Has anyone ever read the book "A Child Called 'It'"?
If you haven't, I would highly suggest reading it.
Enter summary on back of book:
A Child Called "It" is the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played torturous, unpredictable games - games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."
Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing and no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive - dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.
Through each struggle, you'll find yourself enduring his pain, comforting his loneliness and fighting for his will to survive. This compelling story will awaken you to the truth about child abuse - and the ability we all have to make a difference.
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You would not believe some of the things his unstable mother did to him. I remember reading a passage where his mother didn't serve him anything to eat for one whole week. The only thing he had to eat within the time of that starvation period was a small piece of pie crust.
I also remeber a passage where his mother had gotten suspicous of him taking food and eating it which she didn't know about. She was right. For Dave had consumed a number of hotdogs from the school lunchroom, to ensure his survival. To prove her suspicions, she made Dave regurgitate himself, and after he had vomited all of the hot dogs, Dave's mother scooped up the hot dogs into a bowl and have Dave eat them as punishment.
(I found myself nearly wanting to throw up when I read it.)
Another hard to believe abusive thing I recall was his mother taking a knife and slashing him across the stomach. He still wears the scar of the deep cut that nearly killed him.
If he told anyone about his abuse, his mother knew a perfect sob story to get the police off her back and say he was lying. After which she would beat him again. He soon stopped seeking help, knowing the cops were on "her" side.
Only a few knew the truth. One was the nurse of the school he went to. It was impossible for him to hide the scars that his mother inflicted from the nurse. She even saw the emotional abuse he was suffering from within. The way she cared, it was almost like she was a second, much kinder mother to him.
The story goes by the view of the child that was abused. You see the world through his eyes as he sees it. The truth within a place that is a living nightmare to him.
The story starts with the day he was saved from his mother. After that, you go back to when he was 4. A time when he was actually cared for by his mother. After that, I warn you, the abuse starts. It starts small and unnoticable, but from there it grows and grows. There were times I wondered how he even survived.
It is one of the most inspirational stories I have ever read. It even deserves the little comment about it at the front of the book, "One Child's Courage to Survive".
This is indeed a story I would suggest reading.
