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The Unthinkable

A Story of Control, Violence and My Mother

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The Unthinkable

By: David Challen
Narrated by: David Challen
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About this listen

 'David is one of the most courageous men I know . . . His book is one that everyone should read to understand coercive control, and what it is like to be a child growing up in a house where there is domestic abuse' Melanie Brown MBE, aka Mel B

'Unthinkable stares down horror and heartbreak. A story told with unflinching courage and a compelling drive for the truth' Laura Kuenssberg

'Beautifully written and deeply moving, I found David's book so compelling I read it in one sitting. It is a powerful call to action as much as a very personal memoir' Samira Ahmed

'A devastating portrayal of coercive control as depicted by a son' Irish Independent

"When my mum struck, it was with the cumulative rage of thirty years of hurt."

David Challen grew up in the perfect home with the model family.

He also grew up inside a house which concealed his father's manipulation and control.

One Saturday in 2010, David's mother struck more than twenty blows to the back of her husband's head with a hammer after thirty years of abuse. She then washed the dirty dishes from the lunch she had just cooked and left the house. In those few minutes, David's life was changed forever.

Over the next decade, he led the fight to overturn her conviction; and in doing so he not only freed his mother and helped change the legal system, but also became a voice for the countless victims of coercive control across the country.

This is a powerful story of a son's love for his mother; of an insidious form of abuse that must be better understood if we are to truly tackle it; and fight that reshaped how society understands domestic abuse.©2022 David Challen (P)2022 Octopus Publishing Group Abuse Domestic Partner Abuse Dysfunctional Families Law Parenting & Families Relationships Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Emotionally Gripping

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All stars
Most relevant
A story most of us don’t have to tell. David explains his childhood and mother’s abuse in a way that reveals to the reader, how the deep complexity behind the personalities of both his mother and father both contributed to their disastrous relationship. His telling is in no way sensationalised. He is remarkable!

Read from the heart

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A tough read, so I had to do it in stages. So powerful, just as David's vulnerability and ability to make the reader comprehend coercive control is absolutely extraordinary. I have so much respect and admiration for David and the powerful activism he does. This book is a beacon of hope in educating society about domestic violence. Thank you, David, for sharing so much of you!

This book is a beacon of hope in educating society about domestic violence.

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A Beautifully written horror story of male abuse hiding in plain sight and perpetrated behind closed doors under a veil of civility.
A landmark case which will hopefully free countless women from prison sentences.
The pervasiveness and evil of coercive control perfectly illustrated and its effects and consequences on families and society as a whole was perfectly illustrated.
Thank you David for all that you do for women’s safety; the toll on you is immense, but still you raise your voice ✊

Shocking, Informative, Necessary

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Listening to David narrate his story through a child’s eyes with adult reflections and new knowledge, was very powerful. Many of us will relate to not being able to quite name or comprehend the atmosphere of coercive control in our homes, that can become normalised over decades. It is not sensational, the ordinariness is why this book is so valuable. it is deeply personal and raw, highlighting how many of us affected struggle to make sense of the messiness of CCB, self blame and are pathologised by a system that is meant to support us. If we can change our understanding of CCB I truly believe the domino’ effect in wellbeing, understanding our trauma could save lives and the economy. CCB is often at the core of many of societal issues. Thank you David I hope your next chapter is a happy one.

A child’s trauma, through adult reflection

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When people dont know what they dont know, awful things can happen. This is an example of how a protective parent tries to keep the bad stuff from their children, and it doesn't work. Domestic abuse IS child abuse.
A desperately sad story and there's not a happy ending.
How one man's dreadful behaviour impacted so many. But to most people looking on, they were the "perfect family".
And the Criminal Justice System is still getting it wrong.
A compelling read.

Heartbreaking from all directions

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