Product Description

This heart-wrenching memoir from Toni Maguire tells the deeply moving story of an idyllic childhood that masked a terrible truth. Underneath her mother's gentility and her father's roguish charm lay horrifying secrets, which eventually led to their only child's near destruction. The first time her father made an improper advance on Toni, she was six years old. Her father warned her not to tell her mother, or anyone else, because they would blame her and wouldn't love her any more. It had to remain 'our secret.' When she finally built up the courage to tell her mother what had happened, she was told never to speak of the matter again. With no one to turn to, isolated and alone in rural Ireland, the abuse continued unhindered. At fourteen Toni fell pregnant by her father, and when her state was discovered she was made to have a late abortion which almost killed her. The truth of her childhood could no longer be kept hidden but, just as her father predicted, Toni found herself judged and rejected by her family, teachers and friends. The blame and anger she was treated with only worsened when her father was sent to prison as a result of his actions. This is the compelling story of her struggle to put the ghost of her childhood to rest, and emerge ultimately triumphant.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8592 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 344 pages

Review
'Hard to put down !. I truly felt I was living her life alongside her, being taken back in time. I could almost smell the honeysuckle and soda bread but also feel the dread and fear.' Jane Elliott, author of the No.1 bestseller 'The Little Prisoner' 'This memoir is testament to [Toni Maguire's] amazing courage'. Closer magazine. 'Amazing'. The Mirror.

Closer magazine.

'This memoir is testament to [Toni Maguire's] amazing courage'. Closer
magazine.

Jane Elliott, author of the No.1 bestseller `The Little Prisoner'
`Hard to put down .... I truly felt I was living her life alongside her,
being taken back in time. I could almost smell the honeysuckle and soda
bread but also feel the dread and fear.'

Customer Reviews

Absolutely heartbreaking and unputdownable
I read this book yesterday - I finished it one day and I don't think I have ever felt such a wide range of emotions whilst reading a book.

This book truly takes you on a journey - I had moments of feeling sick, not being able to breathe, complete outrage and anger, such terrible sadness and heart break to think of a little girl being put through this - yes, this is an extremely harrowing read but I would also highly recommend this - it demonstrates how child abuse used to be dealt with and how we MUST stop the prejudices and shame that surround this kind of abuse.

Toni was ostricised by her family for finally telling the truth and even the POLICE asked her if she got any pleasure from what her father was doing to her - I wanted to find this police officer and shout and scream at them! Their view was that she never said anything for so long so she must have enjoyed it! I am so glad that victims of abuse are no longer treated this way and that people in authority are now far better educated to deal with this problem. I wanted to meet Toni to hug her and tell her she was one of the the bravest and most courageous people I had ever read about.

I suppose this is the same kind of read as 'A Child Called It' - you just cannot believe that parents can act in such a way towards their own flesh and blood.

Whilst this book is very distressing and makes you feel sick to the stomach at points, I would also highly recommend it - it highlights the abuse that young children should never have to suffer at the hands of strangers, let alone their own parents. It is really unputdownable and such an emotional read that really did open my eyes to the way abused children were treated in the 50's and where the stigma comes from.

Highly recommended - am looking forward to reading her next book.

heartbreaking
Truly heartbreaking tale of child abuse. Toni Maguire must be such a strong person to have been able to write this book which must have brought back horrendous memories.

This book deals with Toni's relationship with her father who was the abuser and her mother who was most certainly aware of the abuse between her husband and daughter. Unbelievably the mother stands by Toni's father even after he is sentenced to prison for abusing Toni.

This is a very hard to read autobiography yet beautifully written with an equally beautifuly photograph of Toni on the inside back cover. I am sure this book will give strength to other abuse victims and I admire Toni's courage in being able to face her demons to complete her book.

Compelling page turner - read in one day.

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A Survivor of Child Abuse
As a survivor of child abuse, I felt very emotional when I read this book. This was a very good book. People don't realize that child abuse and molestation is something that is still happening. This is a book that every mother should read. Another really good book is This Can't Be Love!by Patricia Goins. That book had me glued to my seat, I couldn't put it down. Child abuse is a serious situation that should no longer be ignored, it could be happening to a child that you know.