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. When she finally built up the courage to tell her mother what had happened, her mother told her never to speak of the matter again. When the assaults grew worse 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.' At fourteen Toni fell pregnant by her father and for the first time shared her terrible secret. But just as her father predicted, everyone blamed her. Although he was eventually sent to prison, Toni continued to suffer, almost dying from a botched late abortion. She found herself judged and rejected by her family, teachers and friends, forced into a world of depression and madness with only herself to rely on if she ever hoped to build a happy life.
鈥淒on鈥檛 tell Mummy鈥�, my memoir of my own childhood abuse, became a UK best seller in 2007. Writing about my experiences was hard emotionally, but in retrospect it has helped me deal with my past and realize that there is no shame in being the victim. It is never the child鈥檚 fault, whatever the abuser makes them believe at the time. How can it be? I then wrote a sequel, 鈥淲hen Daddy Comes Home鈥�, which deals with the mental trauma of having a father jailed for incest, return to a home where my mother welcomed him back as if nothing had happened and turned her back on me.
My success with my two autobiographies encouraged others who had kept their childhood secrets hidden to approach me and five books depicting their stories followed: Helpless, Nobody Came, Don鈥檛 You Love Your Daddy? Can鈥檛 Anyone Help Me? All very different, but with one thing in common; the victims all thought they were somehow to blame.
I hope that my books have helped expose and lift the social taboos of acknowledging physical and emotional abuse together mental illness. Whereas children are victims, adults need to be survivors. I not only used my own name in my books, but placed my photograph there as well, making my point that no shame should be attached to having been a victim.
To date I have published over 1.5 million books worldwide. In October last year France published Madeline鈥檚 story, 鈥淭hey Stole my Innocence,鈥� which will be available in the UK in August. Before I wrote it, I had started writing my first novel; a mixture of fact and fiction which happily I have now finished, titled 鈥淧retty Maids all in a Row鈥� Set against the capricious, unequal and often cruel landscape of London鈥檚 Victorian era, it is the story of Agnes a fisherman鈥檚 daughter and Emily a heiress. One travels to London in search for her sister, the other is kidnapped, simply because she is was so beautiful. Both girls are taken to Mary Jefferies, the notorious brothel keeper whose clients were some of the most powerful men in England. Her sponsor was King Leopold, the cousin of Queen Victoria. Against this background the passionate men and women known as the Reformers were striving to get the age of consent. This is a major departure in the style of my writing and I think my previous fan-base and totally new readers of my work will find it enthralling.
This book for me was a real eye opener not only does it make you appreciate growing up with a normal background and having loving parents and a wonderful childhood but it shows you that there are sick and twisted people in the world who will manipulate young people to feel superior. the shocking truth of this book is somewhat scaring but the way it is written you can hear the shouts feel the pain and understand the emotions going through the young Antoinette鈥檚 head and that of the older Toni. I am only thirteen so when I read this a lot of it i can relate to by that I mean being afraid of change, mistaking people for who they are not but wanting so badly for them to be who you imagine in your head. Not wanting to face the truth as it hurts too much.
This book is a great contribution to how modern day life can be so evilly twisted and screwed up with harsh intent. on a finishing note of what I learnt from this book and what I will always remember I will say this Not every book is a fairytale and not every story has a happy ending.
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 鈥榦ur secret.鈥�
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
This is one of the saddest autobiographies I have read as of yet. Toni wrote a very sad story about her childhood, where she was abused by her own father from an early age. Her own mother knew about it, and did nothing. When they stopped caring about her, stopped feeding and clothing her, her dad would trick her for rides and then expect stuff in return. Gosh each page broke my heart further and further. The saddest thing is, that this happens everyday, and the fact that Toni's mom knew about it, kept a blind eye because she was so in love with her husband that as long as he was happy, it didn't matter her own flesh and blood was being sacrificed. I had moments where I wanted to punch both her parents, no eff that drive over them, reverse and do it again and again. It is amazing what Toni has over come and lived through to be able to tell her story! It is heart breaking that such a beautiful piece of art had to come from such sacrifice.
menich arfa chenkoul !! ki bdit lekteb deja fibeli ala chnowa yahki khater mel title , el cover wel reviews wadha lahkeya . But with every page things get worse. I am physically and mentally tired because of this. Elmochekla mech fel bou barka ! el bou wel omm wel tobba wel profet wel ashab w la3bed elkoll . I am still shocked.