Don't Touch My Heart: Healing the Pain of an Unattached Child

by Lynda Gianforte Mansfield, Christopher H. Waldmann

Book by Lynda Gianforte Mansfield, Christopher H. Waldmann

121 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1994

Reviews

[Laurel Kehl]

Easy read (story form) to better understand unattached children.

[Jill Johnston]

I was hoping this book would offer some insight and help as a teacher with children with attachment disorders, but it basically told the life of a boy with a rough start to his life in story form. At the end of the book, the child received holding therapy, which worked, and he lived a pretty good life after that. It was a good story, but did not help me at all.

[Megan Mohler]

10/10 recommend for any parent that has a child that dealt with any sort of abuse or trauma in the first year of their life. So many unasked questions answered. Short, easy read. Finished the entire book in 1.5 hours.

[Jeanne]

Easy read that sheds light on how children form attachment disorders and how the ensuing behavior morphs into a protective shell.

[Shay]

I really enjoyed reading the book. It made me think about how children behave and what their motivations might be. It helped me have compassion for the child and the adults in the family. The part that struck me most was how the child was able to manipulate everyone into thinking that the the mother was the problem! Everyone from her partner to her best friend and her own parents told her that SHE was the problem. It's an easy read (probably an hour to read the whole book) that helps families think about why children might choose the behaviors that they are choosing.

If you're adopting a child this is a great book to help keep things in perspective. If you were taken away from your family due to neglect this books might help you recognize and think through some of your behaviors.

[Cassie Shepherd]

It is hard to decide how realistic the ideas discussed in this book are when it is fictional. I think the author did a great job showing the signs and symptoms of unattached children. However, the way it is written would lead the reader to believe the six year old is completely conscious of all of his actions and recognizes his control. That has been hard for me to accept and ultimately pushed me to feel like it isn't a really creditable read.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S.]

I skimmed through this because I was writing a theories paper on childhood trauma and attachment. The title caught my attention but the concept of the book is poor and the delivery is even poorer. It is sort of like an in-depth case study only the child is not a real child and the events are not real, so the author's message doesn't have any support or value in my opinion.

[Mama]

Very simplistic description of attachment disorder, but provides a concise overview for the uninitiated.