Deliver Me From Evil by Alloma Gilbert is the true story of a girl who, along with several other children, suffered horrible abuses while in the foster care of a woman named Eunice Spry.
The story begins as Gilbert is preparing to testify in court against the woman who took her into her home at the age of six then embarked on an eleven year nightmare of abusiveness. It then steps back into time, beginning with Alloma's birth in 1985, and recounts the events of her life leading up to the trial. I won't say I enjoyed the book, it was too disturbing for that, yet I had trouble putting it down once I began.
I found it amazing how many times over the course of Gilbert's "captivity" there were opportunities for outsiders to question what was happening and possibly intervene. It also struck me how easily a child can be "brainwashed". I can't begin to comprehend how a person could treat another human being, let alone a child, in the manner Alloma and her foster siblings were treated. I don't recall reading about this in the news, but that could be because it occurred in the UK rather than in the US.
My biggest complaint about the book was from an editing standpoint. There were quite a few typos, most notably contractions without their apostrophes. I lost count of the times "she'd" appeared as "shed". It was fairly distracting.
This was my first book read on my Kindle (which I got for Christmas) and counted as the "book with evil in the title" for the What's In a Name challenge.
11 comments:
Sounds like a really good read! I just finished a really good book: The Promised World by Lisa Tucker. It's a really compelling read that kept me up until 2 am day before yesterday.
I hate it when I get really into a good book and just can't stop until I'm done! I pay for it the next day.
I do, however, recommend the book.
Trish has found editing issues or spacing issues with some books on her Kindle. Like they were scanned and it threw the lines off track.
Kelly, the book sounds sad but compelling. I just finished reading "Choosing to See," by Mary Beth Chapman. Her book details a true story that appears to be the exact opposite of the one you've described. Maybe you should check it out? Quite heart-warming and inspiring.
Sounds traumatic on the one hand but on the other a book that we should read.
How are you enjoying the kindle?
I'd like to see a kindle, just to see what all the fuss is about.
Books with storylines like the one you just read breaks my heart. But yet, suffering goes on, everywhere. Right under our noses even. We should remember to look for it. We should remember to work against it. Every time.
Oh, this book sounds heartbreaking, Kelly! I can read true crime, but have a hard time with these type of memoirs about children...I've read the book Pammie mentioned and it's really great.
Regarding the Kindle, I like mine mainly for the search and dictionary features and, of course, the hundreds of free books available. BUT, I've found most new novels to be too expensive. They started out charging around $8 for a novel, which was fair, but now they're all around $12.99 or more which is ridiculous for basically nothing, when you can buy the hardback book for only $14.00! I've noticed that many folks are posting protests on Amazon about the high prices of Kindle books. If I'm going to spend $12 anyway, I'll go for the 'real' book for $2 more!
Are you enjoying your Kindle? Oh, and I do love the free word games. LOL!
Blessings,
Marion
In response to the Kindle comments, I have one, but actually, I prefer holding a "real" book. I like to study the cover, and analyze if you will, why the author chose a particular style, picture and format. Also, I like to review parts of the chapters that I've already read, and even though the Kindle does allow you to "mark" selected pages, it's just not the same. My kids may think I'm old-fashioned, but I still enjoy reading the old way, by turning the pages by hand, not by a click with the index finger!
Not sure this is something I want to read. Those kind of books just depress me ... although I know it is important to share these types of stories.
A typo like shed instead of she'd would drive me bonkers!
I wonder if the typos are peculiar to the kindle? I come across them in books occasionally and it always annoys me.
Hi, Kelly! Thanks for the book recommendation. I'm glad to know that you have a Kindle, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine. My arthritic hands have a hard time holding a book, so it's perfect for me. Stay on the alert because they sneak in a lot of free, good books for a short time. Did you read "Room?" It's one of my favorites for last year. I'm having serious health problems, but will blog about it today. Hugs, Jenny
Pam, Karen - I looked at both books you mentioned and they look quite good, though in totally different ways. I'll keep them both in mind.
Jenny - I have Room on my Kindle waiting.
:)
As for my Kindle... so far I like it. That said, it will never take the place of real books for me. I can see many pluses and minuses, but overall I'm happy to have it as an additional option for reading.
While I agree this must have been a good book, I tend to stay away from these, just too much for me.
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