend , friendship , knowledge , love

27,318 people liked it

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

tags: darkness , drive-out , hate , inspirational , light , love , peace

26,140 people liked it

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

tags: accomplishment , be-yourself , conformity , individuality , world

24,246 people liked it

“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

tags: simile , women

22,758 people liked it

More quotes Marion likes…