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Bébé
Mary Kinsey makes a decision to walk home alone after a night on the town, and the consequences will change her life forever. After surviving a violent attack, she locks herself away in her house, fearing the world and everything in it.
“She hated the rapist with a fervour that petrified her, and she was shocked at the intensity of these new feelings, and at how easily they came. She hated him for making her scared of other people, whom she had once loved unquestioningly. She hated him for making her fear the darkness again, something she hadn’t feared since childhood. Hated him for the way she jumped at each new sound in the house, at every creak of settling wood, at the windy whisperings in the chimney. But most of all, she hated him for making her pregnant.”
And into her world comes a child. Her child.
He will not drink her milk.
He never smiles.
It seems, for all the world, as though the child hates her.
“She hated the rapist with a fervour that petrified her, and she was shocked at the intensity of these new feelings, and at how easily they came. She hated him for making her scared of other people, whom she had once loved unquestioningly. She hated him for making her fear the darkness again, something she hadn’t feared since childhood. Hated him for the way she jumped at each new sound in the house, at every creak of settling wood, at the windy whisperings in the chimney. But most of all, she hated him for making her pregnant.”
And into her world comes a child. Her child.
He will not drink her milk.
He never smiles.
It seems, for all the world, as though the child hates her.
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2012
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 27, 2016
Mary Kinsey is at the wrong place at the wrong time when she crosses paths with a deranged, suicidal man. Angry that she has interrupted his cowardly escape, he assaults and rapes her.
"Her brain felt violated also, and she could almost imagine the ridges of grey matter caked and pitted with the grime he’d spurted inside her."
The ensuing pregnancy is a constant reminder of the brutality, causing Mary to despise her unborn child.
"She would make this monster suffer, just as its vile father had made her suffer, and would make its pain so bad that one day the child would shrivel and crawl howling from her vagina, pleading for mercy."
When Bébé is born, her bitter feelings fade in an instant as she falls in love with her new baby. Unfortunately for Mary, motherhood will provide even greater trials and tribulations as she copes with an infant who is a bit...unusual. Bébé's penchant for wickedness escalates as he gets older.
"Bébé discovered fire at five years of age."
Let me tell you, he would have discovered it a lot sooner if I had to deal with him...and I'd be the one introducing it! Sounds harsh, I know. But that Bébé knows how to try your patience!
This story is very well-written and entertaining. My biggest problem with this book is that it ended so abruptly. It was definitely engrossing, but seemed unfinished. I would have liked to know more about Bébé's fate. I hope the author will consider writing a sequel.
"Her brain felt violated also, and she could almost imagine the ridges of grey matter caked and pitted with the grime he’d spurted inside her."
The ensuing pregnancy is a constant reminder of the brutality, causing Mary to despise her unborn child.
"She would make this monster suffer, just as its vile father had made her suffer, and would make its pain so bad that one day the child would shrivel and crawl howling from her vagina, pleading for mercy."
When Bébé is born, her bitter feelings fade in an instant as she falls in love with her new baby. Unfortunately for Mary, motherhood will provide even greater trials and tribulations as she copes with an infant who is a bit...unusual. Bébé's penchant for wickedness escalates as he gets older.
"Bébé discovered fire at five years of age."
Let me tell you, he would have discovered it a lot sooner if I had to deal with him...and I'd be the one introducing it! Sounds harsh, I know. But that Bébé knows how to try your patience!
This story is very well-written and entertaining. My biggest problem with this book is that it ended so abruptly. It was definitely engrossing, but seemed unfinished. I would have liked to know more about Bébé's fate. I hope the author will consider writing a sequel.
August 31, 2012
This can’t be called an enjoyable book; it’s horrifying and fascinating though. It begins late at night with a man so desperate and angry that he wishes to take his own life but is distracted by a passing woman. His rage is further fuelled because he believes she is flaunting her sexuality. As a result of a violent rape, a boy is born, Bebe. It appears that violent anger begets more of the same. We watch from the sidelines in horror as the surging rage of the child’s relationship with its mother becomes overwhelming.
Steve Roach often pushes at the boundaries of destructive relationships. It makes for the sort of book from which you can’t look away – like a road accident. As I said, it's wrong to say it's enjoyable, showing as it does, scenes of abuse. It's a hard book to put down though! It's definitely worth a read.
Steve Roach often pushes at the boundaries of destructive relationships. It makes for the sort of book from which you can’t look away – like a road accident. As I said, it's wrong to say it's enjoyable, showing as it does, scenes of abuse. It's a hard book to put down though! It's definitely worth a read.
October 15, 2012
'Bébé' is not a holiday read. Although, I did actually read the book on holiday! It is a harrowing account of a child coming into the world and being brought up; the child is the result of a rape.
The book raises interesting questions and the way the mother behaves towards her child is shocking but perhaps understandable. The baby is obviously innocent but the mother is scarred from her rape, so the reader must decide how far her actions towards the child can be rationalised.
The child's abuse cannot be condoned, yet I really felt for the mother. 'We need to talk about Kevin' springs to mind in dealing with a difficult child. How much is the mother to blame in the way her child behaves?
It's a tough book but very readable, compelling and extremely well-written.
The book raises interesting questions and the way the mother behaves towards her child is shocking but perhaps understandable. The baby is obviously innocent but the mother is scarred from her rape, so the reader must decide how far her actions towards the child can be rationalised.
The child's abuse cannot be condoned, yet I really felt for the mother. 'We need to talk about Kevin' springs to mind in dealing with a difficult child. How much is the mother to blame in the way her child behaves?
It's a tough book but very readable, compelling and extremely well-written.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews