An Emotional Roller Coaster (A Child Called 'It' - Dave Pelzer)

Member Name: milmol

Product:	A Child Called 'It' - Dave Pelzer
Date:	22/06/02 (1610 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Raises awaremess of child abuse.

Disadvantages: A heartbreaking read.

‘A Child Called It’ written by David Pelzer, is a non-fictional account of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother, although I cringe when I use the word ‘mother’. I actually cringe to think of this woman of all, but feel she certainly does not merit the title mother; monster would be more like it. This poor excuse for a woman starved her child for days on end, forcing him to steal food wherever he could which in turn made him despised by his classmates. He was also forced to wear unwashed clothes, again making him unpopular at school. She burnt him, beat him, held his head under the bath water, and force-fed him ammonia. She refused to seek medical attention for him because she feared the reprisals for herself, and if questioned about any of David’s’ injuries, she made up excuses and lies.

You may be thinking at this point, what a horrible book, why read it? The truth is I read this book in one night. I stayed up until the small hours and I simply could not go to bed until I knew he was all right. I would think ‘Just one more chapter and then I’ll go to bed’, but at the end of each chapter I couldn’t leave him. The book not only describes the physical abuse David suffered, but also the long drawn out mental abuse, so effective that he began to think he deserved his punishments. At one stage in the book he is banished to the garage, not even worthy of living with the rest of the family, and where were the rest of his family?

His siblings, only children themselves I can excuse and forgive to an extent, but his father? again the word sticks in my throat. David’s love for his father shines through, despite the fact that this man turned a blind eye to the pain and suffering that David endured. To me he is as guilty as his wife; after all, he was not part of the solution so he was part of the problem. How can one human being be so cruel to another, and how could his father turn
away, knowing the abuse his child was suffering, and instead, choosing to hide his eyes in the bottom of a bottle of alcohol.

This book filled me with many different emotions, some of which I did not know I was capable of feeling.

Hate…I hated the ‘mother’ with a passion, I wanted to see her punished for her cruelty, I wanted her to hurt like David did. I also felt anger, disgust and astonishment as her cruelty made me ‘fill up with tears’.

I felt about the same for the ‘father’, his passiveness sickened me and I wanted to yell and scream at him. I hold him as responsible for the atrocities committed as his wife.

Amazement…that David survived, and went on to be a decent human being, not entering into the circle of abuse that many in his situation fall into, and also not hating. He talks about forgiveness, saying it does not mean he will forget but forgiveness cleanses him, and I doubt I could be so forgiving. Like lots of abused children, David still wants the love and approval of both his parents, and wants the ‘mummy’ he remembers from his early days. As well as detailing the abuse suffered, the book is a brilliant insight into the survival mechanisms of a child and the astonishing spirit he had that could not be broken.

Written through the eyes of a child, the book took me on a journey that left me feeling drained and emotional, and wanting to wrap David up in my arms and protect him forever. The book is part of a trilogy; the 2nd one is called 'The Lost Boy' and details his search for love within a foster family. The 3rd book is entitled 'A Man Named Dave' and describes his adult life and forgiveness of his family. I would suggest that anyone buying the book buy all three, as they will surely be left needing to know the end of the story.

The book is a deserved ‘Best Seller’, and David Pelzer was honored as ‘One of
the outstanding young Americans’ in 1993. He is also the only American to have been given the honor of ‘The Outstanding Young Person Of The Year’ in 1994 and in 1996 he was a torchbearer for the Olympic Torch Relay. He has worked hard to raise the awareness of child abuse and is now a husband and father himself.

Many of my friends have borrowed my books, and they are well read and dog eared now. About a year ago I read an article in the Daily Mail that cast doubt on the books validity, and even caused me to question my belief in it. The article basically said that the abuse did not happen, and could not have happened, as it would not have gone unnoticed, and David would not have been left in the situation described by teachers, neighbours etc. David’s siblings also claimed no knowledge of the abuse and David himself refused to be interviewed. I think that was the thing that put most doubt in my mind, for someone so articulate and open, and usually thankful to the opportunity to speak out, David refused to speak to the journalists. I began to doubt if a child could really be so neglected and look as horrific as described in the book without intervention from outside agencies. I am though open minded about the situation, only those that were present know what really happened, and abuse such as this does happen so anything that brings it to the forefront of peoples minds is still worthwhile.

Both David’s parents are now deceased, neither were punished for the abuse described. If it did happen as David described, I feel neither should rest in peace, I guess I don’t have the ability to be as forgiving as David.

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