Kirjahaku

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.

She finally thought she was safe… Toni Maguire, author of Number One Bestseller ‘Don't Tell Mummy’, takes up the story of her tragic childhood where she left off, revealing the awful truth about what happened when her father, sent to jail for abusing her, was released, and came home… Toni Maguire's father abused her from the age of six, and was only found out when she fell pregnant, losing the child from a botched abortion. Jailed for his crimes with the help of her testimony, Antoinette believed she was finally safe, but it was not to last… Being despatched to collect her father from the station by herself marked a new low for young Antoinette. Realising that she was no longer safe at home, she was forced to leave. Her mother did nothing to protect her or prevent her going. Traumatised and alone, Antoinette was unable to cope, and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, sinking deeper into despair every day. Finally transferred to the dead-end ward with no hope of recovery, Antoinette slowly began to improve, by the sheer force of her indomitable will.

Unlike people with carefree previous lives, I packed away my past. There are some memories labelled 'Look at', and others 'Leave well alone'...Emily Smith was held in a prison of fear for ten years. When she was four, her father left and a new man was brought into her life. He loved her, he kept telling her so, but the emotional and physical abuse she suffered at his hands were a daily nightmare. Until one day, after he crept into her bedroom, her life became unbearable. Emily found she was different in another way as her autism became more noticeable and punishments for her 'abnormal' behaviour more severe. Astonishingly, she managed to escape her home of hell, where she was abused right in front of her mother. Emily determinedly gained a university place and emerged triumphant with a new life and family in Ireland, desperate to treat her daughter, so similar to her, to a different life.Heartbreakingly true, Silent Child is a testament to Emily's strength as she sheds light on rampant abuse still happening today. Powerful and shocking, sharing her story means she finally has a voice to say: enough.

From No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of shame, silence, abuse and survival.'I have a very clear picture of the day Clive entered our lives. I can see him now as he walked into our living room, a tall man with a loud commanding voice, a wide smile and an armful of presents. It is a memory that still lives deep inside my head.' Ryan and Phil had always been inseparable. Twins born 35 minutes apart, Ryan was the protective one, constantly looking out for his younger brother. They can't remember how old they were when the abuse started, but they can remember their uncle very clearly.A frequent visitor to their home in Lincoln, he lavished their family with expensive treats. School holidays and weekends were spent visiting him, when he would often take the two little boys aside to play the games he liked. Trapped with him, day after day, year after year, the abuse continued until Ryan and Phil turned 16. After a showdown with Ryan when he was finally big enough, their uncle never approached them again.Nearly 20 years after the abuse ended, Ryan and his wife decided to foster troubled children, making their home a safe place filled with love for those in desperate need of it. Ryan and Phil suffered for years at the hands of their uncle, but throughout it all their bond held them together.

From No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of abuse and survival.'Small children have no say in the direction their lives take. Even before they have learnt to walk and talk, they are trained to obey'Daisy was only four when her parents told her and her older brother that they were moving halfway across the world to Australia for a better life. Leaving everything behind, including her beloved grandparents, she stepped into an unfamiliar world. Daisy's close and unbreakable bond with her disabled brother helped her navigate her new life, until tragedy repeatedly struck the family.After her parents' split and she was introduced to her new stepfather, nothing could have prepared her for what followed. All alone in 300 acres of wilderness, Daisy's only wish was to return home to her grandparents and their love. This is her true story of fear, abuse and, finally, escape.

From No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of abuse and survivalGerri was only a young girl when she was first abused by her father. After her mother found out, and believing there was nothing she could do to help her child, nor deal with the stigma attached to it in their small Northern Irish town in the 1960s, she committed suicide.Gerri and her siblings were split up and placed in different foster homes, all knowing they were unlikely to see each other ever again. Told that her mother had committed a grave sin, Gerri was completely alone and abandoned as she confronted even more horrors from her past.After years of shame and isolation, she finally met a man who would help her heal the wounds she had been left with. With his love and support, Gerri decided it was time for her story to be told.Why, Father? is her true and moving story of survival.

From the million-copy bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of neglect, abuse and survival. Amy had a happy childhood until the sudden death of her mother when she was ten years old. Eventually abandoned by her father, she found herself falling prey to the evil that lurked in her school and on the streets. Addicted to heroin by the age of twelve, Amy attempted to get clean in the hopes of reconciling with her father and his new wife. But unable to rid herself of her addiction, she fell into a world of hard drug use, homelessness, imprisonment and abusive relationships. At Amy's lowest ebb, she found the strength to turn her life around. Abandoned Child is her incredible story of survival, and how finding self-worth and love from the right person changed her future.

'This compassionate biography will tug at your heartstrings' Joanne Owen, LoveReadingFrom bestselling author, Toni Maguire, comes a new story of trauma and survival.After sharing her own stories of childhood trauma and survival in her bestselling Don't Tell Mummy and When Daddy Comes Home memoirs, Toni Maguire now writes to give voice to others who've been through comparable experiences, with An Innocent Child relating Georgia Turner's story of surviving a childhood lived in the shadow of addiction and escaping marital abuse. In sharing her story of survival, Georgia hopes to help others and prove there is reason to live even after trauma and heartache.

How does an abusive childhood lead you into the world of drug dealers and addiction? When Marc was a small child, his father committed suicide. When his mother remarried, Marc thought his life was going to be OK but he could never have imagined just what was going to happen... Unloved is Marc's powerful story of sinking into the depths of addiction and despair and then finding the inner strength to rise above it. Marc is now at peace with his past and leads a happy and productive life.

In Toni Maguire's latest inspirational and heartbreaking memoir, she tells the story of Kara, a young woman who grew up in the Mormon Church and experienced the most terrible and disturbing upbringing in the name of religion. Recounting her tragic story, Toni charts Kara's brave journey of learning to escape the cruel abuse she suffered and speak out against her abusers to get justice.

Every family has its secrets, but some are worse than others.‘I had learnt to switch myself off from feeling anything when he molested me. Just lie there like a wooden doll and don’t give him the satisfaction of allowing one whimper to leave your mouth.’Lynn’s mother wanted the world to see the perfect family. An immaculate house, three well-dressed children and a charming husband. But behind closed doors it was a different story. Abused by her father from when she was just a baby, Lynn would scream for her mother, who ignored the little girl’s cries. Nothing was going to shatter her perfect life. Threatened by their parents, Lynn and her brother never told anyone in fear of being separated, but the trauma of their past followed them throughout their lives, with devastating consequences. Now as Lynn tries to piece together and come to terms with her past as an adult, she discovers she wasn’t the only one with a secret.

How do you stop your past from determining your future? ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s what daddies do with their little girls,ââ?¬Â he explains, ââ?¬Å?every little girl does it. This is the heartbreaking true story of a little girl that just wanted to be loved.

From No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of abuse and survival.'Whatever you do, don't go back to him, not this time. If not for your sake, then for your children's.'Ava Thomas knew leaving was the right decision. Trapped and manipulated in her relationship, and after yet another violent beating whilst she was pregnant, Ava was helped to a women's refuge with her children.Listening to the stories of other women there, Ava began thinking back to where it all started to go wrong. Brought up by a mother who never loved her, Ava sought that missing care and warmth elsewhere. Running away to her father's home as a teenager, she thought she might finally be safe. But after being abused by her own brother, she was thrown out onto the streets. Ava searched for the love she had been desperately missing her whole life, and ended up in a relationship controlled by domestic violence.Lifted by the strength of the other women around her, Ava found a new home, a fresh start and never looked back - with her loving children by her side.*In aid of the NSPCC: for each paperback book sold, Bonnier Books UK shall donate 2.5% of its net receipts to the NSPCC (registered charity numbers 216401 and SC037717).*

'Lying in the prison of my bed, his dark silhouette closes in, a pillow in his hands. Unbeknownst to the outside world, the care home manager was abusing her, using her like she was his toy. And, worse still, the home was selling the children to men who would inflict on them the worst possible abuse.