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Mummy Knew
Four-year-old Lisa's world turned upside down when her step-father moved in. Most of the time he was just violent but then he started making her do things to him she knew were wrong. Soon he was visiting her at night. Lisa begged her mother for help but she just shrugged, telling Lisa he would have his way. It was the greatest betrayal of all.
At first Lisa's step-father would just make her stroke and massage his feet, hitting her if she stopped, but he soon wanted more. Much more. By the time she was 12 he was regularly abusing her. One day, when Lisa turned 16, she came home to discover that her mother had swapped bedrooms with her. 'You're my girlfriend now', her step-father told her. Lisa turned to her mother for help, but was met with a shrug. She wouldn't hear a word against her husband. 'Don't blame me,' she said. Her step-father's abuse was horrific but what completely tore her apart was knowing her mother knew and encouraged it.
Trapped and increasingly desperate, Lisa tried to find a way out. But her isolation was complete. A few months later her mother told her she'd arranged for Lisa and her step-father to move into a flat together down the road. It was too much for Lisa to bear. 'Please don't make me, please,' she sobbed. But her mother just ignored her. Lisa was marched around to the flat with her possessions and her nightmare was complete.
Alone with her step-father, Lisa's life became even more unbearable. Then one day, finally, she got the chance she'd been looking for to escape. Lisa bravely struck out on her own, petrified her mother would find her and hand her back into the waiting arms of her step-father. But Lisa's mother had no idea how determined she was to break away…
At first Lisa's step-father would just make her stroke and massage his feet, hitting her if she stopped, but he soon wanted more. Much more. By the time she was 12 he was regularly abusing her. One day, when Lisa turned 16, she came home to discover that her mother had swapped bedrooms with her. 'You're my girlfriend now', her step-father told her. Lisa turned to her mother for help, but was met with a shrug. She wouldn't hear a word against her husband. 'Don't blame me,' she said. Her step-father's abuse was horrific but what completely tore her apart was knowing her mother knew and encouraged it.
Trapped and increasingly desperate, Lisa tried to find a way out. But her isolation was complete. A few months later her mother told her she'd arranged for Lisa and her step-father to move into a flat together down the road. It was too much for Lisa to bear. 'Please don't make me, please,' she sobbed. But her mother just ignored her. Lisa was marched around to the flat with her possessions and her nightmare was complete.
Alone with her step-father, Lisa's life became even more unbearable. Then one day, finally, she got the chance she'd been looking for to escape. Lisa bravely struck out on her own, petrified her mother would find her and hand her back into the waiting arms of her step-father. But Lisa's mother had no idea how determined she was to break away…
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
February 7, 2017
I don't even know where to start...This review may contain spoilers.
First, I have to give this book 5 stars because I was in it from beginning to end and couldn't put it down. It's written wonderfully. I still can't believe I spent most of my day reading it and was able to endure it. I didn't enjoy the content, but literally couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to Lisa.
I'm so angry about what happened to her and how so many people failed her! Her step-dad the worst, and then her mother. Forget mother, this lady is no mother, shes just flat out mental and should've never had kids in the first place. Its almost like the world is against her. Gosh, I just can't even believe this actually happened.
An entire childhood and even young adulthood in ruins. It breaks my heart. I was literally yelling throughout the book. I hate that so much time went by and nothing...got...better...It only became worse. Even more time goes by and consistently the ball just keeps getting dropped.
I don't want to completely spoil it for others so that's all I'm going to say. If you read this, just be prepared for serious emotions.
First, I have to give this book 5 stars because I was in it from beginning to end and couldn't put it down. It's written wonderfully. I still can't believe I spent most of my day reading it and was able to endure it. I didn't enjoy the content, but literally couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to Lisa.
I'm so angry about what happened to her and how so many people failed her! Her step-dad the worst, and then her mother. Forget mother, this lady is no mother, shes just flat out mental and should've never had kids in the first place. Its almost like the world is against her. Gosh, I just can't even believe this actually happened.
An entire childhood and even young adulthood in ruins. It breaks my heart. I was literally yelling throughout the book. I hate that so much time went by and nothing...got...better...It only became worse. Even more time goes by and consistently the ball just keeps getting dropped.
I don't want to completely spoil it for others so that's all I'm going to say. If you read this, just be prepared for serious emotions.
June 10, 2013
This was one of the first books on incest and child sexual abuse that I read as I prepared myself to write my own true story, NO TEARS FOR MY FATHER, due out July 2013. I needed to see just how graphic writers get in their stories. Do they hold back? Do they tell all? How specific are the details?
I approached this book as a fellow writer, less than as a fellow victim, but I got so caught up in Lisa's story that my eyeballs were popping. I couldn't believe what this poor 4-year-old was subjected to at such a young age. My heart went out to her and all the others like her. My own abuse started when I was a pre-teen. As bad it was I couldn't fathom how deeply it must hurt a child like Lisa who truly couldn't understand what was going on.
And the lack of support from her mother was disgusting. Her mother, in my opinion, was the accessory to a crime. I couldn't get this story, the child, the stepfather, the mother, the sisters out of my head for weeks. Lisa did a brilliant job in capturing the reality no child should have to live with. I am ever grateful to her for writing this, not just for what she has done for other victims who might think they are the only ones enduring this, but for me personally. Seeing Lisa write her story holding nothing back, telling it like it was, has encouraged me no end to do the same. I'm eternally grateful and can only hope my book will help other victims as Lisa's book has done. Thank you Lisa. Highly Recommended reading.
I approached this book as a fellow writer, less than as a fellow victim, but I got so caught up in Lisa's story that my eyeballs were popping. I couldn't believe what this poor 4-year-old was subjected to at such a young age. My heart went out to her and all the others like her. My own abuse started when I was a pre-teen. As bad it was I couldn't fathom how deeply it must hurt a child like Lisa who truly couldn't understand what was going on.
And the lack of support from her mother was disgusting. Her mother, in my opinion, was the accessory to a crime. I couldn't get this story, the child, the stepfather, the mother, the sisters out of my head for weeks. Lisa did a brilliant job in capturing the reality no child should have to live with. I am ever grateful to her for writing this, not just for what she has done for other victims who might think they are the only ones enduring this, but for me personally. Seeing Lisa write her story holding nothing back, telling it like it was, has encouraged me no end to do the same. I'm eternally grateful and can only hope my book will help other victims as Lisa's book has done. Thank you Lisa. Highly Recommended reading.
May 2, 2020
This book was a really tough read. What Lisa went through was horrifying and I felt awful for everything she went through. Her mum and stepdad should rot in jail for all they did. Lisa is a strong woman and I’m glad her stepdad was found guilty even though the amount of jail time was disappointing. People like that should never be allowed to walk the streets.
November 1, 2017
the story of overcoming the odds and dealing with the betrayal of family
September 28, 2009
Mummy Knew: Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2009
Traipsing a jaded gaze over the year's literary offerings, one invariably keeps nose and ears to the ground for the faint pulse of anything that may turn out to be a little special. This year's big surprise is 'Mummy Knew'. Penned in her own words by debut writer Lisa James, this wonderful gem effortlessly sweeps aside the myriad tired 'bestseller' titles I've laboured through over the last 12 months.
And don't be fooled by the strapline. This is no misery memoir. An absorbing, well-crafted narrative tears at your heart but in the author’s voice one discerns a Blitz-esque valour which does not court pity. Instead she affirms the indomitable human spirit can traverse Hell and still come through unscathed, whole, unfettered by any stigma of being 'damaged'. That anyone could emerge from the violent emotional tourniquet which passed for her childhood and still know how to smile is astounding and humbling in equal measure.
James casts an inspirational, gladiatorial figure who when cruelly beaten to the ground simply keeps on getting up. There is fire in her heart, a desire for life and dignity. The direct power of her writing forges a connection with the reader who becomes emboldened to feel that no test is beyond endurance.
One is drawn breathlessly through 320 pages of spellbinding recollection and knife-edge drama tenser than your last good thriller. James grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Her style is accessible, candid, unaffected, charmingly engaging. She offers a sharp eye for detail, subtle incisive wit and an adroit sophistication one would not expect from someone denied any tangible education. Her ability to transport you intimately into the mind of her inner child is deeply moving. You will share tears of distress, random flourishes of lightness in the stormy night, the gathering hope for a better life.
If the high purpose of literature is to enhance our understanding of the human condition, then James is truly triumphant. I walk away shaken, drenched in empathy. The hammer-blow central message about the sanctity of childhood from this mother of six will not be easily forgotten. Hopefully it will change lives.
"Mummy Knew" is a brilliant book. A rare read which gripped me from first to last page. A new benchmark nonpareil for the genre. If there is one book you read this year, make it this one. I can only wait patiently for more offerings from this talented new rising star.
Traipsing a jaded gaze over the year's literary offerings, one invariably keeps nose and ears to the ground for the faint pulse of anything that may turn out to be a little special. This year's big surprise is 'Mummy Knew'. Penned in her own words by debut writer Lisa James, this wonderful gem effortlessly sweeps aside the myriad tired 'bestseller' titles I've laboured through over the last 12 months.
And don't be fooled by the strapline. This is no misery memoir. An absorbing, well-crafted narrative tears at your heart but in the author’s voice one discerns a Blitz-esque valour which does not court pity. Instead she affirms the indomitable human spirit can traverse Hell and still come through unscathed, whole, unfettered by any stigma of being 'damaged'. That anyone could emerge from the violent emotional tourniquet which passed for her childhood and still know how to smile is astounding and humbling in equal measure.
James casts an inspirational, gladiatorial figure who when cruelly beaten to the ground simply keeps on getting up. There is fire in her heart, a desire for life and dignity. The direct power of her writing forges a connection with the reader who becomes emboldened to feel that no test is beyond endurance.
One is drawn breathlessly through 320 pages of spellbinding recollection and knife-edge drama tenser than your last good thriller. James grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Her style is accessible, candid, unaffected, charmingly engaging. She offers a sharp eye for detail, subtle incisive wit and an adroit sophistication one would not expect from someone denied any tangible education. Her ability to transport you intimately into the mind of her inner child is deeply moving. You will share tears of distress, random flourishes of lightness in the stormy night, the gathering hope for a better life.
If the high purpose of literature is to enhance our understanding of the human condition, then James is truly triumphant. I walk away shaken, drenched in empathy. The hammer-blow central message about the sanctity of childhood from this mother of six will not be easily forgotten. Hopefully it will change lives.
"Mummy Knew" is a brilliant book. A rare read which gripped me from first to last page. A new benchmark nonpareil for the genre. If there is one book you read this year, make it this one. I can only wait patiently for more offerings from this talented new rising star.
October 12, 2011
This was an excruciating book to read. I finished it days ago, and keep thinking that this was fiction, not fact. That this abuse, at this magnitude, didn't kill Lisa, is amazing. That she didn't kill herself or her step-dad is also amazing. Mummy and dad were MONSTERS who in the case of the mother, ignored and approved of the abuse, blaming the daughter, and the step-dad who perpetrated such horrors on the child. Both of them deserve to never, ever see the light of day again.
I'm dumbfounded that not one teacher, not one friend (except for her friend, also a victim of abuse, that finally saw what the truth was), not one relative, stood up for her...most blamed her, even her own sisters.
Thank the heaven's that she finally found her way out, found love, and has a family of her own. She deserves that and more.
Don't read this unless you are ready for a relentless, horrific, reality check.
I'm dumbfounded that not one teacher, not one friend (except for her friend, also a victim of abuse, that finally saw what the truth was), not one relative, stood up for her...most blamed her, even her own sisters.
Thank the heaven's that she finally found her way out, found love, and has a family of her own. She deserves that and more.
Don't read this unless you are ready for a relentless, horrific, reality check.
September 18, 2011
what a really tense atmosphere for me to finish off this book. what an incredible courage to have this book written and published! I am really have no idea what I would have done if I was Lisa. I would rather died and vanished from this world than to ever meet or see both of this kind of parent. and I wonder too why would a Mother do this kind of thing to her own flesh given birth out from her womb and suddenly have this urge to abuse her. and to think of man like Frank. ugh. I hate to remember how he enjoy hurting Lisa. though in the end Frank punishment may not suitable with what he had done. but God has His own way to make every man in this world realize how sinful they are. but thank God Lisa had finally find her peace what she had long to. thank God i finished this story. through deep sigh and frowning and cursing.
July 15, 2010
Lisa James had a wonderful childhood living with two aunts, an uncle, and her grandma. Then one day when she was four-years-old her grandma didn't come to pick her up from nursery school. Lisa's life went from one of warm cuddles, and soothing bedtime stories to a real life horror story.
The things that Lisa went through are so horrible it would be easier to believe it were fiction rather than reality. Lisa's life reminded me of that part in the movie NATURAL BORN KILLERS when the main female character's family life is portrayed as some kind of sick and twisted sitcom.
Lisa said she felt as if she were living in some kind of nightmare, and I don't disagree with her one bit. It's a sad and frightening world when mothers and fathers are the real monsters.
The things that Lisa went through are so horrible it would be easier to believe it were fiction rather than reality. Lisa's life reminded me of that part in the movie NATURAL BORN KILLERS when the main female character's family life is portrayed as some kind of sick and twisted sitcom.
Lisa said she felt as if she were living in some kind of nightmare, and I don't disagree with her one bit. It's a sad and frightening world when mothers and fathers are the real monsters.
July 25, 2014
I gave this book a 5/5, not for the content, which was horrifying beyond measure, but for the author's bravery in sharing her story with the world. Although she was faced with her abusive father, as well as the rest of her family who chose to live in denial (and, therefore, becoming part of the abuse, themselves) rather than help, Lisa managed to escape her desperate situation and create the loving family she always wanted. I think this book was incredibly moving, but also shows us how messed up the child abuse laws are today. Lisa was abused since the age of 4, and had a lifetime of rapes, violent assaults, and no childhood to speak of. As a result, her abuser got a few years in prison. This man should never be allowed out of prison, and the laws need to reflect that.
November 2, 2013
Very repetitive and while what Lisa went through was terrible, the fact that she could have run away keeps me from completely feeling bad for her. Years 12-18 could have been avoided. It's insane how so many ppl did nothing to help her though. Unbelievable.
July 14, 2012
Lisa is an amazing person to be able to endur what she did and to go on and have a family and healthy life. She should be very proud of herself for pressing charges against her father who was a monster. Her brothers and sister should be ashamed of theirselves for wanting to protect their mother instead of Lisa especially when they knew it was going on. Her sisters should really be the ones who should be ashamed because they left when their father was trying to abuse them. And for her mother, there are no words to describe what should be done to her. She knew and insigated some of the abuse, how can a person live with theirself doing that to a poor innocent child. Lisa I'm sorry you had to endur such a life growning up, but God Bless you for being brave enough to get out, to your dear friends that had the courage to help you escape and began a new life, for your husband Niel for loving and supporting you unconditionally and for your six children for loving you because you are their mommy unconditionally. I know it is a hard rode to be on. You Rock....
Read
July 1, 2014I don't even know what to rate this book. I can't give it 5 stars and say it was amazing, because i's not the type of book you can call amazing. It was powerful and scary and horrible to imagine a poor defenseless child going through what Lisa went through. All while her mother had full knowledge of everything that Lisa's stepfather, her husband, was doing to her daughter. It was written beautifully, but the abuse happening in this story was so horrible and so hard to read, that I don't even know what to say. The entire time I was reading it, I kept crying for poor Lisa. Trapped with her perverted and abusive stepfather unable to do anything or get away from the horrible things he did to her. And then when she finally got away, and tried to tell her family what he did, they turned a blind eye. I'm just gonna leave this book unrated, because this book is too powerful to fit into the 5 star scale offered here.
February 10, 2017
It was easier when I still thought this was a work of fiction. Being disabused of that notion made this book almost unbearable to read. How, Lisa, did you make it out of that hell alive??
The only thing holding me back from giving it five stars is the vagueness of how Lisa James later came to have a happy marriage and healthy kids. That's a transition I felt deserved to be described, as it's so bloody remarkable.
A more detailed review is forthcoming, but it took me nearly a week to write this much, so clearly the material demands time and patience before it becomes less raw, enough to describe fully the experience of watching the hell on earth that was a young girl's life.
The only thing holding me back from giving it five stars is the vagueness of how Lisa James later came to have a happy marriage and healthy kids. That's a transition I felt deserved to be described, as it's so bloody remarkable.
A more detailed review is forthcoming, but it took me nearly a week to write this much, so clearly the material demands time and patience before it becomes less raw, enough to describe fully the experience of watching the hell on earth that was a young girl's life.
November 1, 2012
Interesting read. Amazing that a mother could show so little regard for her own. I would have liked to hear a little more about Lisa's marriage and her own family in later years. She had to overcome a lot.
October 20, 2013
This is quite disturbing, intense & emotional to read. I definitely found it hard to read at times because of the intensity. The book & writing were fine but I think this sort of topic isn't the best for me to read.
April 22, 2010
Great book and totally disguested by her step-father and mother. The mum should be thrown into the jail too!
June 21, 2011
Disturbing. I realize this was a true account but good grief. Hard to get through. I am surprised this woman did not kill herself.
March 15, 2012
Read this in one day...
August 9, 2012
This book was very vivid and very upsetting to think that anyone has to go through that sort of torture and abuse.
October 23, 2013
Horrible to be treated as she was in her childhood!A slave from the beginning and her mother should have been her jailer!
August 24, 2014
DNF at 50%
Repetitive and for the most part unbelievable. I felt it was written in such a way to exaggerate the shock value.
July 17, 2017
This was an amazing true account of child abuse and I'm so happy for the author that she wanted to do something other than whining about her ordeal. Lisa James had the courage not for herself, but to try and save another child from falling into the clutches of her stepfather. There were so many times I wanted to cry for this child and I really wanted to kick her mother's ass, she so deserves a beat down! But that's just the point, she (Mother) was trying to save herself by offering a daughter she didn't love, to take her place with the Monster. As a parent and a human being, I just couldn't understand what Lisa had done to receive the type of treatment her mother handed her other than just being born. Personally, I think because the mother didn't know who Lisa's father was or that Lisa's father didn't want to have anymore to do with her other than the one night stand. Then there's the rest of Lisa's family, all in denial? The sisters knowing that this guy is a creep/violent psychopath and they only wanted to save themselves then accused Lisa of being a liar. This story hurt me so much in my heart, I had to keep putting it down and only read bits at a time. Without giving much more away, I do wish Lisa would have told us what happened to her mother but I suspect "Nothing"! since the whole family was assisting and vouching for her. I'm glad I read this book (since I owe it) but it would be difficult to read again anytime soon.
July 27, 2022
It’s so hard to write this review. I knew going into this read that it’s Lisa James’ biography of a horrific childhood in which she was subjected to multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, physical, emotional and verbal assault. But nothing prepares you for reading such a raw retelling of events. This is why it is so important to read and feel the author’s experience, to understand that this happens in the world. My heart is with Lisa and I’m awed by her bravery and determination.
On a side note - some of the comments on here (negative) are absolutely shocking. I’ve read people blaming Lisa for not getting out sooner (I’m not sure how you expect a teenager that’s been subjected to sickening abuse for 15 years to just magically escape) and I have read people criticising the book from a literary POV. If you want to read creative metaphors and ponder someone’s use of alliteration then head to Oscar Wilde or the classics. But, if you want to read a true account and understand the mindset of someone in that position, this is an incredible book.
TW for anyone that has experienced any form of abuse or can be triggered, this book is extremely graphic. So make sure you practice self care.
On a side note - some of the comments on here (negative) are absolutely shocking. I’ve read people blaming Lisa for not getting out sooner (I’m not sure how you expect a teenager that’s been subjected to sickening abuse for 15 years to just magically escape) and I have read people criticising the book from a literary POV. If you want to read creative metaphors and ponder someone’s use of alliteration then head to Oscar Wilde or the classics. But, if you want to read a true account and understand the mindset of someone in that position, this is an incredible book.
TW for anyone that has experienced any form of abuse or can be triggered, this book is extremely graphic. So make sure you practice self care.
March 21, 2018
I didn’t enjoy the continent but I couldn’t put down the book either . I was so eager to know what will happen next what Lisa was going to do to stop her abusive disgusting nonhuman Father.
Tears of regret, sorrow and anger were my companions in this painful story . Most of the time I couldn’t understand Why... Why? Was the question I ask myself at the end of every chapter of the book until I reached the end of the story and I was still confused How can humans chose be so cruel,selfish , blind and deaf like that ?
To all the people out there who had been abused I couldn’t stop thinking about you all . I wish you got your justices and chose the right decisions . it’s never too late, keep fighting don’t give up even if there is no one by your side. speak up you will help many other people like you and remember it was never your fault.
Lisa thank you so much for writing this book and sharing a very personal and painful story of yours . I’m sure many people were motivated after reading this and stood on the face of their abusers and got there justices ... 🖤
Tears of regret, sorrow and anger were my companions in this painful story . Most of the time I couldn’t understand Why... Why? Was the question I ask myself at the end of every chapter of the book until I reached the end of the story and I was still confused How can humans chose be so cruel,selfish , blind and deaf like that ?
To all the people out there who had been abused I couldn’t stop thinking about you all . I wish you got your justices and chose the right decisions . it’s never too late, keep fighting don’t give up even if there is no one by your side. speak up you will help many other people like you and remember it was never your fault.
Lisa thank you so much for writing this book and sharing a very personal and painful story of yours . I’m sure many people were motivated after reading this and stood on the face of their abusers and got there justices ... 🖤
April 14, 2021
I would like to suggest people with trauma to abstain from reading this book as it might cause their own pain to resurface.
The story was horrifying to read. I did not know at first this was a biography. I feel sorry for Lisa and I am sad to realise that things like this happen still. I feel sympathetic towards the victims and hope best for them.
I do have a major complaint with the book if I treat it purely as a piece of literature. It was not well written and at times it felt things were exaggerated for shock value. Specifically the time period of age 5-10. The sentences used did not do justice to the story, felt bland and did not like the thought process a child would have. I am sympathetic towards Lisa because of the horrible events that happened, not because it was a well written story.
I might recommend it to people just for the sake of introducing them to horrors of the world but I wouldn't recommend it through a literature point of view. That's why the 2 stars.
The story was horrifying to read. I did not know at first this was a biography. I feel sorry for Lisa and I am sad to realise that things like this happen still. I feel sympathetic towards the victims and hope best for them.
I do have a major complaint with the book if I treat it purely as a piece of literature. It was not well written and at times it felt things were exaggerated for shock value. Specifically the time period of age 5-10. The sentences used did not do justice to the story, felt bland and did not like the thought process a child would have. I am sympathetic towards Lisa because of the horrible events that happened, not because it was a well written story.
I might recommend it to people just for the sake of introducing them to horrors of the world but I wouldn't recommend it through a literature point of view. That's why the 2 stars.
July 17, 2017
This was truly a heart breaking, yet eye opening story. It broke my heart to read this book, and although fortunately i have never been sexually abused some parts in this story seemed to hit a truly personal cord,i.e the mother picking the boyfriend over her children ( although it was never extreme in my case for me luckily).
Some parts of this story truly angered me, for no fault of the author at all,it was just how her family treated her after the abuse, and how blind they were to her pain and her injustice.
All in all, this is definitely a hard book to get through (any book related to sexual, mental or physical abuse is). But i feel it is a book that needed to be wrote and read so that awareness is spread on cases like this one. I truly hope the Lisa James is doing well and living a good and happy life.
Some parts of this story truly angered me, for no fault of the author at all,it was just how her family treated her after the abuse, and how blind they were to her pain and her injustice.
All in all, this is definitely a hard book to get through (any book related to sexual, mental or physical abuse is). But i feel it is a book that needed to be wrote and read so that awareness is spread on cases like this one. I truly hope the Lisa James is doing well and living a good and happy life.
February 10, 2018
This book... Right, I've read a lot of memoirs, I mean A LOT of memoirs but this book was something else, It was particularly horrific, Not only was Lisa's Stepdad a horrible, horrible man in himself, He was a serial predator, violent, sick, and its hard to believe that someone like him actually exists, But he does, He does some stuff that seem bad even for one of these sexual abuse memoirs, Ive never found a book this hard to comprehend before.
So i was appalled at a lot of things in this woman's life, That she was so horrifically abused, that her mum just let it happen, that he step dad was so braisen to do it with her mum in the room, that he got the dog to do.. that thing? that was just... bad. That her family turned against her, that everyone just accepted that she was sin a relationship with her stepdad. Just.. everything.
So i was appalled at a lot of things in this woman's life, That she was so horrifically abused, that her mum just let it happen, that he step dad was so braisen to do it with her mum in the room, that he got the dog to do.. that thing? that was just... bad. That her family turned against her, that everyone just accepted that she was sin a relationship with her stepdad. Just.. everything.
February 16, 2022
Where do I start ? First the primary emotion I felt throughout the book is ANGER. So much anger that I almost didn’t want to finish it but I kept going as I hoped justice will be served in the end.
Do we really live amongst monsters like Frank ? Unbelievable. Lisa’s mom is even to blame more than her fucked up man. What kind of mother allows such obscenities to be done to her own child?? Now I fully understand that not every woman deserves motherhood. I wished Lisa had the opportunity to flee and get help sooner than that, but no matter what I think, I can never imagine what such amount of abuse can do to someone. I’m glad she found a way out in the end and was able to create a good life for herself, with a loving husband. The girl deserves peace. I’m still very much angered and heartbroken by everything she went through.
Do we really live amongst monsters like Frank ? Unbelievable. Lisa’s mom is even to blame more than her fucked up man. What kind of mother allows such obscenities to be done to her own child?? Now I fully understand that not every woman deserves motherhood. I wished Lisa had the opportunity to flee and get help sooner than that, but no matter what I think, I can never imagine what such amount of abuse can do to someone. I’m glad she found a way out in the end and was able to create a good life for herself, with a loving husband. The girl deserves peace. I’m still very much angered and heartbroken by everything she went through.
August 7, 2017
It's hard to give this a good review because it's such horrific subject matter, but the strength of the author really needs to be applauded. It's crazy to see the progression of abuse from something troubling but potentially innocent to outright rape and no one doing anything to protect this poor girl. It's even more difficult to think about the opportunities she had to come forward, but didn't due to fear. I just can't believe her mother gave up her children for the affection of a younger man and I really can't believe her sisters not only left her to that fate, but then didn't support her when she finally did have the strength to come forward. All in all a terrible look at what can happen behind closed doors and the resilience of a girl who found her way out.
December 11, 2017
This is one book I read with too much pain weighing my weak heart down throughout. At times it gets extremely difficult to breathe, I hate that bastard of a man so much and oh how I wish he gets the leathal injection for what he's done. More so, I despise that aweful spiteful selfish woman to the moon and back. How could she do that to her own daughter? Worst of all, she's doing it just not to lose the company of a useless man. It's probably mildly explainable if she commited to being blindly cruel to her youngest (before Kat) daughter for a better life. Can one be so stupid? Most horribly, how can Lisa be left to endure the hell at home for so long without anyone (save Bridget and Karen) realizing?
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