In Moral Danger

by Barbara Biggs

He was 42, and one of Australia's most successful criminal barristers. She was 14, a runaway with nowhere to go. She later learnt that the barrister had paid her grandmother. She had been sold... This is a family story, which is told with black humour and honesty.

Genres: Nonfiction

345 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Donni Hakanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A true story", says the byline; and I feel emotionally wrecked. Not the kind of angst you get sitting in front of a big screen with a box of tissues for, not the heartache of national historic atrocities like you see on television, nor any of that kind of heavy duty emotion. The wrecked feeling is one of admiration. Yes, I am admirably wrecked. Can I help feeling wretched with admiration and awe for this woman who can recount her life in such a candidly honest way, a life of sexual abuse, crime and adventure? Not for one moment does BB wallow in self pity, she owns her emotions and experiences without blame or justification, and a lot of this stuff is pretty hardcore one would expect her to have the proverbial chip on her shoulder, or at least whine a little, or throw a more spectacular tantrum than the one that landed her in a psychiatric ward.


BB recounts her life with such clarity and realism, and even humour. Within the story, she skips back to flashes of her time as 'sex slave' to barrister Robert Vernon, whom she dubs "the Chief". Her articulation and colloquial way of writing is personal, concise yet full of depth, immediately drawing the reader in. BB manages to make hard core experiences, embarrassing events... somehow ok through her candid recounting. Somehow she manages to speak from the mindset of her age at the time, which I find a remarkable feat. She IS fifteen, with a teenager's angst and concerns and attitudes; and in this respect the book is skillfully written and flows along beautifully.


What I find astonishing is BB recounts succinctly, without directly acknowledging, the results of sexual abuse and it's impact on a child's life. Several suicide attempts, love affairs, casual sex and prostitution, international travel, and even obsession into hobbies, all play their part in BB recovering her sense of self. The book does not end with this resolution, but leaves the reader curious as to what comes next....


For me, a good book is one that leaves me affected, or changed somehow, after turning that last page. Four in seven teenage girls are sexually abused or assaulted at some point in their lives, it's an issue that touches a huge number of people. Within BB's extreme life experiences, I heard my own voice; I recognised and understood a little better my own life choices, that have been directly and indirectly touched by this issue; and maybe even in the process forgiven some of the choices I made when young. Beyond this, it's a book that will challenge you to be less judgmental, perhaps, of those who choose to live their lives in ways society would regard as less than optimal... petty crime, sex for sale or free, a maturing adult seeking acceptance and love and validation in, as the song goes, all the wrong places. It's enough to break your heart... but instead BB instills a sense of, through the pain and heartache, adventure and unconditional acceptance.

[Ashleigh Hoare · Rating 4 out of 5]

• the life story of Barbara Biggs, an Australian journalist
• Barbara is one of five children all of whom have the same mum, but different dads
• her mother is (to this day) a sex worker who is in and out of jail for benefit fraud and was famous after being in a car accident - she rolled down in a bank but was so obese they couldn't get her out of the car and she was stuck there for three days
• poor Barb, and all her siblings were subject to early childhood sexual abuse and rape
• at 14 Barbara was sold by her grandmother to a criminal barrister who made her clean the house, look after his children and made her a sex slave
• at 16, Vern (the barrister) kicked her out and she checked herself into a psychiatric hospital
• by 19, she is a prostitute in Japan returning every time she gets low on money
• Barbara has a long history of sexual abuse and suicide attempts and amazingly turns it all around when she finds her own life's meaning at around 22 years old

An insane life story and beautifully written
A good way to start the year's reading 📚

[Sue Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

No holds barred with this book, and certainly not for the faint hearted. I gave it 5 stars because I think Barbara is pretty amazing. This book only takes you so far in her extraordinary life journey, how she managed to survive it and keep going is truly amazing. It's blunt, very graphic and at times very hard to bear.

[Therese Bergwall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snippet; The best thing about this book is Barbara Biggs' ability to turn what should be a confronting issue into something you can laugh about. The light-hearted, and almost comical, way that Biggs describes her life's events allows the reader to laugh through their tears.
"Truth" is the first word that really springs to my mind when thinking about In Moral Danger. Biggs is extremely open about her experiences and, best of all, shows no shame for what others may find obscene, indelicate or unchaste. Biggs conveys her experiences and actions as things that just had to be done to either survive or to just get by, which is what made this book all the more appealing.
Full Review; http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/2009/1...

[Jen Roe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book