A true story: Remember: not A word: Rebecca Myers

Remember, Not A Word

The Little Girl No One Wanted

Rebecca D. Myers

Living within your own thoughts, feelings and mind sometimes a child can create their own perfect world when their realities are as harsh, horrific and cruel. Families are supposed to protect their young except when they decide to use them as punching bags, meal tickets, or just for their own amusement. When one young child at age four became both mother and father to her 2 young brothers for several frightening and lonely days little did she know that was just the start of the horrors that would befall this precious little girl. Thinking that she was going to be rescued was her salvation. When she was she would learn differently just what the term illegitimate meant, why many thought she was not worth the garbage or leftovers thrown away in the street or why she was about to be more than just cast aside. Her grandmother showed up at her house, took her and her two brothers but what happens next will cause more than just chills down your arms and legs as author Rebecca D. Myers shares her own story with readers.

Imagine being six years old, tossed into a garbage heap, not considered worth anything and abused by the two people who should have protected her. Why would her grandparents take out their own frustrations on this child? Why would they make her feel that she was stupid, worthless and a disappointment? Why would they constantly humiliate her, beat her, and sexually abuse her in order to punish this innocent child? What she describes in the introduction brings to light what many children at this very minute might be facing right now. In Chapter One the author shares with readers her definitions of an abusive relationship, which required much extensive research and will help others understand the warning signs and be more vigilant to take action even if you are not sure. How do you survive abuse? Why should you have to?

As Rebecca tells her story and you hear her voice you begin to wonder why no one spoke up for her, why her teachers, other parents and students never came to her defense or even reported what they saw when her grandmother used violent force before her dance recitals. The pain both physically and emotionally rings out and the heartfelt and heartbreaking scenes are graphically and so vividly described you wonder how she survived it at all and why she could not fight back.

At times it is as if she grew into the fact that abuse was a daily part of her life and that her so called parents were there to make sure that she always had her daily dose. Punches, stabs, jabs, nails pushed into her skin, standing on cold or frozen rice on her knees and abuses that are so horrific you would want them inflicted on the abusers. Friendships were rare and what her grandfather or the man she was supposed to refer to as her father did to her in the name of love was anything but. Small children are impressionable and they often feel guilty, made to feel ashamed and in this case supposedly loved by this sick, disturbed and sadistic man. The fact that neighbors knew what was happening to her and did nothing about it and her teachers do makes them equally as guilty. What is too bad is that the police never realized what she endured, the hospitals when she was admitted and finally the end result when she finally gets married makes it really frightening.

Meeting a man that was abusive and cruel before she married him makes you wonder why she did. But, sometimes people feel that they deserve what they get and when someone claims they love you, even though they have a sick way of showing it, someone caves in to their sick charm. Marrying Paul was a serious mistake as he was no better than her grandmother or worse in some respects. When she finally had her first child instead of cherishing this young person he relished in doing the same to this child and the next one too. How she endured so many years of abuse and stayed with this man is truly incredible. Even the scene with her supposed best friend would make you cringe.

But, sometimes good things happen and when she was fourteen her grandfather died and that was a good thing so that the abuse stopped in one respect but her grandmother made sure to keep up the good work you might say on her own. When Paul continued where her grandmother left off you might say Rebecca realized after a more than ten years that the time had come to fight back and she did. When she finally releases herself from his grip what she does will make you stand up and applaud and where he winds up well the police need to reassess their judgments. But, the divorce took time and the rest you have to learn for yourself as she finally met her Knight in Love and Shining Armor and the rest well you can read it for yourself. Remember: Not A Word: You need to speak up if you are being abused in any way. You need to yell, shout, and scream and make your voice heard. You need to understand that it is your body, you own it not someone else. You need to defend yourself and stand tall. YOU NEED TO FIGHT BACK! Teachers, clergy, neighbors, friends, storekeepers, other children, doctors, nurses and police need to take a more active part in helping these children and the fact that so many turned a blind eye should not have gone unpunished. One heartbreaking story. One story that needed to be told. One story with information that will help others to understand the true definitions of the many types of abuse. They’re are so many places that you can reach out to and so many organizations that will help you. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Dance recitals, singing, performances and so many things that she loved were taken away because of one woman who claimed to be her mother but was anything but. One man who was supposed to protect her and used her for his own enjoyment. One young child who deserved to be loved and so many children today who are facing the same things as I write this review of this outstanding novel.

After each chapter is a special saying or quote that sums up what the author presented in that chapter. The sad part is that she was never able to reconnect with her young brothers and that they were separated forever. In Rebecca’s own words:” I did not expect anyone to be like me and I was not going to mold myself after someone else.” Never be anyone but who you are!

Fran Lewis: reviewer

Let’s give this book: FIVE GOLDEN HUGS FOR BECKY