Nobody Heard Me Cry

by John Devane

John was only a baby when his father died. His mother struggled desperately to bring up five kids alone but her own despair led her to alcoholism and blind rages. John's childhood was a nightmare of neglect and beatings, but when he was nine, things became infinitely worse. Preyed on by his mother's lodgers, John was sold into prostitution on the streets around the docks in his hometown of Limerick. By the time he was 16, the legacy of pain from his childhood had left him suicidally depressed, but a stint in the army and a determintion to escape his past gave John the courage to make a better life for himself. He trained as a lawyer and channelled his deep need to pursue justice for himself into his work for others. He built a reputation for defending the criminals of Limerick when nobody else would. One day, the unthinkable happened and he had to make a choice about whether to defend one of his childhood abusers. This is the extraordinary story of a life nearly destroyed by horrors and the hard choices one man made in his fight to recover himself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Abuse

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2008

About the author

John Devane gained his degree in painting at Liverpool College of Art and studied for an extra year on John Moore's Scholarship. The Imperial War Museum commissioned him to make artistic records of military life in Cyprus during 1978, and since completing his MA at the Royal College of Art in 1980, he has been tutoring at various colleges in England.

Reviews

[Billy Buttons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book depicts all the sick fucks living among us pretending to be normal while raping young boys.

[Jeroen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super mooi en ontroerend boek:)

[Fiona Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desperately sad read. I cried more than once.
I know the area he talks about very well which made it seem all the more ‘real’, this book does not leave any stone unturned and I could not put it down. It is utterly fascinating and disgraceful that a young boy who cried out more than once for help was ignored due to the ‘cultural’ belief that certain ‘respected’ professions and people would never carry out such acts of degradation and abuse.
It definitely isn’t for the faint hearted but it also shows an unbelievable amount of strength, resilience and determination to become the successful professional, husband and father that he has become.

[Paw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing survivor who made an excellent career and success in life despite all the childhood abuse he encountered in his life. He is both an inspiration and a blessing, I truly feel for this man the awful life he had endured from the young age of 8.
It was hard to read in some places, but this was down to the pure, disgusting cruel adults who had no morals and abused him.

5 outstanding 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for his bravery to tell his story and I wish him and all his family the best.

[Louise Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a terrible life he had. But how strong he is to overcome his life of betrayal- disgusting grooming people- hardship - and he had no love shown to him. However what an outcome eventually that he truly deserved

[Tina Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Little disturbing as to what happens to him.

[Jaysen Villar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real life tragedies written into a beautiful story to inspire others

[cAtHy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very sad account 🥹
They walk among us Is a very true saying

[Ellie (On a break, mostly rereading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of abusive childhood and an amazing story of survival. It made me angry and it made me sad - I cried more than once reading this.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was about a boy who was molested and sold on the street, and there is a lot of very, very sexually explicit material about this child being raped and abused. The book was very hard to read because of that. So many people who the boy encountesr were despicable, the pedophile monsters, the pimps, and also his mother – I know he has forgiven her, and I'm sure that gives him peace, but I she doesn't deserve it.., he tells her about the abuse at age 8 in the very beginning and she smacks him and tells him to stop talking about it, not believing him I guess., and I know he passes that offer the culture at the time, but it's no excuse. And later, what on earth did she think was happening when a 12-year-old boy was out all night with 2 strange men she inexplicably took into her home and who suddenly had all this money? Who left a 12-year-old boy stay out all night with strange men? What the hell was wrong with this woman? It's'almost impossible to contemplate – I know she had many children and worked long hours, but that's no excuse.: One of the worst things about the story is that there is no justice – the offenders never end up in prison, (many are never even accused or found out) and the mother is never punished, it's hard to know who was worst in this book – the pimps, the first molester,, the pornographer, his mother, or the man who ignored the abuse when he tried desperately to get them to help him,, the police – everyone is so horrible. Everyone either exploited or failed this poor kid.

The fact that the author pulls his life together in the end is very inspiring and absolutely incredible. The fact that he grew into a decent person who lived a productive life and even achieve happiness is amazing and inspiring. I really hated the mother in this, that she loves so much to happen to him – that she could just be so stupid and dumb and unaware of what was going on. I know he forgave her, which I think was an essential step to the ceiling, but I'm not sure she deserved his forgiveness. She clearly neglected him and allowed so many horrible things happen – where does she think he was and what she was doing when he was out all night at the age of 12 in the company of 2 men she knew nothing about? Was she really ignorant of everything that was happening? Where does she think his money was coming? I wonder could she not realize he was being sold.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are arseholes in this world and trust is a luxury.

[Dee Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave up half way as too much for me....

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely enthralling rivetting read, would highly recommend it

[Hayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard at times to read due to the intensity in which scenarios are described. Which makes this an eye-opening novel that DEFINATELY should be on your to-read list. Highly recommend.

[Judith Sleator · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart achingly good, this book made me physically cry ...(in the back of class) first biography I've read and I was not disappointed by any means. Amazing.

[Meaghen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think im giving up on this one

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me angry. Angry with women who give birth and never deserve to.