Product Description

Jenny grew up in a house where no-one was safe. Born one of five children in the East End, her childhood was spent in squalor and terror. Her father's violent beatings, humiliations, and sexual abuse were part of daily life; her mother - also his sexual victim and savagely beaten - was no source of help.

Deprived of love and all comforts, the children would turn to each other for support and to the only adult they could trust, Auntie.

This is the story of how Jenny, her sister Kim and brother Laurence, not only survived but ultimately transcended the unimaginable degradations heaped on them. With the power of love, cunning, the blackest of black humour and an indestructible self-belief, Jenny eventually broke free of her past.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28959 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
'This woman is an inspiration and I am honoured to call her my mum' (Martine McCutcheon )

'I'm really proud of Jenny. She has put into words our terrible start in life and made me look openly at who I was and how far I have come. We managed to break free and build a life for oursleves. Now it's time to stop covering the subject in shame.' (Kim Challoner, Jenny's sister )

About the Author
Jenny Tomlin educated herself to A level standard and started writing a few years ago. She is now happily married and living in France. Her most fulfilling roles have been as loving wife to Alan and mother to her children - celebrated actress Martine McCutcheon and her son LJ - giving them the stability and love she never received herself.

Customer Reviews

Dont touch if you are busy!!!!!!!!!!!
This true story of abuse is harrowing yet compelling, I started it as a break late morning with a cuppa.......fatal!!!!!! I was so moved with the plight of Jenny, Kim and Laurence that I could not put it down until I had finished the book. You will need tissues as it is a very well written and moving account of their growing up with a neglectful mother and an abusive father and how the system just did not regard young children to listen to them, a bit of the children should be seen and not heard regime

briliant
when i first started reading this book i found it hard to get into, however, i am glad that i did as it was truely shocking amazing. When she talks about her dad and the torture he not only put her through but also the whole family all you can feel is compassion. The book was a true eye opener. and i had no idea that her daughter was Martine Mucutchen until i got to the only point in the book that she mentions her. I could not put this book down and i finished it within a day. I would of liked to have read more about her life and i was itching to know the reason behind her brothers death. This book not only conveys the message of child abuse, all abuse, peaeodaphilia and poverty but also that not all celebrity parents have a charming upbringing with plenty of money to see themselves and every other person in the family through stage school and that is something completly reasuuring

Behind Closed Doors
This is a journey with a friend, well that's how I felt when I read it. It is written in a painfully frank way. I could not put the book down for one second! Jenny tells us about her torment and frustration at having to be so self sufficient at a very young age. Sexually terrorised by her Father, shunned by her Mother, it is a harrowing look into the world of her physically and mentally tortured innocent young life, from a toddler to a young lady she had the strength and where-withall that enabled her to keep her sanity. Her self preservation is admirable, so is her deeply caring nature. She gave me an insightful peep into her world, parts of which will stay with me always. A fantastic read, very deep and painful to read, but enthralling all the same. This will go into my 'Best books of all time' list.