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This is the heartbreaking story of the murder of 16-year-old Bristol schoolgirl Becky Watts, a personal and heartfelt account of a crime that shocked the nation in a unique way and tore a family in two. A vulnerable and shy girl, Becky Watts was brutally murdered and dismembered by her own stepbrother on 19 February 2015. As her father, Darren, discovered the horrific details of what happened to his darling girl, his world fell apart.
A truly inspiring and heartbreaking book from the mother of little James Bulger - whose murder by two young boys shocked the world. On 12th February 1993, Denise's life changed forever. As she was running errands at New Strand Shopping Centre, she let go of her two-year-old son's hand to take out her purse. Denise never saw her son again. In this extraordinary and heart-wrenching audiobook comes the unflinching account of that terrible day from James Bulger's mother, Denise.
Growing up in a deeply troubled family, 15-year-old Anna felt lost and alone in the world. So when a friendly taxi driver befriended her, Anna welcomed the attention, and agreed to go home with him to meet his family. She wouldn't escape for over a decade. Held captive by a sadistic pedophile, Anna was subjected to despicable levels of sexual abuse and torture. The unrelenting violence and degradation resulted in numerous miscarriages, and the birth of four babies.... each one stolen away from Anna at birth.
Lacey Spears made international headlines in January 2015, when she was charged with the "depraved mind" murder of her five-year-old son, Garnett. Prosecutors alleged that the 27-year-old mother had poisoned him with high concentrations of salt through his stomach tube. To the outside world, Lacey had seemed like the perfect mother, regularly posting dramatic updates on her son's harrowing medical problems. But in reality, Lacey was a textbook case of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
Barbara was 12 when she was admitted to the psychiatric hospital Aston Hall in 1971. From a troubled home, she'd hoped she would find sanctuary there. But during her stay, Barbara was systematically drugged and abused by its head physician, Dr Kenneth Milner. Somehow, eventually, she started to campaign for answers. This is a shocking account of how vulnerable children were preyed upon by the doctor entrusted with their care.
The decision to publish the book has been very difficult, and taken with heavy hearts... My reason for writing it is simple: to give an account of the truth... Writing this memoir has entailed recording some very personal, intimate and emotional aspects of our lives. Sharing these with strangers does not come easily to me, but if I hadn't done so I would not have felt the book gave as full a picture as it is possible for me to give.
This is the heartbreaking story of the murder of 16-year-old Bristol schoolgirl Becky Watts, a personal and heartfelt account of a crime that shocked the nation in a unique way and tore a family in two. A vulnerable and shy girl, Becky Watts was brutally murdered and dismembered by her own stepbrother on 19 February 2015. As her father, Darren, discovered the horrific details of what happened to his darling girl, his world fell apart.
A truly inspiring and heartbreaking book from the mother of little James Bulger - whose murder by two young boys shocked the world. On 12th February 1993, Denise's life changed forever. As she was running errands at New Strand Shopping Centre, she let go of her two-year-old son's hand to take out her purse. Denise never saw her son again. In this extraordinary and heart-wrenching audiobook comes the unflinching account of that terrible day from James Bulger's mother, Denise.
Growing up in a deeply troubled family, 15-year-old Anna felt lost and alone in the world. So when a friendly taxi driver befriended her, Anna welcomed the attention, and agreed to go home with him to meet his family. She wouldn't escape for over a decade. Held captive by a sadistic pedophile, Anna was subjected to despicable levels of sexual abuse and torture. The unrelenting violence and degradation resulted in numerous miscarriages, and the birth of four babies.... each one stolen away from Anna at birth.
Lacey Spears made international headlines in January 2015, when she was charged with the "depraved mind" murder of her five-year-old son, Garnett. Prosecutors alleged that the 27-year-old mother had poisoned him with high concentrations of salt through his stomach tube. To the outside world, Lacey had seemed like the perfect mother, regularly posting dramatic updates on her son's harrowing medical problems. But in reality, Lacey was a textbook case of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
Barbara was 12 when she was admitted to the psychiatric hospital Aston Hall in 1971. From a troubled home, she'd hoped she would find sanctuary there. But during her stay, Barbara was systematically drugged and abused by its head physician, Dr Kenneth Milner. Somehow, eventually, she started to campaign for answers. This is a shocking account of how vulnerable children were preyed upon by the doctor entrusted with their care.
The decision to publish the book has been very difficult, and taken with heavy hearts... My reason for writing it is simple: to give an account of the truth... Writing this memoir has entailed recording some very personal, intimate and emotional aspects of our lives. Sharing these with strangers does not come easily to me, but if I hadn't done so I would not have felt the book gave as full a picture as it is possible for me to give.
The stunning and heartbreaking story of the young son of Rachel Nickell - who witnessed the brutal attack on his mother and whose childhood was shaped by the media storm that followed. A coming-of-age story that begins with a tragedy but ends in optimism, forgiveness and peace.
The true story of two-year-old Anna, abandoned by her natural parents, left alone in a neglected orphanage. Elaine and Ian had travelled halfway round the world to adopt little Anna. She couldn't have been more wanted, loved and cherished. So why was she now in foster care and living with me? It didn't make sense.
In this shocking memoir, Cassie Moore gives a very open and honest description of how she suffered and survived a lifetime of abuse. She describes the sexual, physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepfather and mother, who then sold her into marriage at the age of 16.
Evie and Elliot are scrawny, filthy and scared when they turn up on foster carer Maggie Hartley's doorstep. Aged just two and three years old, this brother and sister have hardly set foot outside their own home. They have been prisoners, locked in a world of abuse, violence and neglect. Maggie soon realises that Evie and Elliot are lacking the basic life skills we all take for granted, and the outside world terrifies them. Gradually unlocking the truth of their heartbreaking upbringing, Maggie tells their shocking true story.
Cruel to Be Kind is the true story of Max, age six. He is fostered by Cathy while his mother is in hospital with complications from type 2 diabetes. Fostering Max gets off to a bad start when his mother, Caz, complains and threatens Cathy even before Max has moved in. Cathy and her family are shocked when they first meet Max. But his social worker isn't the only one in denial; his whole family are, too.
"In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen. For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation. On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I dont think of myself as a victim. I survived...."
The shocking first true account from one of the young girls who lived through and survived the Rotherham sex abuse scandal. In the summer of 2014, the Rotherham sex abuse scandal sent shockwaves through the nation. A report revealed that since the 1990s, up to 1,400 young girls in the town had been regularly abused by sex gangs, predominantly comprised of Pakistani men.
In The Lost Girls, John Glatt tells the truly amazing story of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight - who were kidnapped, imprisoned, and repeatedly raped and beaten in a Cleveland house for over a decade by Ariel Castro - and their amazing escape in May 2013, which made headlines all over the world.
At just 10 years old, Kirsty has suffered a lifetime of heartache. Neglected by her teenage mother and taken into care, Kirsty thought she had found her forever family when she was fostered by Pat and Mike. But when Pat has a heart attack and collapses in front of her, Kirsty's foster family say it's her fault. Kirsty is still reeling from this rejection when she comes to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley. She acts out, smashing up Maggie's home, and even threatens to hurt the baby boy Maggie has fostered since birth.
On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic, Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life.
Ruth was a ghost of a girl when she arrived into foster mother Maggie Hartley's care. Pale, frail and withdrawn, it was clear to Maggie that Ruth had seen and experienced things that no 11-year-old should have to, that she had been conditioned to 'see no evil, speak no evil'. Ruth is in desperate need of help, but can Maggie get through to her and unlock the harrowing secret she carries? Through love, reassurance and patience, Maggie starts to unravel Ruth's painful past.
It's late on Friday night when Casey's mobile starts to ring. She is expecting it to be her daughter, Riley. But it isn't Riley. It's a woman from the Emergency Duty Team. So begins Casey and Mike's latest fostering challenge - a 15-year-old girl called Keeley who's run away from her long-term foster home 25 miles away.
Penguin presents the audiobook of My Sister Milly by Gemma Dowler, read by Ruby Thomas.
This is Gemma Dowler's powerful account, as seen on The One Show and This Morning....
'My name is Gemma Dowler. On 21 March 2002, a serial killer named Levi Bellfield stole my sister and sent our family to hell....'
Everyone thinks they know the story of Milly Dowler.
Haunting headlines about the missing schoolgirl splashed across front pages. The family's worst fears realised when her body was found months later. The years of waiting for the truth, only to learn that the killer, known to the police, lived just yards from where Milly had vanished. The parents subjected to horrific psychological torture at a trial orchestrated by the murderer. And the shocking revelation of what journalists would do for a story - criminal acts that brought down a national newspaper.
But these bare facts hide the true story.
In My Sister Milly, Gemma Dowler shares the heartbreaking account of Milly's disappearance, the suspicions that fell on the family, the fatal errors made by the police, and the media's obsession that focused relentlessly on every personal, intimate and emotional aspect of the Dowlers' lives. It is the story of two stolen childhoods - Milly's and Gemma's - and about the love that kept the family together as they struggled with terrible darkness and injustice.
However, this book is a story of hope and recovery.
It's taken 15 years of pain for the family to find their voice. The family has worked hard and has received intensive therapy to recover from the trauma of Milly's murder. Their story shows that whatever suffering you endure in life, there is always hope, and there is always love.
Now, for the first time, Gemma tells their story and that of the real Milly. Above all, in this book the family want to bring back to life their incredible daughter and sister. Now, finally, the truth about Milly Dowler can never be denied.
I was absolutely riveted by this book from beginning to end. It was so nice to finally hear from the Dowler family as to what happened from their perspective and I truly hope that no family have to ever suffer as they did through the wrongdoings of the police and the media. A lasting tribute to Millie x
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This is a remarkable book for many reasons. It is a detailed account of the horrific ordeals (yes, there where more than one) that Milly Dowler and her family have endured. It is a shocking and coherent account of gross failings in the British legal system. This includes the endemic poor practice and frank incompetence of one Police Force, and even the criminal behaviour of some Police Officers involved in the investigation of the disappearance and murder of Milly. Shameful inadequacies in our Court's treatment of witnesses are also revealed. This is a remarkable book for many reasons. It is a detailed account of the horrific ordeals (yes, there where more than one) that Milly Dowler and her family have endured. It is a shocking and coherent account of gross failings in the British legal system. This includes endemic poor practice and frank incompetence of one Police Force, and even the criminal behaviour of some Police Officers involved in the investigation of the disappearance and murder of Milly. Shameful inadequacies are also revealed in our Court's treatment of witnesses. The book is also a brutally honest account of how Gemma and her parents coped with, and sometimes did not cope with, 14 years of repeated traumas.
I am shocked by very little these days. I have heard, and worked with a lot of horror in my own professional practice, and have been a keen reader of crime, both true and fiction, for many years. Nevertheless, this book left me with a knot in my stomach for virtually the entire 22 hours of it's length. Many times I felt real angry on behalf of this family, and many times, I cried for them. So much of it was truly heart-wrenching and the details of what happened to Milly were very tough to hear/read.
Ruby Thomas deserves a special mention here. Narrating this book must surely have been an experience that took her above and beyond the usual call of duty. Yet her narration is faultless. There are times when there is genuine emotion in her voice. She does not indulge in it, but the trace of it fits perfectly with the words she speaks and the experience of the listener.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough to those interested in the subject matter. However, anyone who may be triggered by accounts of abuse, would be best to avoid it.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
I was compelled to read this as lived for many years in Walton on Thames and my mothers retirement party was in Walton on the day of Milly's abduction, so I felt I knew a bit about what happened, but did not know the truth and wanted to know more.
This is a warts and all tale heartbreaking and heart warming and is written so beautifully by Gemma. She has kept Milly's short life in the beautiful state it should be preserved in, untainted by the dreadful mess that Surrey police made of the investigations into her murder, the horrific hacking scandal and finally Bellfields confessions of what he did to Milly in her last hours.
How the Dowlers have come through this I do not know, their family strength and that of their friends support is magnanimous against the bitter sad individuals out there who did so much to undermine and destroy them.
RIP Milly and I wish the Dowler family all the best in life and thank you for sharing this story.
Love conquers all.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Just finished this audio book. I can safely say it is the most interesting, harrowing and love filled book I've ever read/listened to. What this family went through is beyond anything humanly survivable but they did it. And they did it with poise and dignity and they did it together. I am so proud of them even though I don't know them!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I didn't know what to expect from this book. I only remember the case because it happened so soon after the death of my husband.
I listened to the book over three days, not able to stop listening. What this family had to go through was unbelievable, I can't understand what the Police did to them. Not only that, but the way the despicable lowlife treated them at his trial.
I'm so glad they are coming out the other side, and beginning to live again, and Milly through them. I hail them all for the hero's they are.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I avidly followed this tragic story from the beginning and the initial missing report of such a delightful, life-loving teenager. However, reading this book has provided a totally new dimension to this sad event. My soul has been forever changed. I know not how this beautiful family survived such a heinous event and still retained their sanity.
I genuinely hope that police training schools, for serious crime detectives, put this book on their required reading list - and media colleges for trainee journalists - and lawyers who wish to work in defence of the truly wicked amongst us. All these roles, whilst essential in life, can surely be delivered with compassion and humanity - or just plain & simple, common human decency towards the families of murder victims. If not, there can surely be no room for the word 'justice' in our legal system.
Finally, to the family of Milly, I do so hope your happy family chain links up again one day in those beautiful fields of gold. And may deep peace find you in the intervening years ...
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Gemma has written with grace and dignity about what she and her lovely family have endured since the disappearance and murder of Milly. Her honest and heart wrenching account of how she and her family have suffered must surely influence changes in the support currently offered to families of victims of crime. Writing this book was a selfless act of bravery which hopefully will prevent others from suffering in the way you all have. Well done Gemma and thank you.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
A hard story to tell. But very well written. Really explains the post traumatic shock disorder that happened and it's grip, and how hard it is to find treatment. Should be read by all police & barristers & Healthcare staff & press to understand how NOT to treat the family of a murder victim. The murder is bad enough especially since Millie could have saved if the police had searched for her that first night.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought the book first and read that almost without putting it down, the audiobook I've listened to while driving... Such a strong family, this book should never have been written or narrated, it's only through the loss of Milly that it has...
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
An unbelievably true and heart wrenching account of a tragic story. Gemma Dowler has done an amazing job off getting her family's story told. It's a difficult listen at times but there are really important issues and lessons to be learnt. What a brave inspirational and amazing family the Dowlers are!
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
This book shook me to the core. I was interested in the British justice system and it let this family down in a huge way.
I believe the Dowler family experienced the most horrific tragedy imaginable but that was only the beginning of their ordeal.
Without giving too much away I was floored at their treatment in the aftermath of losing their precious daughter and sister.
I feel that sweet Milly found peace the moment her life ended. Not even close for the people who loved her.
It angers me how the person who did this, a non-human in my mind was afforded so many rights while the family had NONE.
The person who is upmost in my admiration is Michelle, the therapist who literally brought Sally and Gemma back to life.
Gemma Fowler managed to write an incredibly beautiful tribute to her cherished sister and I loved hearing about her short but wonderful life.
They are such a strong family! I was continually amazed at how they kept it together for Milly.
This is a book I will never forget and Gemma, Milly,, their parents and Lovely Granny have made a lasting impact on my heart.
Gemma, I am so sorry for all you went through. Thank you for writing this. The power of love, as you said is greater than anything else. I wish you all the very best.
Narrator was great.
5 stars - should be more
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I will be thinking about this hugely inspiring story of one family's long road back from their man made hell. And with such grace and courage. Well done, Gemma.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
This is the harrowing account of the abduction and murder of a young girl who was snatched from the street in broad daylight. The appallingly incompetent police investigation was hampered from the outset by a preposterous tunnel vision that focused solely on the Dowler family, while unethical news hounds went to unthinkable lengths in pursuit of a scoop. It was this unsavoury press activity that propelled the story onto the international stage.
This book could have used some serious editing. The endless repetition of key events actually becomes tiresome, as does the constant examination of personal thoughts and family dynamics.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Well written. Perfectly narrated. Excruciating to listen to. There was one part that really upset me and I made myself keep listening. The author gives every single detail of the horrible experience she and her family dealt with following her sister's murder. If you are interested in the subject matter, this book will not disappoint you (I hesitate to use the term "enjoy"). A worthwhile, important book. Hard to listen to, but well done.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Gemma did a beautiful job on telling her family’s story. I feel I know Milly and the Dowler family. What this family went through is unthinkable. If you like memoirs you won’t be disappointed.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I can’t imagine how difficult it is to lose a daughter, sister, grandchild, and niece. I can tell you that through this book I felt so emotional. This family is so loving and true. Thank you for giving of yourself to honor your family. I pray you are all well.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Exceedingly well-written book. For once, the whole impact of the survivors, family, friends is laid bare by a sister who truly loved/loves her murdered little sister, her mother, father, grandmother, extended family.
Truly, the Surrey police should be deeply ashamed of their very poor police work, their bullying, their lies,selling out to Rupert Murdoch with little or no regard for the family. In fact, they should be flayed in public, as should Murdoch and the murderer. I'd be happy to participate. It wasn't until the Surrey police were commanded by a new female commander that anything at all was done. The fact that the PM was cozy with the CEO of the offending Murdoch publications, neighbors, in fact made the hacking of phones including the murdered Milly's phone...as well as many other innocent victims..a whole lot easier as they had inside info from the police.
If I ruled the world (happily for them I do not), each of them would have a very slow, painful, public death. But before that I'd have QUALIFIED CSI go through their homes, phones, computers, the phones of their children parents, girl and boyfriends, everyone they were in contact with...and plaster everything in the newspapers, on YouTube, Vimeo, in fact I'd put up websites showing their dirty laundry. THAT is the impact the book had on me. Oh, and the murderer? I'd hire Stephen King to come up with a unique, horrible death for that turd.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
One of most moving narratives I have ever read. Gemma puts us right inside her home with her and her family. A family that has endured and survived the very worst.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Make no mistake: Gemma Dowler's tale of what she and her parents went through after the abduction and murder of her sister Milly is a story that is hard to take at times. But despite its grim subject matter, this book is also uplifting. Although it is full of horror and heartache, it is also a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Gemma does a wonderful job of painting a picture of her free-spirited, humorous, fashion-obsessed sister Milly, and describes the fear and confusion she and her parents felt when Milly failed to return home from school one afternoon in 2002. What Gemma, Sally, and Bob Dowler (and the rest of their extended family) endured from that day forward is nothing short of horrific. Their treatment at the hands of the Surrey Police and the British Press will make you cringe in disbelief. But somehow, they managed to survive it all and then some.
Gemma's story reminds us all that life can change in a heartbeat, and that you never really know what fate has in store. The narration by Ruby Thomas is also terrific. Fans of true crime will enjoy this one, but so will those who are interested in how living victims of crime handle themselves in the aftermath, and how the trauma affects them, not just in the moment, but for years and decades to come.
Such a great book that I listened more than once. I came away with nothing but admiration for the Dowlers - and a lot of disgust for police procedure.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
What made the experience of listening to My Sister Milly the most enjoyable?
Listening to Gemma describe every memory she has of Milly. The good, the bad, the sad, the horrific, the hilarious. You will KNOW Milly as a friend by the time you are through reading this book.
What was one of the most memorable moments of My Sister Milly?
When Gemma made the decision to honor Milly's memory by sharing her story with others. She has decided to relive the most tragic memories, her feelings, her fears, while at the same time gathering strength, determination, and courage from so many endearing moments shared with her beautiful sister.
What does Ruby Thomas bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Her voice is clear, calm, soothing. Surprisingly, there are a few lighthearted moments in this story. Ruby conveys the appropriate level of humor, without being irreverent or disrespectful. Her voice conveys emotion, without being overly dramatic or sappy.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The anguish Gemma felt, not knowing where Milly was, or what might be happening to her. The paralyzing fear that she might be taken by the same, unknown entity that had taken Milly. The feelings of guilt, shame, helplessness, hopelessness, brokenness. Feelings that overwhelmed her even before Milly was discovered.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful