Through a Mother's Eyes

by Cary Allen Stone

A chilling look at human nature in a context where the lines between right and wrong become sadly blurred. It’s a compelling account of one woman's life, and what drove her to take the life of her six-year-old son. How everyday choices shape our perceptions, justifications, and actions. One must consider how close to the edge we all are. It’s a true story told in layman’s terms, with the hope of preventing another tragic loss.

Genres: Nonfiction, Crime, True Crime, Ebooks, Mystery

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2002

About the author

Cary Allen Stone is a writer/producer of crime fiction, science fiction, political fiction, and true crime.

2022 Book Excellence Award
2021 New York City Book Award
2021 American Fiction Award
2021 Independent Press Award
2020 IAN Book of the Year Award
2020 New York City Book Award
2020 Book Excellence Award
2019 Reader’s Favorite
2017 Book Excellence Award
2017 IAN Book of the Year Award
2017 BookViral Millennium Book Award
2017 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award
2016 CLUE Award

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange story written by a woman who ultimately killed her 6 year old son. Tries to give her version of what happened and perhaps why.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched book written by someone who knew the subject personally. Stone decided to write the story in hopes of telling his friend's side honestly, and to try and prevent the awful outcome from hopefully ever happening again for anyone who might wind up in a similar situation. The author finally got permission to interview Julie, a nurse, in prison, where she is sentenced for killing her 6 year old son, after a childhood filled with seeing her troubled younger brother physically abused and emotionally mistreated, then finding herself in an abusive 2nd marriage, deeply depressed, and hooked on prescription drugs, despite multiple rehab attempts. A sickening read for any loving parent, but gives insight into how it could happen for her.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly I was confused with this as I downloaded it November 11th but it states on Amazon it was published November 19th. All very odd.......
This was awful. A true story of a mother who killed her little boy Charley.I packed it in after only 15% because I just couldn't stomach reading anymore about the family featured. They all sounded like a load of mentalists. There didn't seem to be one person in the whole lot of them that wasn't abusing one substance or another or bashing their kids !! The mother featured (Julie) was so upset after her little boy was needlessly spanked too hard so what did she do ? Had several drinks. That tells you all you to need to know about HER as far as I'm concerned. And as for her husband-"he set himself a blaze (sic)twice in gasoline fires while burning trash in the backyard". I mean, what chance do kids have being born to idiots like this, with the grandparents being no better.
The author was clueless regarding apostrophes too. He kept putting one needlessly when mentioning the Mahr's and then when he DID need one he misplaced it. Drove me to distraction.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having met some of the most well known women in Canada who were found guilty of infanticide or killing their own children, this book was a hard read but also a good read. It delved into the aspects of things that I had already known because of my experience with these women and their families as well as taught me things I didn’t know or couldn’t know because the women themselves were still in states of delusion or psychosis and unable to comprehend what had occurred. In many cases the women who I have met described it as a dream like state that they have disassociated from and I think that Through A Mother’s Eyes really touches on the tiny pushes in life that lead to that final one where all ability to rationalize is lifted and we are finally able to have genuine insight into what is going on in the mind of someone who is suffering so much emotionally.

Cary Allen Stone has done an amazing job penning the facts of this case and though it does jump around a bit I gather that is the way in which the story was told to him by the main character, Julie. Instead of attempting to piece together this fluid story that is perfectly logical I think it was ingenious of him to write it how he heard it because this also lends a hand into seeing the thought process of a lost mother who loved her kid so much she was willing to kill it to save it from abuse and a life of pain.

Now, I know many people who are reading this are thinking I am sick for even reviewing a book with such a topic but if you’re a Christian then you know that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son on the alter at Gods command, despite how much it hurt him, God sent angels that intervened. God later sent His own son, Jesus, and sacrificed Him for us.

So to judge isn’t fair because you haven’t been there and you don’t know.

This book is non-fiction. It is to educate you. It is to encourage you to seek help within your own family and with those around you if you think things aren’t right.

This book was written in the hopes that other women and children wouldn’t have to suffer this type of destiny and if you open your heart and really read this book you can see how easily it is that it could be you, or someone you know.

Judging won’t get you anywhere, prevention will.

[Pam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the most poignant heart wrenching books I have read in a long time.

A woman so drive to protect her child she takes his life.

We often hear about women who murder their children and those of us mothers cannot understand how someone can do that, but the truth of the matter is all here in this book, how Julie was abused from an early age, it continued into adulthood and beyond, so driven to protect her child she thought the only way out was to kill him to save him from an abusive father.

Every person who has a child or intends to bring a child into this world should read this book and understand, if you abuse a child and then it continues into their adulthood they too become the bully, will demonstrate abusive and mental cruelty to their own because it s what they were taught as children. No child deserves to be killed because of another persons actions.

My heart goes out to Julie for having to live with her actions, but I can understand how and what she had to endure at the hands of her husband and only killed her child to protect him

[Vicki Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a horrible, tragic story. The author's objective was to tell the story to try to prevent it from happening every again.
Well, anyone reading the news can see this is happening more and more.
Horrible.
It was written in a different type of way and there was a chapter with an interview with the murderer.
A senseless murder.
The book was short which was good because the writing was average.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not even really sure where to start. I can see where Julie felt backed into a corner in regards to Charley's safety but at the same time I can't fathom how she could have done what she did. Julie's answer to everything was drinking and taking pills even when it affected her children including custody of her daughter. There is a small part of me that feels for her because the lack of support from her family, from doctors, from her employers was just heartbreaking. If I had attempted suicide my parents would have been relentless in their quest to help me and support me through my recovery - even if I did it today at age 44. Julie's parent's found it easier to maintain their image and sweep what happened under the rug. The one part of Julie's interview that I found unbelievable was her description of her father. To me, he was just as much of a monster as her mother and Chuck, not the loving but passive father she portrayed. I think the best thing Julie could have done was move far far away from her parents as soon as she legally could, just as her brother did.

[Monica Boote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Likely one of the most poorly written books I have ever read. Not only should the mother not have profited from this book - the author shouldn't have either. Telling the story isn't enough to help others (as was the author's "intent"); the book needed connections to the lack of social and mental health resources, law enforcement, and justice system. While the abuse she witnessed and experienced are described, the connections are not made very well and in no way was I able to get a real glimpse /understanding of why she did what she did. In some ways I understand the book is based on the authors research and his interviews with the mother - but there is an entire side of the story that isn't included - from others perspectives that would have given more credibility to the book.

Seriously the worst reading experience. I should have abandoned it after the first chapter.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This must have been a very hard story to write. Julie is a real person, but she could just as easily be a compiling of the numerous people who suffer from abuse and addiction. Something that seems prevalent if not rampant these days. The author tells Julie's life story. a woman who had three husbands and two children. In a tragic event Julie commits the most unthinkable crime I could imagine. This book is a look at the maybe's behind what happened and hopefully will help people stuck in a situation like the woman's in this book.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sad story, but it does give you a bit of insight into where Julie's mind was and what was going on for her to do such an unspeakable act

[nikki flanary · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Tragedy We Must Educate

Carey Allen Stone immersed himself in a tragically emotional interview following Julie's unthinkable act. This is a straight forward, open, honest, truthful account on Julie's part, to tell her story with the only motivation being to spare tragedy from recurring.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and touching story, but I don't know how much I really learned or took away from it. Still, I finished it and it's stayed in my mind.

[Jessyca Garcia]

Cary Allen Stone’s book “Through a Mother's Eyes: A True Crime Story” is the true story of Julie, a mother who murdered her child. Stone did not write this story to gain sympathy for Julie or for people to hate Julie. Stone wrote this book so people can maybe understand what was going through Julie’s mind when she committed the crime.
Stone has an interesting writing style for writing true crime. She states only the facts, tells the backstory of the murderer and gives the murderer a chance to explain why they did what they did. By Stone writing the book like this, it gives the reader a chance to ask themselves what they would have done if they were in Julie’s situation. “Through a Mother's Eyes: A True Crime Story” is not an easy read. After reading this I can say I do not like Julie but I can kind of see why she did what she did. However there is still no excuse for her to murder her child. I believe her upbringing had a lot to do with why she murdered her child. This is why I believe that other people hold blame as to what was done to her son Charley. I was surprised that Chuck tried to help Julie after she murdered Charley. I thought that this was a well written book. Although after finishing it I was left with a deep sadness for Charley. The way Julie murdered him was brutal in my eyes and I had a hard time getting thoughts of it out of my head. This book is not for everyone. If you like reading true crime than you might like to read this book.
*I reviewed this book for Readers' Favorite

[Megan Fritz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter of this book is a very worthy one, the story; fascinating. I thought the writing was rather haphazard and oddly put together. It was more a list of facts, gone over and over in different ways, than a cohesive story. I feel like the author was overly concerned with not making it an interesting, readable story, as if that would somehow make Julie a hero rather than a killer. A good editor could really help this book tremendously. My 3 rating is only for the technical problems with the writing and editing of this book.

This being said I found the low ratings n on goodreads to be confusing. people complained that no one should profit from this book, yet it's stated early on that Julie is not profiting at all, and I dont think the author is making big bucks off it either. Perhaps he's getting some of his gas money back from when he drove hundreds of miles to visit her, but not much more. Some also complained that there should be information on how to get help so that others in this situation might be saved from murdering their child. well, they obviously didn't even skim to the end, because there is a list of places to go for help. I really avoid rating books that I couldn't finish, and this is why. numerous people rated this book one star when they freely admitted they couldn't get past 15, 30 or 60% of story. You missed a lot. It's okay if you weren't that into it, but a 1 rating because you couldn't finish it (because you thought it didn't have things that it did have) is stupid.

[Ally Atherton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this but after about 12% of the way in I couldn't take it any more. It was complete and utter torture. It was worse than reading a legal handbook. It was nauseatingly boring.

Plus I have serious misgivings about the premise of the book. It was apparently written following formal interviews with a woman who killed her child. How do we know any of it is true and not just what the woman wanted us to think? Also the author who wrote this book was an old 'acquaintance' or an old friend of the woman who killed her child. How do we really know how biased the book is or if it was written simply to help with any future legal appeals?


In the end I couldn't sit through another page of this book and don't want to contribute to a future court appeal by reading and reviewing this book.

[Today We Did · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get through this book, stopping about a quarter of the way in. The subject matter could have been interesting, though horribly sad, had the writing been better executed. I found it to be a bit bland and disjointed in the telling.
Also, I'm normally a very empathetic person, but Julie's litany of mistakes and poor decisions was overwhelming. She failed Charley, and Ashley, but the authorities also failed them. And I just couldn't continue reading about a screwed up system that allowed Julie and Chuck to have multiple arrests, known drug and alcohol dependency, domestic violence, mental health issues, and still keep custody of the children. Where was the help for those kids before it escalated to a death?

[MaryEllen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is awful and idk why I read this much of it. I just stopped at 60%. The subject matter is interesting enough, but the presentation is completely factual, boring and disjointed. It reminded me of a bad college paper, mixed with the author's step-by-step account of his research and writing process. You would think that the interview with the murdering mother would be riveting. You would be wrong. I stopped in the middle of it. The questions were all over the place. The answers were all things that the author had already told us. I give up, I can't take it anymore.

[Heather Moyes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please get an editor! At first I was thinking maybe it was just a bad format for kindle which lead there to be no spaces between a lot of words. But then the repeated change of spelling between Charley and Charlie was just inexcusable.
The first 50% of the book was just detailed information. Extremely boring. The second part of the book was a conversion between the author and the murderer which was more interesting.
I wouldn't recommend the book.

[Heather Moyes]

Please get an editor

At first I was thinking maybe it was just a bad format for kindle which lead there to be no spaces between a lot of words. But then the repeated change of spelling between Charley and Charlie was just inexcusable.
The first 50% of the book was just detailed information. Extremely boring. The second part of the book was a conversion between the author and the murderer which was more interesting.
I wouldn't recommend the book.

[Rachel Livingstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

Interesting take on a mother taking her sons life. A bit hard to read and feel sympathy. However, remaining open minded helps the reader take in all the information and understand the purpose is to prevent future deaths of innocent children. As well as helping women and children that have been subjected to domestic violence.

[Elizabeth Maher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!

Author has you so involved in the story because the author wrote the story with compassion and without judgements. The author has given true insight of domestic abuse, drug use, and the lack of support from the community. The right kind of support could have saved Charley's life. Now a little life has been taken God bless Charley and keep him safe.

[Jena Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frightening view of true desperation.

The writer gets in. Emotion deep. Wades through the opinion, the pain, the fear, the ridicule and every tormented year. Fishes for answers that some of us wish weren't real, weren't as obvious as the nose on our faces. Sometimes it's easier to turn a blind eye. Unless you're this writer. Then blindness burns your soul to the core.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing at first, then got interesting

This is a book for someone who may be going through domestic abuse and has children. Starts out with the situation already happening,which made me confused. When u get to middle, then comes the reasoning, kind of...

[Darrell Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different story about a mother's desperate decision. Very moving and very sad that she thought she was her son's only savior.

A very difficult book to read. Too bad she didn't get help earlier in her life. Her family background was a hindrance to her sanity.

[Cyndy Perez · Rating 2 out of 5]

started off good... then got to legal for me.... couldn't finish it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad

It is a tragic story. I feel sorry for Julie, but on the other hand I have a hard time understanding that she thought killing him was his best option.

[PEGGIE BAKER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, but sad.

The story held my interest, but there were several typing errors. Some words ran together. Too bad Julie had no real support.

[Rikyah Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt

I liked this book because it was raw. Julie's story is one that a lot of women deal with in today's society.

[MARY Stepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good documentary

A good book for all people to read. Ignore the run together words and punctuation and focus on the cry for help that a lot of men and women seek.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not written well. There were many grammatical errors and it kept changing between past and present tense which made it very choppy.