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Can't Anyone Help Me?
The shocking and inspirational true story of struggle and survival against all odds, from the bestselling author of Don't Tell Mummy and Helpless
'Inspiring . . . shows the true meaning of strength' 5***** Reader Review
'Heartbreaking and gripping at the same time' 5***** Reader Review
________
Jackie was an unwanted child.
So unwanted that her mother regularly left Jackie at her uncle's house. Which was when the nightmare started.
For when his wife went out, her uncle's friends came round. He had a Special Room. In it, Jackie was tied up and molested, beaten, burnt by cigarettes and urinated on. Sometimes other children were brought along. Jackie got to know the Special Room intimately.
Jackie could never bring herself to tell her mother. She ended up in a home for disturbed children. She ran away, and a life of homelessness, drugs, prostitution and psychiatric wards followed.
Eventually, Jackie sought help. But could she turn her life around?
Or would her evil uncle and his Special Room haunt her forever?
________
'I could not put it down' 5***** Reader Review
'I was gripped throughout' 5***** Reader Review
'Very well written, I read it in one day' 5***** Reader Review
'Inspiring . . . shows the true meaning of strength' 5***** Reader Review
'Heartbreaking and gripping at the same time' 5***** Reader Review
________
Jackie was an unwanted child.
So unwanted that her mother regularly left Jackie at her uncle's house. Which was when the nightmare started.
For when his wife went out, her uncle's friends came round. He had a Special Room. In it, Jackie was tied up and molested, beaten, burnt by cigarettes and urinated on. Sometimes other children were brought along. Jackie got to know the Special Room intimately.
Jackie could never bring herself to tell her mother. She ended up in a home for disturbed children. She ran away, and a life of homelessness, drugs, prostitution and psychiatric wards followed.
Eventually, Jackie sought help. But could she turn her life around?
Or would her evil uncle and his Special Room haunt her forever?
________
'I could not put it down' 5***** Reader Review
'I was gripped throughout' 5***** Reader Review
'Very well written, I read it in one day' 5***** Reader Review
299 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
56 people are currently reading
1308 people want to read
About the author
Toni Maguire
43 books552 followers“Don’t tell Mummy”, my memoir of my own childhood abuse, became a UK best seller in 2007. Writing about my experiences was hard emotionally, but in retrospect it has helped me deal with my past and realize that there is no shame in being the victim. It is never the child’s fault, whatever the abuser makes them believe at the time. How can it be? I then wrote a sequel, “When Daddy Comes Home”, which deals with the mental trauma of having a father jailed for incest, return to a home where my mother welcomed him back as if nothing had happened and turned her back on me.
My success with my two autobiographies encouraged others who had kept their childhood secrets hidden to approach me and five books depicting their stories followed: Helpless, Nobody Came, Don’t You Love Your Daddy? Can’t Anyone Help Me? All very different, but with one thing in common; the victims all thought they were somehow to blame.
I hope that my books have helped expose and lift the social taboos of acknowledging physical and emotional abuse together mental illness. Whereas children are victims, adults need to be survivors. I not only used my own name in my books, but placed my photograph there as well, making my point that no shame should be attached to having been a victim.
To date I have published over 1.5 million books worldwide. In October last year France published Madeline’s story, “They Stole my Innocence,” which will be available in the UK in August. Before I wrote it, I had started writing my first novel; a mixture of fact and fiction which happily I have now finished, titled “Pretty Maids all in a Row” Set against the capricious, unequal and often cruel landscape of London’s Victorian era, it is the story of Agnes a fisherman’s daughter and Emily a heiress. One travels to London in search for her sister, the other is kidnapped, simply because she is was so beautiful. Both girls are taken to Mary Jefferies, the notorious brothel keeper whose clients were some of the most powerful men in England. Her sponsor was King Leopold, the cousin of Queen Victoria. Against this background the passionate men and women known as the Reformers were striving to get the age of consent. This is a major departure in the style of my writing and I think my previous fan-base and totally new readers of my work will find it enthralling.
My success with my two autobiographies encouraged others who had kept their childhood secrets hidden to approach me and five books depicting their stories followed: Helpless, Nobody Came, Don’t You Love Your Daddy? Can’t Anyone Help Me? All very different, but with one thing in common; the victims all thought they were somehow to blame.
I hope that my books have helped expose and lift the social taboos of acknowledging physical and emotional abuse together mental illness. Whereas children are victims, adults need to be survivors. I not only used my own name in my books, but placed my photograph there as well, making my point that no shame should be attached to having been a victim.
To date I have published over 1.5 million books worldwide. In October last year France published Madeline’s story, “They Stole my Innocence,” which will be available in the UK in August. Before I wrote it, I had started writing my first novel; a mixture of fact and fiction which happily I have now finished, titled “Pretty Maids all in a Row” Set against the capricious, unequal and often cruel landscape of London’s Victorian era, it is the story of Agnes a fisherman’s daughter and Emily a heiress. One travels to London in search for her sister, the other is kidnapped, simply because she is was so beautiful. Both girls are taken to Mary Jefferies, the notorious brothel keeper whose clients were some of the most powerful men in England. Her sponsor was King Leopold, the cousin of Queen Victoria. Against this background the passionate men and women known as the Reformers were striving to get the age of consent. This is a major departure in the style of my writing and I think my previous fan-base and totally new readers of my work will find it enthralling.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 2, 2011
I chose this book because I hadn't read any book like this before. I enjoyed it because it was a true story about a girl who's childhood had been shattered due to her Uncle's immoral ways. She was beaten, molested and locked up in rooms for other peoples pleasure. She could not tell her parents because they did not care for her, nor love her. The book takes you through a journey of one child's struggle to turn her life around, after such a broken life. A truly inspirational story that buries deep into your emotions and shows you the neglect and horror children go through everyday.
August 24, 2014
Tiresome and monotonous.
The ending felt a little rushed to me. The book dragged on and on and then suddenly it was finished.
A happy ever after, but I was disappointed that there was no confrontation with Jackie's parents.
Not one of Toni Maguires better efforts.
October 5, 2016
Sad, painful and miserable, despite my obsession with misery memoirs they still leave me empty and lost inside when i have finished them. Well written however.
January 18, 2014
Absolutely heartbreaking to think some children can be so unloved and abused
January 14, 2019
Ce n'est pas un livre pour les âmes sensibles et c'est d'autant plus désolant sachant que c'est une histoire vrai. J'ose espérer qu'en tant que lecteur ça nous rendra plus alertes adviendrait-il que nous fassions parti de l'entourage d'une autre victime et ainsi pouvoir lui venir en aide.
April 29, 2023
A gripping and sad read, was happy it turned out the way it did.
April 7, 2024
l'histoire est infame et le récit est IMMERSIF donc méga TW
March 13, 2014
Reading true stories like this is difficult and heartbreaking. I feel sympathy, anger, and sadness. The endings and seeing what became of these strong people is how I can manage to get to the end.
April 16, 2023
🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
Ce livre est un témoignage, une histoire vraie.
C’est la première chose que je dis pour cette chronique car l’histoire est tellement horrible qu’il faut toujours garder ça en tête. Ce livre aurait pu être une fiction, avec un personnage imaginé par l’auteur, mais ce n’est pas le cas.
Et quand on remet ça dans le contexte c’est violent.
D’abord la jeunesse de cette petite fille non désirée par ses parents puis violée et abusée par son oncle et ses amis pendant des années dans l’ignorance la plus totale de son entourage.
Ensuite une vraie descente aux enfers, entre parcours scolaire désastreux, drogue et prostitution, tout ça à moins de 12 ans…..Puis une adolescence tout aussi catastrophique entre dogue dure et proxénétisme….
Et enfin l’âge adulte ou le revirement de situation et tout aussi surprenant que brutal. C’est d’ailleurs mon seul bémol sur ce livre, j’aurais aimé un peu plus de longueur sur cette partie, c’est abordé un peu trop rapidement dans les derniers chapitres.
Ce livre est d’une violence sans nom, il n’y a pas une page, pas un chapitre où on ne se dit pas “c’est impossible c’est fictif, on ne peut pas traverser ça”. Pourtant même si on est sur une histoire noire, très noire, entre inceste, pédophilie et prostitution, pour moi c’est vraiment un livre à lire absolument. Ne serait-ce que pour se dire que malgré la plus grande volonté du monde et la meilleure imagination possible, même les plus grands auteurs de polars et thrillers auront toujours du mal à faire pire que la réalité !
Un auteur que je découvre avec ce livre et il est certain que je vais lire ces autres ouvrages !
https://thrilleraddict.com/2023/04/13...
Ce livre est un témoignage, une histoire vraie.
C’est la première chose que je dis pour cette chronique car l’histoire est tellement horrible qu’il faut toujours garder ça en tête. Ce livre aurait pu être une fiction, avec un personnage imaginé par l’auteur, mais ce n’est pas le cas.
Et quand on remet ça dans le contexte c’est violent.
D’abord la jeunesse de cette petite fille non désirée par ses parents puis violée et abusée par son oncle et ses amis pendant des années dans l’ignorance la plus totale de son entourage.
Ensuite une vraie descente aux enfers, entre parcours scolaire désastreux, drogue et prostitution, tout ça à moins de 12 ans…..Puis une adolescence tout aussi catastrophique entre dogue dure et proxénétisme….
Et enfin l’âge adulte ou le revirement de situation et tout aussi surprenant que brutal. C’est d’ailleurs mon seul bémol sur ce livre, j’aurais aimé un peu plus de longueur sur cette partie, c’est abordé un peu trop rapidement dans les derniers chapitres.
Ce livre est d’une violence sans nom, il n’y a pas une page, pas un chapitre où on ne se dit pas “c’est impossible c’est fictif, on ne peut pas traverser ça”. Pourtant même si on est sur une histoire noire, très noire, entre inceste, pédophilie et prostitution, pour moi c’est vraiment un livre à lire absolument. Ne serait-ce que pour se dire que malgré la plus grande volonté du monde et la meilleure imagination possible, même les plus grands auteurs de polars et thrillers auront toujours du mal à faire pire que la réalité !
Un auteur que je découvre avec ce livre et il est certain que je vais lire ces autres ouvrages !
https://thrilleraddict.com/2023/04/13...
June 12, 2021
Sur le roman: Les romans de Toni Miguire est basé sur des histoires réelle des enfants violés, et "Pourquoi personne ne m'a aidé" est l'un des ses best-sellers. Une histoire noire, Jackie n as pas encore 10ans, une enfant maltraitée, ces parents ne veulent pas s'en occuper,elle est torturée par son oncle, elle s'enfuie puis elle devient sans-abri, droguée et prostituée, comme elle n'a trouvé personne pour l'aider.
.
Mon avis: Quand j'ai lu ce roman,j'étais choquée et je n'ai pas pu dormir!! C'est vraiment une histoire terrifiante nous montre comment les enfants peuvent être torturés et ils gardent ça en secrète,pour eux c'est vraiment honteux. Ces enfants vont grandir avec des complications psychologiques plus que physiques.
_____________________________
رواية "لماذا لم يساعدني أحد؟" للكاتبة "توني مغوير"، من الكتاب الذين تكون قصة روايتهم مبنية على قصص واقعية. تحكي الكاتبة في هذه الرواية عن الطفلة "جاكي" لا يصل عمرها العشر سنوات، مهملة من طرف والديها، تتعرض للتعذيب و الاغتصاب من طرف الخال، فتفر من منزلها لتجد نفسها مشردة بدون مأوى فتتعود على الوضع بمرور السنين حيث تشتغل في تجارة المخدرات و تنحرف عن الطريق بعدما كانت ابنة عائلة محترمة. هذه الرواية ترينا مثالا عن الأطفال الذين يتعرضون للتعذيب أو الاغتصاب و يعيشون هذا الألم في كتمان مما يجعل حالتهم النفسية أكثر تعقيدا.
.
Mon avis: Quand j'ai lu ce roman,j'étais choquée et je n'ai pas pu dormir!! C'est vraiment une histoire terrifiante nous montre comment les enfants peuvent être torturés et ils gardent ça en secrète,pour eux c'est vraiment honteux. Ces enfants vont grandir avec des complications psychologiques plus que physiques.
_____________________________
رواية "لماذا لم يساعدني أحد؟" للكاتبة "توني مغوير"، من الكتاب الذين تكون قصة روايتهم مبنية على قصص واقعية. تحكي الكاتبة في هذه الرواية عن الطفلة "جاكي" لا يصل عمرها العشر سنوات، مهملة من طرف والديها، تتعرض للتعذيب و الاغتصاب من طرف الخال، فتفر من منزلها لتجد نفسها مشردة بدون مأوى فتتعود على الوضع بمرور السنين حيث تشتغل في تجارة المخدرات و تنحرف عن الطريق بعدما كانت ابنة عائلة محترمة. هذه الرواية ترينا مثالا عن الأطفال الذين يتعرضون للتعذيب أو الاغتصاب و يعيشون هذا الألم في كتمان مما يجعل حالتهم النفسية أكثر تعقيدا.
August 17, 2017
This is a book that I had so wanted to read for a long time and it just was so intriguing that between my busy schedules I got time to read it.. The true story of a girl so broken and alone.. So lucky girl was what the others saw.. but no.. the reality was different.. Every person chose to find her guilty of being wrong but nobody asked her, nobody thought for a second that there is nothing wrong with her.. maybe there was something wrong with her life.. every part every moment I felt connected and read all through .. besides being a true story portrayed within the parade of words the book and the character taught and gave good lessons all through...
You have to live through your fears to live.
you will have to fight your own battles.
You have to chose to seek your own happiness.
If you dare to do it it will not be impossible.
some great lessons were taught and I gather that this story is a source of inspiration to one who struggle to cope up with the problems in life.. We living ordinary life tend to believe we are the only one who suffer.. but this book has shown the hardships of life in a true way.. extremely heart touching
You have to live through your fears to live.
you will have to fight your own battles.
You have to chose to seek your own happiness.
If you dare to do it it will not be impossible.
some great lessons were taught and I gather that this story is a source of inspiration to one who struggle to cope up with the problems in life.. We living ordinary life tend to believe we are the only one who suffer.. but this book has shown the hardships of life in a true way.. extremely heart touching
June 14, 2017
Cette histoire m'a bouleversé.
Bien écrite, l'auteur m'a bouleversée dans le récit d'une petite fille de 5ans à l'adulte qu'elle est devenue.
Cette histoire m'a pris au cœur, tellement que j'aurais aimé la voir et l'aider.
La façon que ça était raconté rajoute encore plus. Et de savoir que c'est une histoire vraie... je conseille se livre mais attention aux âmes sensibles...
Bien écrite, l'auteur m'a bouleversée dans le récit d'une petite fille de 5ans à l'adulte qu'elle est devenue.
Cette histoire m'a pris au cœur, tellement que j'aurais aimé la voir et l'aider.
La façon que ça était raconté rajoute encore plus. Et de savoir que c'est une histoire vraie... je conseille se livre mais attention aux âmes sensibles...
June 20, 2017
This Was a very disturbing story to read. Never dreamed that someone so very young could live though all that torture. Yet she seemed to come out of
it ok with help from some good friends. I hope those friends stick with her, She deserves it,
it ok with help from some good friends. I hope those friends stick with her, She deserves it,
October 4, 2019
Amazing read
This is an amazing true life read. One of the horrendous happenings. I have ever read. Her story of hurt, neglect and abuse. Very strong woman who made it out and come back smiling. Definitely recommend it
This is an amazing true life read. One of the horrendous happenings. I have ever read. Her story of hurt, neglect and abuse. Very strong woman who made it out and come back smiling. Definitely recommend it
March 12, 2020
Upsetting
Didnot like this book, kept me awake upset about the abuse the little girl endured, still upset and sngry now
Didnot like this book, kept me awake upset about the abuse the little girl endured, still upset and sngry now
March 15, 2020
Livre poignant, limite dégoûtant mais tellement prenant que l'on a pas envie d'arrêter. Une histoire écrit de manière cru mais qui nous montre la réalité qu'il peut exister dans notre monde.
December 31, 2020
Ghhh gun
Gghhhh ceyjncikbdcjpmnxzbjguiiiiioiiiiiiiioooooooooooppj mgggfccdfhbvyjbdtuvb hhhbvgjb g g. G h b v v v b v v. V. B b b. B
Gghhhh ceyjncikbdcjpmnxzbjguiiiiioiiiiiiiioooooooooooppj mgggfccdfhbvyjbdtuvb hhhbvgjb g g. G h b v v v b v v. V. B b b. B
March 24, 2021
Je suis passée par toutes les émotions .Merci
January 17, 2022
What an amazing book well written couldn’t put it down Jackie’s story is so sad I’m glad she found happiness
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2023
Good read
What a great book. I feel so sorry for your suffering that should never have happened. I wish you all lots of luck in the future.
What a great book. I feel so sorry for your suffering that should never have happened. I wish you all lots of luck in the future.
August 30, 2024
Tres Perturbant...
February 6, 2024
Il faut être accroché pour suivre la vie de Jackie… L’histoire est poignante. J’ai été bouleversée par la force et le courage de celle qui a inspiré l’œuvre.
June 21, 2017
livre très prenant et très bien écrit. Il nous plonge dans l'histoire de Jackie qui est touchante et triste. préparez les mouchoirs :).
September 25, 2015
I don't think this is something you read for pleasure. Although immediately compelling, it serves as a warning to those who may not know the evil that lurks where little children are concerned and additionally, it is deeply cathartic to those who do know.
Some can call it a happy ending. Indeed the book ends in a place where she knows some peace and happiness but I doubt her recovery is complete and I think that is made very clear.
At the heart of it, though wretched is her childhood trauma, it is a story of hope. Hope of triumphing over ones demons, of finding love, glimpsing ones own worth and finding the good amongst the bad.
Some can call it a happy ending. Indeed the book ends in a place where she knows some peace and happiness but I doubt her recovery is complete and I think that is made very clear.
At the heart of it, though wretched is her childhood trauma, it is a story of hope. Hope of triumphing over ones demons, of finding love, glimpsing ones own worth and finding the good amongst the bad.
Read
February 18, 2013This was a heartbreaking story to read about things no child should ever have to endure. My heart really goes out to Jackie who is an incredibly strong, courageous person. It is definitely a good book to read
July 28, 2016
This is a harrowing tale of child abuse and this book leaves the reader emotionally exhausted. I for one was grateful that this little girl found the courage and mental fortitude to overcome such immense obstacles of pain and abandonment.
Want to read
October 20, 2011i haven't read dis book before the only book i read of hers was dont you love your daddy
Want to read
March 16, 2014I can not wait to read it
September 13, 2014
It's the heartbreaking story.
Pray for the Jackie because it is uneasy to let go her anger. But i know she will, with loves beside her.
Pray for the Jackie because it is uneasy to let go her anger. But i know she will, with loves beside her.
August 29, 2016
Such a traumatic story
A young girl facing and dealing with her young life. I was gripped throughout and my heart goes out to the woman behind this horrific life
A young girl facing and dealing with her young life. I was gripped throughout and my heart goes out to the woman behind this horrific life
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews