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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Wow, wow, wow. Hooked from the start. A very heartbreaking and cathartic ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ read. So many thoughts and feelings to process whilst reading this one.
A prewarning that there are senstive themes in this book and descriptions of physical and verbal abuse throughout.
⚠️Triggers: Anxiety, animal abuse, cults, physical, emotional and verbal abuse, torture, sexism, child abuse, sexual abuse, self harm, suicide
A true depiction of Maude's tough upbringing by her strict cult esque father translated beautifully by Adriana Hunter. He believes that she is a tabula rasa or blank slate (John Locke theory); ready and waiting to be moulded and influenced by her father. To absorb and learn passively by surpressing all emotion. A miniature adult.
Her mother is also on the same wavelength as her father. Both are unforgiving in their life lessons. Milestones which should be full of praise, excitement and joy are instead ones of fear and humiliation. Of which both parents chastise and have no remorse on the sheer upset (putting it lightly) they are inflicting on their child.
The fact she isn't allowed to leave her house (or very rarely) but takes opportunities to find joy in the small things such as looking after her pet dog or escaping within the realms of a book and her imaginary characters help keep a balance on her mental state.
This is a shocking case of abuse, isolation and a downright horrific and miserable upbringing but I can't help but admire Maude's tough interior and sheer willpower to carry on. She discloses that her main savour keeping her from suicide or the madhouse is that of wildlife. Animals and nature altogether proving that it really is a great form of natural therapy.
An incredibly sad but moving read of a little girl that wants to be nurtured with an amazing desire to learn which I think helps her to survive and flourish into a stable and loving wife, mother and psychologist.
Truly mindblowing. A story of strength and inner courage. A 5 star must read for fellow memoir lovers.
A prewarning that there are senstive themes in this book and descriptions of physical and verbal abuse throughout.
⚠️Triggers: Anxiety, animal abuse, cults, physical, emotional and verbal abuse, torture, sexism, child abuse, sexual abuse, self harm, suicide
A true depiction of Maude's tough upbringing by her strict cult esque father translated beautifully by Adriana Hunter. He believes that she is a tabula rasa or blank slate (John Locke theory); ready and waiting to be moulded and influenced by her father. To absorb and learn passively by surpressing all emotion. A miniature adult.
Her mother is also on the same wavelength as her father. Both are unforgiving in their life lessons. Milestones which should be full of praise, excitement and joy are instead ones of fear and humiliation. Of which both parents chastise and have no remorse on the sheer upset (putting it lightly) they are inflicting on their child.
The fact she isn't allowed to leave her house (or very rarely) but takes opportunities to find joy in the small things such as looking after her pet dog or escaping within the realms of a book and her imaginary characters help keep a balance on her mental state.
This is a shocking case of abuse, isolation and a downright horrific and miserable upbringing but I can't help but admire Maude's tough interior and sheer willpower to carry on. She discloses that her main savour keeping her from suicide or the madhouse is that of wildlife. Animals and nature altogether proving that it really is a great form of natural therapy.
An incredibly sad but moving read of a little girl that wants to be nurtured with an amazing desire to learn which I think helps her to survive and flourish into a stable and loving wife, mother and psychologist.
Truly mindblowing. A story of strength and inner courage. A 5 star must read for fellow memoir lovers.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
sad
fast-paced
Well if this book doesn’t make you dig deep in your life and say “it wasn’t so bad” I don’t know what will. Holy crap the things she endured and survived.
This was a haunting read. The abuse Julien faced from her father (and mother, who was also a victim) is rendered with spine-chilling recall, generally from the child's perspective, with limited temporal distance. It took me a couple weeks to finish because I couldn't just sit and read--I had to take breaks. Julien's escape from that life felt rushed at the end of the book, and I wished I could have spent a little more time with her young adult self as she developed the strength to leave. I also puzzle over her father as a reconstruction: He makes no sense to me as a person, as a character. He seems kind of like a black hole; his motivations are unclear. Perhaps this is intentional. Perhaps this is just reality of how abusive people operate. Or perhaps it's the reality of seeing him through the eyes of the daughter he terrorized for two decades. Perhaps the lesson is that there is no way to understand or to piece together someone who has acted so horrendously.
Whichever, I am glad that Julien escaped.
Whichever, I am glad that Julien escaped.
Memoirs remain one of the most difficult genres to rate. Maude Julien’s life was just bizarre. I’m not sure if this was a translation issue but so much of Julien’s tragic childhood was told in a very straightforward and monotonous voice that it caught me off guard. I wish Julien had written a little more about her later life and how she got to where she is today.
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence