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Betty's Child
In the tradition of Frank McCourt and "Angela's Ashes," Donald Dempsey chronicles one boy's ordeals with poverty, religion, and physical and mental abuse as he attempts to come of age with only his street smarts and sense of humor to guide him.
Twelve-year-old Donny is a real-life cross between Huckleberry Finn and Holden Caulfield. Donny is doing his best to navigate the world he shares with his cruel and neglectful mother, his mother's abusive boyfriends, churchgoers who want to save Donny's soul, and a best friend who wants Donny to go to work for a dangerous local thug doing petty theft and dealing drugs.
Donny does everything he can to take care of himself and his younger brothers, but with each new development, the present becomes more fraught with peril--and the future more uncertain.
"Heartrending and humorous. In scene after vivid scene, Dempsey presents his inspiring true story with accomplished style. Dempsey's discipline as a writer lends the real-life tale the feel of a fictional page-turner." Kirkus Reviews
"This memoir is for everyone who has ever known someone abandoned, someone unloved, someone with barriers that seem impenetrable. With wit and delicacy, Dempsey exposes wounds that we would prefer to ignore, without ever pushing the reader away with any sense of melodrama. A truly unforgettable memoir." San Francisco Book Review
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An estimated 700,000 children are victims of child maltreatment in the United States each year: 78% suffer neglect, 18% are physically abuse, 9% are sexually abused, 8% are psychologically maltreated, and an astonishing 78% suffer neglect. (Source: National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System)
Don Dempsey experienced childhood abuse and neglect first hand, but went on to find business success and a fulfilling family life as an adult. "If you're lucky, you make it to adulthood in one piece," says Don. "But there's no guarantee the rest of your life is going to be any better. Abused kids are often plagued by fear and insecurity. They battle depression and have trouble with relationships. In the worst cases, abused children perpetuate the cycle."
But Don is living proof that you can overcome a childhood of abuse and neglect. "You start by letting go of as much of the guilt (yes, abused kids feel guilty) and as many of the bad memories as possible. At the same time, you hold on to the things that helped you survive. For me, it was the belief that you can make life better by working at it and earning it. It helps to have a sense of humor, too."
Some of Don's experiences will make you cringe, but you'll want to keep reading because of Don's natural storytelling ability and sense of humor. And in the end, you'll appreciate hearing Don's inspiring story.
Twelve-year-old Donny is a real-life cross between Huckleberry Finn and Holden Caulfield. Donny is doing his best to navigate the world he shares with his cruel and neglectful mother, his mother's abusive boyfriends, churchgoers who want to save Donny's soul, and a best friend who wants Donny to go to work for a dangerous local thug doing petty theft and dealing drugs.
Donny does everything he can to take care of himself and his younger brothers, but with each new development, the present becomes more fraught with peril--and the future more uncertain.
"Heartrending and humorous. In scene after vivid scene, Dempsey presents his inspiring true story with accomplished style. Dempsey's discipline as a writer lends the real-life tale the feel of a fictional page-turner." Kirkus Reviews
"This memoir is for everyone who has ever known someone abandoned, someone unloved, someone with barriers that seem impenetrable. With wit and delicacy, Dempsey exposes wounds that we would prefer to ignore, without ever pushing the reader away with any sense of melodrama. A truly unforgettable memoir." San Francisco Book Review
--
An estimated 700,000 children are victims of child maltreatment in the United States each year: 78% suffer neglect, 18% are physically abuse, 9% are sexually abused, 8% are psychologically maltreated, and an astonishing 78% suffer neglect. (Source: National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System)
Don Dempsey experienced childhood abuse and neglect first hand, but went on to find business success and a fulfilling family life as an adult. "If you're lucky, you make it to adulthood in one piece," says Don. "But there's no guarantee the rest of your life is going to be any better. Abused kids are often plagued by fear and insecurity. They battle depression and have trouble with relationships. In the worst cases, abused children perpetuate the cycle."
But Don is living proof that you can overcome a childhood of abuse and neglect. "You start by letting go of as much of the guilt (yes, abused kids feel guilty) and as many of the bad memories as possible. At the same time, you hold on to the things that helped you survive. For me, it was the belief that you can make life better by working at it and earning it. It helps to have a sense of humor, too."
Some of Don's experiences will make you cringe, but you'll want to keep reading because of Don's natural storytelling ability and sense of humor. And in the end, you'll appreciate hearing Don's inspiring story.
436 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2009
31 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 22, 2013
Many have used the conditions of their childhood -- various types of abuses, constant moves, dependency on welfare, parents who don't work, changing schools constantly -- to explain the path their lives have taken. I have struggled to understand this victim mentality when there are ways to detour from what has been, to take mistakes we've seen in action and turn them around.
Donald Dempsey believed all his tormented, anguished days that he could do just that. Turn life around and approach the better way.
Victim to his mother, Betty's, many vices -- liquor, men, fraud, scamming the church, and more -- Donny's life was never an easy ride. Cast in the role of parent as the oldest of three boys, Donny sorted out how to make do at an early age without income, constant moves because the rent is long past due, and another new boyfriend who may or may not particularly like children, not to mention the dog. If that isn't enough, Donny attempts to fit in at school every time a move comes along and tries to find a place with friends. And even that turns in the wrong direction.
Donny watches all this from a place I'm not sure I could find if I were in his circumstances. Early on he mentions that his room is the only organized and neat space in their living quarters, and Donny spends long hours in that room wishing. Wishing for something better, a new life. Attempting to understand the mother love that is expressed verbally and how Betty, as their mother, can neglect and torment her children by allowing them to go hungry, cold and mistreated by her male friends is a concept Donny wrestles with constantly. Even the pastor who tries to befriend Donny accuses him of lying about his mother when Donny's courage pushes him to tell the pastor about his mother's scamming the church. His room, where the door is kept closed and often locked, is his haven where Donny attempts to understand life, religion and his mother.
Evidently Dempsey was extremely mature in his early teens to assume the roles necessary to survive this nightmarish childhood. At times, I set this book aside because as a parent I couldn't bear to read what this mother was doing to her children. Dempsey writes with raw and graphic honesty in gripping scenes that tore at the core of my heart. I found myself wanting to reach through the pages and rescue these boys, especially Donny.
Dempsey writes his story in a way that young Donny's sometimes wry and engaging sense of humor makes it all just a bit more bearable to read. That Donny is the one I fell in love with -- smart, funny, sometimes savvy beyond his years. I knew he could make it just because not all of Donny was wrapped up in fear. A light shines through that says I'm never going to live like this again, I will be a better parent, I want to be a better man than the ones who've come in and out like a swinging door.
Sometimes people take what life has dealt them and out of the detritus of what other people have caused, they build a new way, a new life that far exceeds perhaps even their own expectations. This is what I believe happened in Donald Dempsey's life.
Recommendation: I highly recommend this memoir to those writing their own story as Dempsey's writing style is evocative of the voice that so many of us struggle to develop when writing from our childhood stories. He has captured the essence of that 12-year old boy fighting to survive. Others who interact with abused and neglected children will also find this to be an eye onto the world of one boy who suffered more than any one life should have to experience.
Note: I received a complimentary copy from WOW! Women on Writing in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Donald Dempsey believed all his tormented, anguished days that he could do just that. Turn life around and approach the better way.
Victim to his mother, Betty's, many vices -- liquor, men, fraud, scamming the church, and more -- Donny's life was never an easy ride. Cast in the role of parent as the oldest of three boys, Donny sorted out how to make do at an early age without income, constant moves because the rent is long past due, and another new boyfriend who may or may not particularly like children, not to mention the dog. If that isn't enough, Donny attempts to fit in at school every time a move comes along and tries to find a place with friends. And even that turns in the wrong direction.
Donny watches all this from a place I'm not sure I could find if I were in his circumstances. Early on he mentions that his room is the only organized and neat space in their living quarters, and Donny spends long hours in that room wishing. Wishing for something better, a new life. Attempting to understand the mother love that is expressed verbally and how Betty, as their mother, can neglect and torment her children by allowing them to go hungry, cold and mistreated by her male friends is a concept Donny wrestles with constantly. Even the pastor who tries to befriend Donny accuses him of lying about his mother when Donny's courage pushes him to tell the pastor about his mother's scamming the church. His room, where the door is kept closed and often locked, is his haven where Donny attempts to understand life, religion and his mother.
Evidently Dempsey was extremely mature in his early teens to assume the roles necessary to survive this nightmarish childhood. At times, I set this book aside because as a parent I couldn't bear to read what this mother was doing to her children. Dempsey writes with raw and graphic honesty in gripping scenes that tore at the core of my heart. I found myself wanting to reach through the pages and rescue these boys, especially Donny.
Dempsey writes his story in a way that young Donny's sometimes wry and engaging sense of humor makes it all just a bit more bearable to read. That Donny is the one I fell in love with -- smart, funny, sometimes savvy beyond his years. I knew he could make it just because not all of Donny was wrapped up in fear. A light shines through that says I'm never going to live like this again, I will be a better parent, I want to be a better man than the ones who've come in and out like a swinging door.
Sometimes people take what life has dealt them and out of the detritus of what other people have caused, they build a new way, a new life that far exceeds perhaps even their own expectations. This is what I believe happened in Donald Dempsey's life.
Recommendation: I highly recommend this memoir to those writing their own story as Dempsey's writing style is evocative of the voice that so many of us struggle to develop when writing from our childhood stories. He has captured the essence of that 12-year old boy fighting to survive. Others who interact with abused and neglected children will also find this to be an eye onto the world of one boy who suffered more than any one life should have to experience.
Note: I received a complimentary copy from WOW! Women on Writing in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 26, 2013
Excellent book...I couldn't put it down. I would love to know the rest of the story. What happened to Betty, Terry....What was life like for Donny at his father's?
September 7, 2013
Donald Dempsey writes with such piercing honesty and graphic scenic detail in this debut memoir that I had a hard time initially getting into his story. It wasn’t that his story was not engaging, it was that the subject matter was so painfully raw, it made me feel uncomfortable. How could a mother continually neglect and abuse her three sons to serve her own demented needs and furthermore, how could a preteen have the maturity, resilience and even a sense of humor to counteract her manipulations and insanity? As in Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes, the reader can taste and feel the sense of poverty and despair as Donny struggles to grow and develop in an environment that is emotionally and physically-abusive not only as a result of his mother’s instability but also from the steady stream of undesirable men she brings home.
Through it all, I become increasingly more attached to Donny as a spunky twelve-year-old who is doing his best with what he has. His strength of character comes out in many ways as he navigates around the dangerous, drug-infested neighborhood , fighting off bullies. Donny serves as the protector for his younger brothers and learns to fend for himself, often skipping school and getting involved in stealing. A church member and his wife attempt to help Donny find God and although he resists, he ends up reluctantly participating in the rituals. The degree of insanity, neglect and abuse from his mother continues while she manipulates the church and its people to help support the family. This further enables her to continue in her scams and the neglect of her children. When Donny tries to confide his mother’s scamming habits to the pastor, the pastor sides with his mother and accuses Donny of being the instigator of his mother’s problems.
Dempsey recounts several horrific events with such passion and feelings of grief that I felt bereft and despairing right along with him. There is something within Donny’s character though that lurks in the background, a foreshadowing of hope for a better life someday. Donny’s character is resilient and resourceful and he shows a compassion and sense of humor that allows him to overcome any obstacle. He does not sugar-coat any of the abusive events he has had to face and he admits that some of the events in his life still have an impact on him. Rather he shows that despite even the most horrific circumstances, one can endure and go on to live a full and stable life.
Betty’s Child is an honest and believable portrait of what child abuse, neglect and poverty look and feel like to a child. It also delivers a message of hope and healing that one can overcome childhood abuse. The sensory details, authentic dialogue and honest reflections make this a gripping debut memoir.
Through it all, I become increasingly more attached to Donny as a spunky twelve-year-old who is doing his best with what he has. His strength of character comes out in many ways as he navigates around the dangerous, drug-infested neighborhood , fighting off bullies. Donny serves as the protector for his younger brothers and learns to fend for himself, often skipping school and getting involved in stealing. A church member and his wife attempt to help Donny find God and although he resists, he ends up reluctantly participating in the rituals. The degree of insanity, neglect and abuse from his mother continues while she manipulates the church and its people to help support the family. This further enables her to continue in her scams and the neglect of her children. When Donny tries to confide his mother’s scamming habits to the pastor, the pastor sides with his mother and accuses Donny of being the instigator of his mother’s problems.
Dempsey recounts several horrific events with such passion and feelings of grief that I felt bereft and despairing right along with him. There is something within Donny’s character though that lurks in the background, a foreshadowing of hope for a better life someday. Donny’s character is resilient and resourceful and he shows a compassion and sense of humor that allows him to overcome any obstacle. He does not sugar-coat any of the abusive events he has had to face and he admits that some of the events in his life still have an impact on him. Rather he shows that despite even the most horrific circumstances, one can endure and go on to live a full and stable life.
Betty’s Child is an honest and believable portrait of what child abuse, neglect and poverty look and feel like to a child. It also delivers a message of hope and healing that one can overcome childhood abuse. The sensory details, authentic dialogue and honest reflections make this a gripping debut memoir.
June 14, 2013
Simply read this book! I normally read dark fiction/horror (this is not horror), but this one scared me, made me angry, and darn near made me cry. It's the true story of a little boy who grew up in severe poverty, and how it affected him and his little brothers.
If you ever feel yourself down about things not going right in your life, read this book...then count your blessings.
If you ever feel yourself down about things not going right in your life, read this book...then count your blessings.
May 9, 2013
It is very difficult to 'like' a book that is the true story of a child who is literally tortured by his mother and her circle of friends. My heart breaks for Mr. Dempsey and his brothers. How courageous to put your story into words for others to scrutinize. I shed tears of anger and sorrow.
Want to read
July 7, 2015What a story! This memoir chronicles young Donny’s life with his abusive, con artist mother, Betty. We see Donny at age 12 being forced to take care of his younger brothers as his mother brings in a string of loser boyfriends, runs scams which are constantly putting them on the run from the law, and neglects her children. They live in a bad neighborhood where Danny befriends Tommy and learns to live a life of petty crime that gets increasingly worse with each crime and theft they commit.
While Donny’s childhood was obviously no walk in the park and was really quite depressing, his story was just so interesting that it read like a novel. Even though he had his bad moments, he loved his brothers whom he reluctantly cared for, and had a faithful friend in his dog, Benji, who helped him through (even after one of the abusive boyfriends kicked Benji and beat Donny). While this story is mostly depressing, Donny is quite funny in telling his story at times. His comebacks and one-liners to his friends are priceless and witty. He could obviously think fast on his feet which seemed to get him out of trouble a lot of the time.
This is probably one of the best memoirs I have read. At times, I didn’t want to put it down and stayed up late reading it to see what kind of trouble Donny would get into next, and while it was a bit long, I still didn’t want it to end. This is a fantastic story and if he writes another book or memoir, I’ll be the first in line to read it! I highly recommend this one for all fans of memoirs.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While Donny’s childhood was obviously no walk in the park and was really quite depressing, his story was just so interesting that it read like a novel. Even though he had his bad moments, he loved his brothers whom he reluctantly cared for, and had a faithful friend in his dog, Benji, who helped him through (even after one of the abusive boyfriends kicked Benji and beat Donny). While this story is mostly depressing, Donny is quite funny in telling his story at times. His comebacks and one-liners to his friends are priceless and witty. He could obviously think fast on his feet which seemed to get him out of trouble a lot of the time.
This is probably one of the best memoirs I have read. At times, I didn’t want to put it down and stayed up late reading it to see what kind of trouble Donny would get into next, and while it was a bit long, I still didn’t want it to end. This is a fantastic story and if he writes another book or memoir, I’ll be the first in line to read it! I highly recommend this one for all fans of memoirs.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2013
This true story is at once brutal, poignant, and humorous. The author describes two years of his life at ages 12 and 13, living in squalor and chaos with his two brothers, his sociopathic con-artist mother Betty, and two of her endless string of loser boyfriends.
Young Donny is mature for his age, not by choice, but by necessity. He often has to care for his two little brothers, and lives on the fence, trying to balance his life as a young boy with his alter-life a thief and con-artist in training himself. He's a deft wisecracker, which keeps him in constant and ofter violent hot water with his mother and her boyfriends, but even though he swears he hates Betty and wants to get as far away from her as possible, the little boy inside sometimes feels otherwise, and even guilty, as abused children often do. Add to this a manipulative preacher who forces Donny to give it up for Christ, and you've got quite a story.
This was a real page-turner for me, and I was sorry when it ended that I wouldn't get to hang out with Donny for a while longer. I was also left wondering whatever happened to Betty, who after a spell in jail, went right back to her old tricks.
Kudos to the author for a gripping, well-written book.
Young Donny is mature for his age, not by choice, but by necessity. He often has to care for his two little brothers, and lives on the fence, trying to balance his life as a young boy with his alter-life a thief and con-artist in training himself. He's a deft wisecracker, which keeps him in constant and ofter violent hot water with his mother and her boyfriends, but even though he swears he hates Betty and wants to get as far away from her as possible, the little boy inside sometimes feels otherwise, and even guilty, as abused children often do. Add to this a manipulative preacher who forces Donny to give it up for Christ, and you've got quite a story.
This was a real page-turner for me, and I was sorry when it ended that I wouldn't get to hang out with Donny for a while longer. I was also left wondering whatever happened to Betty, who after a spell in jail, went right back to her old tricks.
Kudos to the author for a gripping, well-written book.
June 26, 2013
I feel strongly that even someone with a difficult background can change their path. Often times it's difficult and takes the help of someone who cares, but I've just never bought into the victim mentality of "I was abused so I'm going to be an abuser when I grow up". Maybe that's what drew me to Donald Dempsey's memoir Betty's Child. I'm not going to lie; some parts were difficult to read. As a parent I hug my children tighter after reading Dempsey's story of a neglectful childhood with a cruel mother. I became so absorbed in his story that I would have crawled right into the book if I could have; I just wanted to hold that little boy and tell him that I loved him.
Dempsey's sense of humor really pushed me through the tough chapters. I'm sure that same sense of humor is what got him through those tough years. I would recommend this book to others because it really is a testament to where you can go in life if you put your mind to it and put a little laughter into things. Dempsey has a good family life and a successful career. Things could very easily have turned out much differently for him. It's great that he can share his story with others. Betty's Child is very inspirational and a book I will keep on my shelf to read again and share with others.
Dempsey's sense of humor really pushed me through the tough chapters. I'm sure that same sense of humor is what got him through those tough years. I would recommend this book to others because it really is a testament to where you can go in life if you put your mind to it and put a little laughter into things. Dempsey has a good family life and a successful career. Things could very easily have turned out much differently for him. It's great that he can share his story with others. Betty's Child is very inspirational and a book I will keep on my shelf to read again and share with others.
December 31, 2020
I have to say, I really loved this book. I had a little trouble getting into it at first, but my patience paid off and once I was in I was hooked. Once I finished, I really missed young Donny's voice. Some of the things in this book made me laugh out loud, some made me cry and the mother in me wanted to find little Donny and his brothers and kick their mother''s a$$, give them a hug, and clean their house, In that order. In the description of the book here it is compared to Angela's Ashes and I have to admit, when I read that I was skeptical and I thought it was a really lofty claim, as Angela's Ashes is one of my favorite books. Once I finished this book, I had to agree: it is similar in some ways and just as well written. In both books, your narrator and main character have very distinctive voices, in so much as not only can I hear them and picture them in my head, but if you laid out their voices for me and didn't tell me who they were, I would know. Very well written, very raw, funny, heartbreaking and hopeful. I would love to see this book in movie form. I can completely picture this all in my mind as a great movie. I would love to see Donald write a sequel, as I would love to see what happened after.
December 3, 2013
Donny’s mother Betty is a mess. She’s a con artist, a compulsive liar, a neglectful, horrible mother who brings home loser boyfriends that abuse her kids. Donny is often left to take care of his two younger brothers even though he is just a kid himself. They live in a rough neighborhood where Donny and his street friends turn to small-time crime and working late nights in a bar to earn money. As if it weren’t bad enough that his mother barely provides for him, she takes from him the little money he makes on his own. “My mother was like a ghetto IRS, always demanding a chunk of anything I managed to earn.” Betty has boyfriends who beat up on her kids, and yet she is consumed with keeping the losers around. She lies, manipulates, cheats and steals. The book is filled with ugly Betty moments, and yet underneath it all is the unexpected beauty of this resilient child hanging onto the tiniest hope that one day, he could be more.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews (dot) com.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews (dot) com.
May 14, 2013
This book is absolutely heartbreaking yet parts are so funny I had to laugh out loud. A true testament to the strength of the human spirit and the will to survive unthinkable hardships. I love Donald's writing style; it is especially refreshing to see the next chapters turn over to another piece of the story instead of a drawn out transition. Truly talented writer and amazing man-the love he had for his brothers and how he looked after them growing up is tremendous. Already reading again. You will fall in love with Donny and his pals and develop a seething hatred for his mother and the unthinkable things she caused these three children to endure. I so hope Donald Dempsey will write another book!
May 5, 2013
I agree with other reviewers: once you start reading this book, you just can't stop. There is something so compelling with this writer's voice. His underlying humor at the worst of circumstances makes you root for this boy, and makes you want to slap the taste out of Betty's mouth. Fresh, original, visceral, and mesmerizing. I just hope he writes more.
May 26, 2013
I stayed up late a couple of nights trying to finish this. The only criticism I have is that I want to read more. I hope Donald continues his story as this includes only a small part of his interesting childhood.
May 28, 2013
I really liked the author's writing style, especially when he wrote about his thoughts. I would definitely recommend this book. Great story of courage!
June 8, 2013
One of the most well written books I have ever read. It was a pleasure, Donny.
June 15, 2013
Poignant and real. Humorous and sad. You don't know if you should laugh or cry. The story is true and haunts you after reading it.
May 7, 2020
This is one of the best memoirs I've read. It's long, 400 plus pages and kept me engaged throughout, chomping at the bit to find out what was going to happen next. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. Now that I've finished, it still lingers in my thoughts. I'd read anything he writes in the future. He puts you right in the scene, pretty much throughout the whole book, writing a reality-based story of poverty, child abuse, and neglect in the year of a twelve/thirteen-year-old. This illustrates why kids shut down and become hardened. Heart-breaking and brave.
Please more, Mr. Dempsey. Write another memoir telling us how this kind of abuse and neglect affected you as an adult. The last chapter addresses an overview of some of this, BUT, I'd love to know the obstacles and challenges you and your brothers faced in a story. You are a very talented writer.
I'm writing my own memoir on the same subject and I hope to be this good. I think the editors could have done a better job, but this is a minor issue of a few scenes needing better transitions.
Please more, Mr. Dempsey. Write another memoir telling us how this kind of abuse and neglect affected you as an adult. The last chapter addresses an overview of some of this, BUT, I'd love to know the obstacles and challenges you and your brothers faced in a story. You are a very talented writer.
I'm writing my own memoir on the same subject and I hope to be this good. I think the editors could have done a better job, but this is a minor issue of a few scenes needing better transitions.
July 31, 2019
Wow!
I have never read a book before that I literally had to take pauses from to collect my feelings. I have read a lot of books, covering many subjects, but this book hit home in a lot of uncomfortable ways.
I have never read a book before that I literally had to take pauses from to collect my feelings. I have read a lot of books, covering many subjects, but this book hit home in a lot of uncomfortable ways.
December 24, 2022
Stunning writing
A richly described memoir. I sat reading and was in tears, red with anger and even had a little laughter throughout. This work came from such a deep place.
A richly described memoir. I sat reading and was in tears, red with anger and even had a little laughter throughout. This work came from such a deep place.
December 21, 2013
Betty's Child is aptly named, as it summarizes the author's overt relationship with his mother, as a young boy growing up in a home with a neglectful mother. The author narrates his own life story via the prematurely wizened voice of a young boy who was forced to take on the responsibility of absent parents; although `Betty' lived in the home and kept various men in her bed, Betty was never a true mother figure, nor were the men substitutes for Donny's absent father, whose abandonment left a hole in Donny's heart.
Donny presents as a highly intelligent child whose ambitions in life were stifled by the environment he was forced to live in, but his indomitable strength of character, even as a child, shone through. Donny's wit and skillful use of language as an adult author has made this book a work to be noticed.
The allusion to how his life was virtually the antithesis of a Norman Rockwell scene is no doubt part of the inspiration behind the unique cover design. I was not a fan of the cover until I realized the cover was also a significant part of this story.
This book lends insight into the minds of abused children as they struggle to survive and it is also a testament to the fact that resilient children often become stronger adults as a result. We must not forget the damage that is done, or the fact that child abuse destroys lives and robs children of their childhoods. This author has done a remarkable job at depicting the agony of his childhood through the lens of resilience and triumph. Betty's Child is aptly named, as it summarizes the author's overt relationship with his mother, as a young boy growing up in a home with a neglectful mother. The author narrates his own life story via the prematurely wizened voice of a young boy who was forced to take on the responsibility of absent parents; although `Betty' lived in the home and kept various men in her bed, Betty was never a true mother figure, nor were the men substitutes for Donny's absent father, whose abandonment left a hole in Donny's heart.
Donny presents as a highly intelligent child whose ambitions in life were stifled by the environment he was forced to live in, but his indomitable strength of character, even as a child, shone through. Donny's wit and skillful use of language as an adult author has made this book a work to be noticed.
The allusion to how his life was virtually the antithesis of a Norman Rockwell scene is no doubt part of the inspiration behind the unique cover design. I was not a fan of the cover until I realized the cover was also a significant part of this story.
This book lends insight into the minds of abused children as they struggle to survive and it is also a testament to the fact that resilient children often become stronger adults as a result. We must not forget the damage that is done, or the fact that child abuse destroys lives and robs children of their childhoods. This author has done a remarkable job at depicting the agony of his childhood through the lens of resilience and triumph.
Donny presents as a highly intelligent child whose ambitions in life were stifled by the environment he was forced to live in, but his indomitable strength of character, even as a child, shone through. Donny's wit and skillful use of language as an adult author has made this book a work to be noticed.
The allusion to how his life was virtually the antithesis of a Norman Rockwell scene is no doubt part of the inspiration behind the unique cover design. I was not a fan of the cover until I realized the cover was also a significant part of this story.
This book lends insight into the minds of abused children as they struggle to survive and it is also a testament to the fact that resilient children often become stronger adults as a result. We must not forget the damage that is done, or the fact that child abuse destroys lives and robs children of their childhoods. This author has done a remarkable job at depicting the agony of his childhood through the lens of resilience and triumph. Betty's Child is aptly named, as it summarizes the author's overt relationship with his mother, as a young boy growing up in a home with a neglectful mother. The author narrates his own life story via the prematurely wizened voice of a young boy who was forced to take on the responsibility of absent parents; although `Betty' lived in the home and kept various men in her bed, Betty was never a true mother figure, nor were the men substitutes for Donny's absent father, whose abandonment left a hole in Donny's heart.
Donny presents as a highly intelligent child whose ambitions in life were stifled by the environment he was forced to live in, but his indomitable strength of character, even as a child, shone through. Donny's wit and skillful use of language as an adult author has made this book a work to be noticed.
The allusion to how his life was virtually the antithesis of a Norman Rockwell scene is no doubt part of the inspiration behind the unique cover design. I was not a fan of the cover until I realized the cover was also a significant part of this story.
This book lends insight into the minds of abused children as they struggle to survive and it is also a testament to the fact that resilient children often become stronger adults as a result. We must not forget the damage that is done, or the fact that child abuse destroys lives and robs children of their childhoods. This author has done a remarkable job at depicting the agony of his childhood through the lens of resilience and triumph.
March 7, 2014
The writer details what is, for the majority of readers, an unimaginable childhood. His mother’s priorities are not her children but instead working the system and trying to keep her abusive boyfriends interested in her. This leaves 12-year-old Donny responsible for his younger brothers, taking on the role of parent when he has no real role model to show him how. Donny’s need for adult guidance is evident, but his mistrust is so well-developed that only the most caring and genuine person could make a difference for him. The readers continues to wonder if this person could possibly come along to help a young boy who has humor, intelligence and compassion. The only criticism I admit is feeling Dempsey’s story has so much more. I eagerly await a continuation of this remarkable boy’s childhood and teenage years. Readers will connect with Dempsey because his pain and experiences are riveting and real. Readers will desperately want to see someone step in to give this boy the happy childhood he deserves.
May 8, 2013
I just started this book and am on page 64, I'm hooked!! Want to see what happens to Donny and his brothers as well as his Mom, Betty, and friends. I got a FREE copy of this Ebook at Amazon , found it here if you are interested. Thank you for Donald Dempsey for the chance to read your story.
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February 2, 2014I haven't finished this book yet, but i dont even care how it ends. It's been an enjoyable read that I race home from work for to continue reading. And when I got to chapter 17, I wanted to jump up and cheer when his mild mannered friend stood up for Donny and empowered him. Dempsey does an excellent job telling his story. I hope everything has turned out well for him and his family. (Good Reads wont let me rate this book. I plan to give it five stars.)
Currently reading
April 9, 2013I just started this book and already I'm hooked. I hope you will read it too! For those who are interested; here is the Amazon Kindle e-book link where I found it for free today.
August 13, 2016
I had a hard time getting in to this book. It seemed to drag a lot, and was somewhat repetitive. It was a VERY long memoir that covered just a few years of the author's life. And then the end just flew by. We never really learned what happened to the third brother. And somehow I must have missed that he was challenged in some way, because I didn't get that until the end.
May 30, 2013
Though the story line of this book was one that I often find a page turner, I found this book to carry on and on. It was well written however; sometimes too much of a good thing (detail after detail) isn't a good thing. Not a page turner for me!
August 13, 2013
Heart wrenching book. It was good tho. It is hard to read about abuse. It was well written! I love the fact that he didn't let the abuse and hard times ruin him and he was able to do something and not follow in the same foot steps as Betty! That is amazing.
January 5, 2014
I just loved Donny. He did not let his past dictate his future. This book brought to mind something that I heard decades ago: you may not be responsible for where you are from... but you are definitely responsible for where you are going.
March 20, 2014
Dempsey's writing kept me glued to his story. I look forward to reading more from Dempsey. And I'm placing hope that there will be another book that picks up where Betty's Child left off. I've thought about his life many times since finishing it. Well told.
March 16, 2013
A compelling story told in an original and very entertaining voice.
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