Разказът на една млада жена, родила извънбрачно дете, което е дала за осиновяване и не може да намери покой до днес. Една книга за любовта, отговорността и фалшивия морал - една книга за всички майки и за всички млади момичета.
Какво друго е животът на 18 години, освен мечти и любов! За какво друго мисли едно момиче на 18 години, освен за любимия мъж и бъдещия си щастлим брак! Възпитана в строго католическо семейство и неподготвена за изненадите на живота, осемнайсетгодишната Мишел се влюбва в красивия Кевин. Всичко е прекрасно, докато Кевин заминава да следва в друг град, а тя усеща, за съжаление твърде късно, че е бременна. Разкъсвана от страх пред строгата си майка, от болка поради невниманието на любимия, завладян вече от други момичета, и от „приятелските“ съвети на лекаря, Мишел решава да не казва никому нищо, да роди детето в специализирана клиника и да го даде за осиновяване. Минават години, пълни с неизвестност, докато един ден полицията звънва на вратата и младата жена узнава цялата истина за нещастната съдба на своето малко момиченце...
It's very hard for me to sympathize with this woman. I don't like her. I don't feel that she's being honest. I'm getting the impression that she's putting her own spin on things to make them look better. I don't sympathize with her and I should. I don't know some of her words. I've gotten to the number of check marks in the book where I have to start an ongoing review or else I'll forget some of it. This may be small to some but it's not to me. What we say is veyr important. I take what I say seriously and I expect to be able to take seriously what comes from others mouths. (Direct quotes in quotations) "...when you never had the chance to hold that child in your arms, to love her, to comfort her, and cherish her?" My problem with this - she did have that chance. She gave that chance away. I'm not saying she's wrong for that, she knew of nothing in the future. But she did? have that chance. Giving your baby up for adoption is a choice, and one that I'll touch on later that she didn't even have to make although she tried to come across like she had no other choice. I understand that this was in the 80's, I understand she was young (19), I understand she was scared, I understand her thinking was that these people were professionals, I understand all of that. But from her very own words I'm finding out SO much that should have alerted her to the fact that something was amiss. SO MUCH. Her mother had an inkling and sure, we don't listen to out parents very much at that age. I don't fault her there. I do wish the mother had thought to phone the police. Even just a visit from the police, since there was nothing legally that could be done, would have deterred Bergman and friends I think because there would have been outside knowledge of the baby. That, in itself, would have been all that was needed probably. On page 41 we find out Dr. Bergman came up with the idea of using a phony name to call Michele so no one would be the wiser. This isn't something normal. My 5 year old daughter would be concerned if her doctor told her this. Well, no, she wouldn't be concerned per se, but she would think it's weird and she would say something - to both myself and him. No, people are different but my daughter is FIVE. This was a grown woman at NINETEEN. On page 69 we find out she went for her check-ups to Bergman's office when it was closed more often than not so as to "not have to deal with other patients". Okay, that's totally normal. He's just a REALLY caring doctor. On page 81 we find out that Bergman's helper, Ginny actually went so far as to TELL Michele that something was up. She screamed out, "Whatever I'm getting out of this isn't worth the aggravation your mother is giving us." Now, what else did she need I have to ask myself? Them to come out and say, "Hey listen Michele, we're going to lie to you, steal your baby, give it to two unfit people who are going to show her a life of cruelty and abuse until finally they murder her with their bare hands." Is that what she needed? Apparently. So, that's about as far as I am so far and I'm ticked. The writing is fine, flows nicely, no problem with that aspect of the book. But I hate Michele, I'm mad at Michele, I feel like she could have saved this baby by being more aware. I also should point out that she wasn't "forced" to give this baby up. Once her mother found out she was standing behind her 100%. That doesn't mean she should have changed her mind because of this, but I think she could have slowed down and used her head a little. She waited damn near 7 months to comfirm a pregnancy yet when it's confirmed and the doctor assumes she's going to give the baby up she just goes with it? Are there really people like this in the world? It's like she's going through life brain-dead and blind. I'm sure I'll have much more to add soon. I may have to break my non-Googling way of life and see what these evil people are doing now. Hopefully rotting in jail. *I'm sorry, I don't like speaking about someone like this but it's the honest truth and I'm feeling really passionate right now.* Jesus, I could go on forever. I finished this two days ago and only now have the strength to try to finish the review. This will probably sound very chopped up but I'm not an author so deal with it. I find it very conveniant that when she wasn't aware Ginny gave all of her wrong information. I've given birth, many people I know have given birth and I've never heard of anyone being so unaware. They don't get your info when the kid is sliding out of you. It's done before. How could she have been so out of it then? Again. Eyes wide shut. She says that "if they'd given me Lamaze classes.." Even with something as simple as this she laying the blame at someone else's feet. Whose responsibility is it to take Lamaze? Why should someone else "give" them to her? Michelle's mother said "They should have given ehr drugs. There's no point in suffering through the labor of a baby you're not going to keep." Wow. Wow. Just wow. I guess I see where Michelle gets it. That's a hell of a nice thing to say. Michelle learned her ways of caring for herself and only herself (and by extension Kevin) right from the source it seems. If anyone needs any more "proof" that she didn't give the baby up for the baby you'll have it on page 107. When, the very first time Kevin pisses her off she slams it in his face that she had given her baby up for adoption. You know, the baby she didn't even give Kevin the chance to make a decision about. The baby that she'd hidden every trace of until that very second. Yeah, that baby. When the news showed what happened and showed Steinberg Launders didn't "connect" him to the man she knew. Why? Because he looked slightly different and they referred to him with his middle name. Yup. That would throw even the most astute off for sure. Throw the blame Michelle, throw it far! On page 134 she talks about all the things she never "had the chance" to do. Yet, she did have the chance. She gave that chance anyway. We can ponder and debate the reasons all day and, for the sake of the arguement let's say she had only the baby's well-being in mind, she still gave that chance away. Nothing changes that. Both mother and daughter, Michelle and her mother, seem to be very self-involved. Everything is always about them. Page 148 for a good example. Pages 183-184 - more proof of how Kevin was the most important person to Michelle. More important than her own child. Michelle strikes me as the type to always want drama around her (those are the ones who always *seem* to go out of their way to avoid the drama) and she seems to always want to play the hurt role, the sad role, the helpless role. And I think a great many people fell for it. I know too many women like Michelle to fall for it. I know some of these women very well, one is even in my immediate family. I'm well aware of what that type of woman looks like, acts like, thinks like, etc. And Michelle is that woman. And Lisa had the horrible luck to be born to her. Blah, blah, blah, she'll stand by any woman wanting an aborition. Hey Michelle, how about standing by women who want their babies to live? Try that for a change. I hope she reads this because I want her to know that at least one person in this world sees clear through her. I don't believe a word she says. She's a liar, she's either borderline mentally retarded or the stupidest person I've ever had the displeasure to read about, she cares about no one but herself. My sympathy is all taken up - it's for Lisa. No one else.
Da ich selten True Crime Sachen lese oder gucke weiß ich tatsächlich nicht so genau wie ich diese Rezension anfangen soll. Zum einen bin ich total mitgerissen bei der Geschichte und fühle mich entsetzt beim Gedanken, dass ein Kind ermordet wurde und niemand diesem Kind half, zum anderen hatte ich beim lesen dauernd das Gefühl, dass Michele im Unrecht lag.
Natürlich war Michele noch sehr jung und auch katholisch, sodass es für ihre Rleigion eine ,,Schande" ist ein Kind zu kriegen vor der Ehe. Dies führte dazu, dass sie ihre Schwangerschaft verheimlichte und das ganze Dilemma anfing. Ich persönlich hätte bei vielen Entscheidungen die Michele traf es komplett anders gemacht. Beim lesen fand ich mich immer wieder auf der Seite von Micheles Mutter wieder. Ich kann nachvollziehen, dass nicht jeder Mensch so Handeln würde wie ich und nicht jeder genügend Lebenserfahrung hat wie Micheles Mutter, was mich aber stört ist, dass Michele mehr als genügend Momente erlebt hat wo man eigentlich ein komisches Gefühl im Bauch haben sollte aber nichts passierte. Ihre Mutter hingegen reagierte auf ihr Bauchgefühl und versuchte ihre Tochter zu beschützen, aber diese meinte sie wüsste besser. Obwohl man denken würde Michele hätte daraus gelernt und hört nun auf ihre Mutter wenn sie etwas sagt, entscheidet sie sich erneut etwas zu tun was erneut für sie zum Nachteil sein kann: Mit den Polizisten zu reden ohne einen Anwalt.
Ebenfalls störte mich dir Art und Weise wie Michele über ihre Tochter Lisa redete: Sie formulierte ihre Wörter so als ob sie keine Wahl gehabt hätte mit der Adoption und als ob sie nie die Möglichkeit gehabt hätte ihre Tochter in ihren Armen zu halten. Michele hat sich freiwillig dazu entschieden Lisa zur Adoption freizugeben, natürlich hat sie nicht gewusst was letzendlich Lisa widerfahren wird, aber ihre Entscheidung war freiwillig.
Michele scheint für mich wie jemand die zu jung war um zu realisieren, dass die Ärzte nicht einfach nur ,,nett" zu ihr waren aber böse Absichten hatten. Natürlich war ich nicht live dabei und kann nicht genau sagen wie ich reagiert hätte, insbesondere da ich nie in so einer Situation selber war, aber ich sehe keine wirkliche Entwicklung in Micheles Verhalten, da sie zwar Willensstärke für ihre Tochter zeigte, dennoch nicht auf ihre Mutter hörte und den selben Fehler erneut begang. Micheles Willensstärke kam leider zu spät.
Lisa, das Kind von Michele, was zur Adoption freigegeben wurde aus mehreren Gründen, verspüre ich zutiefste Trauer. Persönlich habe ich selber kein Kind aber ich kann mir im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes nicht vorstellen oder verstehen, wie man einen Kind soetwas grauenhaftes antuen kann. Kinder sind mit die hilfslosten Wesen auf Erden, die beschützt werden müssen bis sie sich selber beschützen können. Leider beschützte niemand Lisa und jeder der versuchte ihr zu helfen konnte nichts unternehmen ohne handfeste Beweise.
Eine sehr traurige Geschichte, wo ich bis zum Ende hin hoffte, dass Hedda Nussbaum, aber insbesondere Joel Steinberg, der Hauptverantwortliche, lebenslänglich kriegt für seine Taten. Als ich las wie Joel Steinberg beim Gerichtsverfahren einmal sogar lächelte, war ich mir voll und ganz sicher dass er sich definitiv sich nicht ändern wird und er seine Tat unter vollen Bewusstsein tat und keine Schuldgefühle hat.
Was ich aber am traurigsten finde ist wie es sich zur heutigen Zeit kaum geändert hat und bis heute noch Kindermorde passieren.
I had no idea when I got this book that it was about the birth mother of Joel Steinbergs murder victim little Lisa Launders. I had been wanting to read the book "Intimate Terrorism" about Hedda Nussbaum and never realized that this book and one other book that I own were about the same people. In this heartbreaking memoir we read about how Michele Launders found herself pregnant at nineteen-years-old. She was ashamed of being pregnant outside of marriage due to her religous upbringing. Not only was she ashamed but she was desperate that her child would have the best childhood possible. She wanted that so much that she gave her daughter up for adoption so that the little baby would have everything Michele was not able at the time to provide. Thinking that the baby was having a wonderful life Michele carried on as best as she could. She never let her daughter escape her thoughts and dreamed of the day a beautiful young woman would knock on her door wanting to get to know her. Michele's only fear was that her daughter wouldn't understand her reasons for choosing adoption. She had no idea the nightmare her child was actually living in and how it would eventually take the little girls life. Michele Launders has been through hell and I hope that she has finally found peace. This memoir had me in tears several times so I suggest you have tissues handy just in case, when you read this.
This was incredibly touching - I had read a fictionalized account of this case before and so I appreciated getting Lisa's birth mother's point of view.
Considering the book came out in 1990 and Ms Launders' wounds were still very fresh, it was understandable that there was a lot of pain to feel between the lines. I liked that by the very end, there was some hope of her finding inner peace and slowly letting go of the feeling of guilt. I would be interested in knowing how she is doing today and I wish her all the best.
Such a sad story of doing everything right & still getting the worst possible outcome. A testament of the depravity of some humans & the lengths they will go to in order to take advantage of & hurt others. I am outraged, along with Michelle & others, at the lack of accountability in this case and the low value that is placed on the life of a child. Shout out to Ms. Launders, the ultimate Mama Bear.
Ein sehr trauriges Buch über eine misslungene Adoption. Hier wird eine junge Frau sehr ausgenutzt mit ihrer Unwissenheit und Opfer wird ihre Tochter. Dieses Buch hat mich immer im Schlaf verfolgt.
This was my first foray into true crime. Michele got pregnant young and when her boyfriend abandoned her she choose to give her baby up for adoption thinking that she would grow up in a wonderful environment that Michele could not give her. Tragically that is not what happened. Her little girl was "adopted" by the man meant to find her parents. She was then beaten and abused. Michele's story is one that will stick with me forever.
This is very sad...the true story of Michelle Launders (the author of this book) who have up her daughter for adoption...thinking that she was going to be adopted by a nice family. Instead, her adoptive father, Joel Steinberg, killed her. This was a very high profile case in the eighties. Because of how young I was at the time, I had never heard about it until I read this book.
How can i write something about the story of Michele & Lisa. This is not the story of michele, its the story of every 5th girl of this modren world. Cant explain how emotional i was when i first read this book. And please its my request to all please call her Lisa Launders.
really liked it is misleading. I despised the story but totally identified with it...could have been exactly me...luckily my own daughter fared much better than Lisa...I assume
Dieses Buch hat mich sehr erschüttert. Bis ich dieses Buch gelesen habe, dachte ich, dass mein sein Kind zur Adoption freigeben sollte anstatt anzutreiben. Jetzt müsste ich meine Meinung neu bilden.