Saving Mary: The Possession

by Deidre Havrelock

If you’re a fan of supernatural fiction then you will be captivated by this true story about a spiritually sensitive girl and the path that led to her possession. Part one of a two-part series, Saving Mary is the story of a modern-day Mary Magdalene—the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.

Deidre Daily is drawn to anything seemingly spiritual, desperately seeking a spiritual existence. But inside this vibrant girl hides a terrified child who sincerely believes she has married the devil. Through a series of spiritual encounters her fear turns into reality, and she ends up possessed.

Deidre’s fascinating memoir relays her story from childhood to adolescence: invisible eyes leering at her from the corner of her bedroom, horrible nightmares tormenting her, and her desperate attempt to find God—only to end up possessed. It is a candid account of possession from a first-person perspective. This dark memoir brings to light an intricate world of deceitful spirits hell-bent on manipulating and damaging an innocent girl’s life, not only through her dreams, but also through seemingly every-day encounters.

Travel with Deidre into the mysterious world of spirits, ghosts and demons. Awaken yourself to a world that isn’t supposed to exist; a world that’s as intriguing as it is sinister. And then emerge as a new person—invigorated, aware and intent on living in the light. Saving Mary; Not just another story about a girl and her exorcist.

Watch for book two, Saving Mary: The Deliverance

206 pages, Audiobook

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

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Reviews

[ѦѺ™ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. - William Shakespeare, Hamlet (Act 1. Scene V)

Deidre Daily wages a battle each moment against her vivid nightmares, the presence of unseen eyes watching her and her family's domestic troubles. through her Ouija Board, Deidre finds escape from her predicament. little did she know that her games and intense desire to know more about the spirit world would lead her down the road to possession.
the book is written from a first-person perspective and it is interesting to note that as the story progresses, subtle changes in Ms. Havrelock's tone and prose become evident.
initially, one hears Deidre recounting her ordeal with the voice of an innocent and very frightened child. this changes to that of a teenager and later to that of an adult. as a counterpoint, sounds constantly heard are markedly emphasized and punctuated. i find these transitions (child to teen to adult) and use of onomatopoeia disturbing and arresting at the same time. they reflect Deidre's physical and mental state as she gets older and more involved in her quest to find God and understand the concepts of good and evil.
author Deidre D. Havrelock's spiritual memoir is more than just a chilling account of the events that plagued her childhood and adolescence. it is also a cautionary tale.
although i am both keeping an open mind and taking everthing with a grain of salt, this book's message should not be ignored. moreover, my curiosity has been piqued and i look forward to finding out in the next book how Ms. Havrelock's deliverance came about.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deidre really has something strange going on with her. She is trying to be more spiritual, but the spirits that come into her life aren’t exactly the kind most people would expect or hope for. The spirits that are coming to her are devilish.




The scary thing about this book is that it is a memoir. I really forgot I was reading a memoir when I was reading this book! I give Deidre a lot of credit for having to go through all of this and writing about her experiences.




I was anticipating what was going to happen at the end. When I got to the end, I was looking for more and some kind of big climax. That didn’t happen. I know there is going to be another book, so I will have to read that to see what happens I guess!




I didn’t realize all of this actually could take place in a person’s life. For sure this book was an interesting book to read!

[Masquerade Crew · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHARON'S REVIEW


This novel would be spellbinding even if it was a Science Fiction novel, but it's not fiction. It's a true account of author Deirdre (Daily) Havrelock's life, which makes it truly amazing. She saw ghosts, was followed by invisible entities, and felt things psychically that most people couldn't even fathom, let alone deal with. I'm sure that there's a lot more than she's willing or able to tell us, but as it is, the way she was treated growing up was horrific. No wonder she often prayed that she could just be normal, and be like every other kid she knew.

The thing is, she didn't feel like every other kid. She felt like a bag of dirty laundry in comparison to the others. She felt inferior because she was a child of mixed nationalities. Her Father is Irish, and her mother is Cree Indian. She was further traumatized by an alcoholic father who drank away whatever money came into the house. She and her brother sometimes went without lunch at school. He was a loving parent, but often absent when she needed him most. At Six years old she was sexually pawed by a male relative, which made her feel worse about herself.

She was psychically sensitive, so she could feel invisible entities following her around her whole life. They were like eyes in the corners, watching her wherever she went. I can't imagine how creepy that must have been for her as a child. When she was in high school, she became involved with a Transcendental Meditation group. Those sessions helped her get in touch with the psychic energy surrounding her. Unfortunately, two evil energies entered her during one of the sessions. They warred against each other for possession of her body. She was kicked out of the group for allowing evil into the room. There were more possessions after that, which the book goes into frightening detail about.

This story was riveting. I couldn't put it down. The beginning chapters dealt with her as a child so she wrote as a child would. She dropped the letter g off the ends of words, used slang and colloquialisms to give me the impression that the child herself was speaking to me from the pages. As she became older in the book, the language became more sophisticated, more adult. It was like I was reading her diary, hearing her voice as she grew up. I felt deep empathy for her, and what she went through. This is a fabulous read. It has all the ear marks of a blockbuster. I would highly recommend it. Unfortunately I haven't read the whole story yet. The sequel, Saving Mary – Deliverance isn't out yet. I can't wait.

[Rebecca Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeply spiritual book, even Christian, is not always about rays of golden sunshine and immediate answer to prayers. Sometimes the path of a Christian is extremely dark making the Valley of the Shadow of Death look bright and cheery. Ms. Deidre Havrelock explores her spiritual growth in her book, Saving Mary – The Possession.

As you can probably tell from the title, this Christian book will take you down a dark path. You follow a young girl who watches her parents’ marriage fall apart. You see her deal with unseemly behavior from men in her lives. Be prepared to have your heart break as you watch her seek God only to find the evil one.

Deidre finds herself the object of Satan’s desire. He wants her. She seeks God but gets confused as to who is the good guy and who is the bad. The deceptiveness of Satan is extraordinary.

This is a raw book. Ms. Havrelock does not sugar coat anything. She lays out what she sees and experiences with such words that you feel her pain in the book.

What was wrong with the book? It ended. I forgot this was book one. She ended it with me wanting to contact her and demand the next part. My friends will see this as sweet justice directed at me.

What do you need to know before buying this book? It is Christian. It is an exploration in the world of evil. It explores divorce, molestation, drunkenness, demons, and more. It is not a long book but every page is full of the girl’s journey. You won’t find this a light read.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of The Virtual Book Tour Cafe' and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by The Virtual Book Tour Cafe', no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely of my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides

[Darian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving Mary is about the heartbreaking, fascinating, and sometimes scary story of author Deidre Havrelocks life growing up – fighting possessions and being haunted by demons. Now, right off the bat, how can you possibly resist that premise? Even if a tale of fiction, the idea of demons and possession can be an addicting subject, but throw in the fact that is a REAL story – that someone actually went through this terrible journey…that just brings things to a whole other level.

This story, I thought, it was very easy to get attached to Mary and what must have been a traumatic time. You want to help her, hold her and protect her – and when you remember that this is in fact a memoir – you can’t help wanting to reach out to her and pour love and protection over her.

There was many times reading this that I gasped, gaped, couldn’t breathe, or was plain scared. Havrelock opened her soul, and spilled it onto the page. The premise and her journey are so fascinating, gut wrenching, and addicting you can’t help flying through this book.

This was an excellent read, and highly recommended. Havrelock truly put her blood, sweat, and tears into this book – it’s dripping emotion. Even if you have no belief or the least bit of an open mind to the idea of demons and possessions, you have to applaud Havrelock for the sheer amount of courage it must have taken not only to relive it all to put it on paper – but to send her story out into the world to share with others.

There was no part of this story that I could ‘put down’, complain about, or have a negative word to say about. It’s truly a fascinating read. Anyone who is a fan of memoirs, paranormal, or someone who loves a book that makes you feel I would recommend this book to. Two big thumbs up from me on this amazing book and Havrelocks story.

**My review copied from my blog, CrazyLadywithaPen.blogspot.com

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this is a scary book. Yes I believe that demons exist and yes I believe that people can be possessed, but still this is one scary book. As I was reading this book all I could think was how sad this was, how much her parent messed her up, and where the heck were all the adults that were supposed to be protecting her.
If you read the forward, written by her college professor, you know this story is autobiographical.. and that scared the crap out of me. It made me want to get my kids, their friends, and any other person I could find and make sure they were okay and that nothing like this had happened to them. I wished I could go back and find the little Mary and give her a hug and make things better so that she didn’t have to go through what she went through.
Now that I’ve said all that, I also really want to read book 2. It’s like how you have to slow down and look at an accident. It’s terrible, but you have to look. Or maybe more like a horror movie, you put your hands over your face but peek through your fingers because you have to see. Even if you don’t want to, you do.
The writing was stark, graphic, pulling you in to this world so that you experience the loneliness, the fear, the horror, and a strong desire to bitch-slap her parents…repeatedly. I give this book 4 out of 5 clouds… it’s just too creepy for 5 clouds.


This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

[Beth Cutwright]

I am a firm believer in whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. And what this young Deidre went through as a child certainly seems to bear this out. Where were the advocates for this poor girl? She couldn't count on either of her parents, none of her teachers and it seemed like any one of her friends had scarcely more than she did. Thinking she had wed the devil at a very young age, she sought the comfort of a loving God, she prayed for peace in the family, she heard God tell her it would all be better when she was big...only to find her faith a little lacking and expectations of a better life at eighteen a terrific letdown. Is it any wonder she fell into possession? This was a rivoting memoir of Deidre's younger days. I didn't want to read it, but I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. It's relatively short and certainly stirs your emotions. I wanted to shake her parents, because they are the ones who are supposed to protect you and at the very least see your need. But Deidre was left to her own ends and was ever so much alone. Its a good read, but a sad one. I'm looking forward to reading part two Saving Mary: the Deliverance. Praise God that there is a Part 2!

[Sage Adderley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saving Mary is a spiritual memoir written by Deidre Havrelock. Readers are quickly introduced to a young girl who is a recipient of abuse and dysfunction in her family. Early on, Deidre is sensitive to the paranormal and feels constantly watched by someone or something. She is consistently searching for guidance and help from God, but darkness seems to be more of a prominent presence in her life. Deidre experiments with a Ouija board and connects with a spirit named, “Fred” who stays with her for some time. The battle between good and evil is Deidre’s main struggle.

As I became wrapped up in the story, I had to stop and remind myself I was reading true events that the author endured. That reality made this book more intense. Diedre’s honest writing allowed me to understand the desperation she felt while she tried to reach out to receive God’s grace. She is persistence in her attempts to battle wickedness and simply be “normal.” I admire that about her, she is always striving to understand the entities and paranormal experiences, not ignore them or make excuses about them. I am eagerly awaiting book two of Saving Mary.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know for sure where to start...
The whole time I was reading this book, I thought, wow.. I used to do a lot of these things! I played with the Ouija, until it got really bad, now I won't touch them! I'm just glad I got out of it before things got really bad!
I didn't realize until talking with Deidre that this was an actual memoir, a recounting of her own life..

For the rest of my review, and a guest post from the author, please visit my blog.. http://stephsgrn.blogspot.com/2012/06...

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this book because it was written by a Christian author, and about an individuals religious experiences despite difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, the book is dark and evil and left me feeling hollow and sad. I know there is a sequal coming, but I will not read any further books from this author.

The book was well-written, and addressed difficult topics of sexual abuse, the relativity of religion, transcendental meditation, and even Satanic worship. All topics that make me uncomfortable. I am deeply religious and found her approach to these topics to be rather one sided and depressing. I know that she was writing from the characters point of view, but there could have been a better representation of different options. Diedre, the main character, was raised in a Christian home, and had opportunities to talk to adults about her situation, but consistently chooses to ignore the helpful sources in her life and seeks darkness and sorrow. There is a point where she conciously chooses not become a Satanic worshiper, which was hopeful, but then spends many chapters denying that possibility and avoiding such thoughts, rather than making a concerted effort to find another way. Diedre is an intelligent character and could have made several choices throughout the book that would have made this story much more uplifting and interesting. Instead she chooses to stay as she is, and accept the "devil" in her. I don't appreciate that concept, nor do I accept that she should have chosen the evil over the good. Her relativistic, or post-modern viewpoint on religion in general is a major turn-off for me as a reader, and I would not have anyone I know approach religion in that sense.

I struggled for many days about doing a negative review, as I was given access to this book in return for a review from the publisher and author. I chose to do so because, as a Christian, I look for stories that uplift and affirm my faith and help with the struggles of day-to-day life. I researched this book in advance, and the dark nature and difficult topics in the book are not addressed in the book cover, or any information I received about the book, which is misleading and needs to be changed. I know that there are many other readers who will enjoy this dystopian viewpoint and the path of Diedre through her challenges, but I am not one of them. Hopefully the next book will be more redeeming and uplifting in nature.

Disclaimer: I was asked to review this book. The opinions listed above are my own, and do not reflect the author, publisher or any other associated entity. Others need to base their opinions of this book on their own best judgement and skills.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possession of an Innocent Child

One reads in magazines and such about satanic rituals where children are used and even sometimes killed as a sacrifice, but these articles are usually written from a hear-say point of view. This story is written by a woman who as a little girl cleaning in the basement of a church with two little girlfriends was captured by three men with masks on their faces and taken somewhere else in the church. She remembers seeing an upside down cross and a bed and you assume she was subjected to a satanic ritual since she says she was married to Satan.

This child is the daughter of a drunken Irishman and a Cree mother who works to support the family. She has a brother Gilbert but throughout most of the story, she feels unloved and unwanted by either parent, who are in and out of her life as she grows. Without any adult supervision, she makes a Ouija board out of a piece of paper with the letters and “yes” and “no” and she communicates with an entity who answers her questions, calling himself Fred. She can never find out whether Fred is an angel or a devil and she constantly lives in fear because she feels Fright and eyes always observing her. She prays to God to help her and she gets an answer that she will be free when she is big, which to her means age eighteen. She eventually introduces her teenage friends to the Ouija board and while she is in high school they go to a meditation class, where she works very hard to reach the source of white light that the instructor orally visualizes for the class. But one night she becomes possessed, frightens the rest of the class and is banned from attending again. Her life doesn’t get any better and the story ends abruptly because there is a book 2 forthcoming.

Had Deide come across a true spiritual psychic who worked with possessed individuals, she probably could have been freed of these evil spirits and perhaps that is what is to come in Book 2. Although Deide did a fine job of writing her story, because she wrote it as she experienced it, sometimes I was a little confused as to the events transpiring. This is a book worth reading for its insight into a world not usually acknowledged or experienced by the general public and is either ignored or feared by the Christian churches to help such individuals. I recommend it to those who seek to broaden their knowledge of the world of such negativity and evil.

[Lisseth (Read-a-holicZ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Originally on Read-A-holicZ**

Karina's Review:
This book was a bit confusing. It’s not an easy read and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone under 15. To me this book had a sort of southern vibe to it with phrases like “Shoot and darn” or “sweet baby Jesus”.

I absolutely loved the analogy with Mary trying to hold on to her family to her hanging off a train. There aren’t many characters in this book, well there are but everything cycles around Mary. Mary’s constant struggle between good and bad, god and satan, has a strange twist to it.

You would think she’s a good kid, but is she really all good? Mary constantly prays for god’s help, but she thinks she’s ignored. Is she? Did she really “marry” the devil, or was it all really just in her head? This book takes a lot of thought, it is not an easy read.

I really want to read the sequel, and find out what happens. There is a lot of spiritual and finding out who you are sort of theme to this book. I love how from the very beginning Mary is different because she is half indian and half irish. I also wondered weather her name has any symbolism behind it. What do you think?

I give this 4.5/5 stars. It was a really interesting and odd book. I wanted to know what happened but at the same time it was just so different. I highly recommend this book if you want something different and not the same old genre.

[TAMMY CUEVAS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deidre's early life was miserable. A drunken father, a disinterested mother, an uncle who molested her, all added up to an unbearable life. She was tormented by nightmares and felt that eyes were watching her at all times. When she began playing with a Ouji board, she came into contact with an "entity" named Fred who claimed to be watching out for her. Fred stayed with her throughout her teen years, refusing to leave even when she asked him to leave.

"Saving Mary" is the first in a two-part series about a girl who was plagued by demon possession, but was eventually delivered from her torment. Her story is fascinating, yet it is also a warning to those who would experiment with the supernatural. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.

3 stars

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Virtual Book Cafe Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Virtual Book Cafe Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deidre Daily is a tormented child; physically, emotionally, sexually, and spiritually. Her father is an alcoholic and her mother is a distant, emotionally vacant, woman. She has an uncle who sexually abused her. She is teased at school, and treated like crap from one of the teachers. She is part Irish and part Native, hearing “half-breed” very often. She is confused about life, love and God.

In her path to find “God”, the unconditional, loving being who protects us, she finds Fred instead. Fred came to Deidre from an Ouija board. In a girl with a trouble past and spiritually lacking, Fred attaches himself to her leaving her open for so much more.

We follow Deidre from childhood into young adulthood. We follow through her continual searching for love, acceptance, and spiritual satisfaction. I truly believe that the reason she was so easily taken over is because of the alienation she felt in life.

This book is a true story. It’s intense and eye opening as to what could be going on inside someone. It is a glimpse into the spirit realm. In the battle of good and evil. It’s a good book.

Negatives of the Book
I know that the book is supposed to be written from the child’s eye and perspective, however it really takes away from the story. It’s rather broken and hard to follow. It’s like reading an actual diary.
It’s just a rough read, but great personal story.

[Stephanie Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Saving Mary: The Possession' is an incredibly interesting memoir of a woman who was plagued by supernatural powers. The book is told in a conversational tone, which makes it easy to put yourself into the middle of the story alongside Deidre and all the things happening around her. The narrative is fast paced and well written, which makes it almost impossible to stop reading until you've finished. The story itself is something that would make your skin crawl while watching a movie; then you remember that you're reading a memoir - that this is a true story - and that really drives the creepiness home. If this was a novel or other work of fiction, it would be a great read. That it is a memoir makes it a real life nightmare. Highly recommended for fans of horror fiction and religious memoirs.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Cecilia Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Saving Mary, Deidre, who is half-Irish half Indian has gone through alot and seen alot growing up. Not only did spirits follow her around, have disturbing dreams, she also dealt with her dad who was alcoholic, and later on her parents divorce.

The memoir takes you on a journey from her younger years to adulthood, the strength it took going through everything happening in her life.

Deidre's vivid description, writing style draws the reader into the story. The fact that she experienced being possessed, and got enough courage to write about her experience is very commendeble. This memoir is not a light read, and I'd recommended it to the strong at heart.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming, and often poignant memoir of the author's childhood experiences. The story is rich with cultural diversity (the author is Canadian Cree and Irish!), and captures the complexities that divorce and strong family ties bring to the life of a child. It is also a spiritual memoir. The characters are dynamic and the audio version offers an engaging listen!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through goodreads awhile back and just got around to reading it. I wasn't sure about it at first and almost didn't finish it but I pushed through and did. Awesome read!