Author: Elizabeth Walker
Review Copy Provided by: author
About the Book: The world turns upside down for a young girl when her father begins a fatal battle with the merciless affliction cancer. Before his illness finishes it’s devastating rampage through her adolescence, she is confronted by a new demon. She falls victim, by the hands of a trusted adult, to sexual abuse. The devastation of these events causes her to question God’s roll in her life, and whether He ever loved her at all. The Tablet of My Heart is a collection of Poetry from the journal of that young girl.
My Review: I read this book in 2 hours last night, even though it was a hard read. Not hard in the sense of the writing, but hard because of the topic. This book deals with sexual abuse, told from the victim's point of view. The victim in this case was a child. The book is written by the victim and gives you insight into her thoughts and feelings as she uses her journal entries to tell the story. Her journal is filled with poems that no child should have to write. I don't want to share too much for fear of giving the story away, but let's just say I was awestruck at how a mother would not believe her child and then have her lie about what happened because she was afraid of the repercussions. As someone who works with children, I was furious!
I loved the way the author mixed the poems in with her narration of the story. It was a real different way to read and I enjoyed the break in the narration. I will share one of the poems that really touched me. Remember, this poem came from a child.
Little Playmate
On my insides I was weeping,
When he stole myself away.
Before he came along,
Me and daddy used to play.
But daddy never played like this,
Daddy didn't make me cry.
Daddy didn't touch beneath my skirt
And tell my mommy lies.
Mommy is so busy, and she always looks so sad,
I just won't be alone with him
That shouldn't make him mad.
I just won't be alone with him
So I don't have to say,
How bad it makes my tummy hurt
The way he wants to play.
I recommend this book to parents and anyone who has been a victim of abuse. It really makes you stop and think about the perspective of a child.
This book review is for a Pump Up Your Book Promotions blog tour.
I apologize for not having pictures, but my work computer won't let me upload them for some reason. I will add them from home later.
4 comments:
That does sound like a difficult subject to read about. Books like that can really make you stop and think and count your blessings, though.
Sounds like a hard book to read and a hard book to review - think about what a difficult book it must have been to write! And to think people gave LHA flack for Wintergirls... sounds like a cakewalk compared to this...
As usual, great review tho :)
Shel,
I left you some feedback on Goodreads but I have to say that the poem you presented here just killed me!! This is such a hard topic but I thank you again for reviewing this book and bringing it out there for discussion!
Shelly, thanks so much for the review! While I hope with my whole heart that my story is able to reach parents, family and victims of abuse...I hope that the "prespective of a child" that you mentioned, is able to have some impact on mothers who are in situations like the one my mother was in....I hope to cause them to think, hard about what they are willing to sacrifice - before they sacrifice. Thank you again for reading and sharing my story, and thanks to the rest of you for your comments and conversation! Child abuse is everpresent, therefore - our efforts to dissolve it must be everpresent as well.
Elizabeth Walker
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