About
David J. Pelzer's mother, Catherine Roerva, was, he writes in this ghastly,
fascinating memoir, a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and
somewhat nurturant to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to
as "an It." This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she
inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy
being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the
contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned
over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes she claimed he
had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it
was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert
schoolteacher saved David.
fascinating memoir, a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and
somewhat nurturant to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to
as "an It." This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she
inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy
being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the
contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned
over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes she claimed he
had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it
was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert
schoolteacher saved David.
Quotes
"One day before he left for work, I received a dreadful shock.
After he said goodbye to Ron and Stan, he knelt down, held my
shoulders tightly and told me to be a “good boy”. Mother stood
behind him with her arms folded across her chest, and a grim
smile on her face. I looked into my father’s eyes and knew right
then that I was a “bad boy”."
"Even in its darkest passages, the heart is
unconquerable. It is important that the body survives, but it is
more meaningful that the human spirit prevails."
"I believe it is important for people to know that no matter
what lies in their past, they can overcome the dark side and press
on to a brighter world. It is perhaps a paradox that without the abuse of my past, I might not be what I am today. Because of
the darkness in my childhood, I have a deep appreciation for
life. I was fortunate enough to turn tragedy into triumph. This is
my story."
"One day before he left for work, I received a dreadful shock.
After he said goodbye to Ron and Stan, he knelt down, held my
shoulders tightly and told me to be a “good boy”. Mother stood
behind him with her arms folded across her chest, and a grim
smile on her face. I looked into my father’s eyes and knew right
then that I was a “bad boy”."
"Even in its darkest passages, the heart is
unconquerable. It is important that the body survives, but it is
more meaningful that the human spirit prevails."
"I believe it is important for people to know that no matter
what lies in their past, they can overcome the dark side and press
on to a brighter world. It is perhaps a paradox that without the abuse of my past, I might not be what I am today. Because of
the darkness in my childhood, I have a deep appreciation for
life. I was fortunate enough to turn tragedy into triumph. This is
my story."
