A Mother's Story

by Rosie Batty, Bryce Corbett

An updated edition of the profoundly moving and inspiring memoir from Australia's domestic violence crusader, Rosie Batty. Rosie Batty knows pain no woman should have to suffer. Her son was killed by his father in a violent incident in February 2014, a horrendous event that shocked not only the nation, but the world. Greg Anderson murdered his 11-year-old son Luke and was then shot by police at the Tyabb cricket oval. Rosie had suffered years of family violence, and had had intervention and custody orders in place in an effort to protect herself and her son. Rosie has since become an outspoken and dynamic crusader against domestic violence, winning hearts and mind all over Australia with her compassion, courage, grace and forgiveness. In January 2015, Rosie was named Australian of the Year, 2015. Inspiring, heartfelt and profoundly moving, this is Rosie's story.

A percentage of royalties from sales of this book are going to the Luke Batty Foundation.

'A brave, resolute and heart-breaking tale' Sydney Morning Herald

'Every Australian should read this book' Tracey Spicer

'Just finished A Mother's Story. Loved it. Cried. Got angry. Important book, beautifully written' Juanita Phillips

'This highly emotional book ... She suffers but she is not a victim.  Batty is comforting and terrifying.  She is protector and avenger... She has moral authority and dignity  ... compelling' ABR

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, True Crime, Biography, Australia, Biography Memoir, Audiobook

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 21, 2015

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really struggling with how to review this book as it's not a work of fiction and I feel that I have to be very mindful of what and how I say things. Most of us know this tragic story and its outcome and as a mother of an 11 year old boy my heart goes out to Rosie. But reading this I couldn't help feeling frustrated and often angry, not just with our system but also with Rosie. I really didn't want to feel this way but I just kept thinking, "Why Rosie?" Why didn't you leave the country, why did you leave Luke alone with his Dad, why did you feel sorry for Greg? But in hindsight and not being in her shoes it's easy for me to feel this way and not really comprehend just how difficult and how hopeless a situation this was. Rosie herself asks the same questions and of course she regrets not doing any of these things. This was a truly heartbreaking book to read. I keep thinking of that poor little boy, who was let down by the police, by children's services and ultimately by those closest to him....his mother and father. I do admire Rosie and the fact that she can take something positive from this and even feel a tiny bit of compassion or perhaps understanding for Greg, who also was let down by the system. Perhaps if his mental illness had been picked up or the police had arrested him when they should have...but of course we all know none of those things happened. Reading this and even knowing how it ends you keep wishing that Rosie and Luke get away. I cannot even begin to comprehend the pain and horror Rosie has had to endure. Both before and after her son's brutal death. I wish that I hadn't read this now but once I had started I couldn't stop. It really did read like a very intense psychological thriller that you had to keep reminding yourself was real.

[Julie Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful book about a woman and her fight for herself and her son. A nine-year old boy has summed Rosie up as a hero because 'through your profound loss, you have created so much hope.' This sums up the book completely.
I was in tears upon finishing the prologue. Those tears disappeared until about three quarters of the way through, as Rosie told us her story. She told us of a life remembered and how that built into the life she lives now. She tells us about the highs and lows, but most importantly, she tells us of the love for her son, Luke. There is nothing more prevelant in this book than the love she has for Luke. His whole life was about making sure he felt happy, safe and loved by both of his parents. Even as things were falling apart between herself and her ex-partner she fought hard for father and son to ensure that they knew each other. That they loved each other.
Not once, in reading this book, did I question Rosie's motives for how she lived her life. She did the absolute best she could in the unfortunate circumstances that she found herself in. What stood out the most to me, beyond her love for her son, was the absolute horrible way that our court system, family services and the police force let this family slip through the cracks at all stages of their life. It is easy for us to criticise and to judge from the safety of our homes, but in her tragedy and grief, Rosie is taking a stand to help others. To help keep other families safe and to highlight the predominance of Family Violence within our country. This woman and her son have already done so much for this country with opening the lines of communication regarding Family Violence, Respectful Relationship Programs in Schools and being a voice for those who don't have one.
Thank you Rosie for opening my eyes. For fighting hard for those not in a position to do so for themselves. For honouring your son in the best possible way. But most of all, for sharing your son with the world.

[Sharon Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mothers Story is Rosie Battie's biography and her story is one you would not wish upon your worst enemy. I was familiar with Rosie's name and vaguely aware of her story but I didn't know the details. In 2015 she was awarded Australian of the Year but the events leading up to her nomination were heartbreaking.

Having moved from the UK to Australia in the 80's, Rosie eventually made her home in the semi rural suburb of Tyabb where she was busy raising her son Luke. Though she and ex-partner Greg were not in a relationship when Luke was born Rosie wanted to foster a healthy father son relationship believing this would be in all of their best interests. Throughout the book Rosie spoke of how much Greg loved Luke and this love was reciprocated by Luke. Greg had always been a little eccentric but as the years passed his behaviour and mental health deteriorated. He become more and more unstable, unable to maintain friendships nor hold down a job and was often homeless. Rosie became increasingly concerned as Greg displayed disturbing levels of anger that would quickly escalate to violence towards her. Naturally she became anxious and did everything in her power to protect herself and Luke. From leading a relatively normal life Rosie progressively found herself regularly contacting the police, attending Magistrates court in the hope of restricting Greg's contact via Intervention Orders, engaging Child Protective Services and so forth.

Ultimately, as readers, we know how their story ends. My own anxiety was palpable. I desperately wished the authorities had listened more carefully, assessed the risk differently, taken Rosies concerns more seriously, done something...anything...differently. Alas, at the age of eleven, on a fine Summer evening at cricket practice - surrounded by his friends, their parents, and his mother Rosie - Luke Battie was murdered by his mentally unstable father. It was a pre-meditated knife attack which shocked a nation.

Rosie's story was most definetly one of a mother's love for her son. It was written in such a way that the story was compelling. I empathised. I felt her frustrations. I certainly felt her grief. With the benefit of hindsight it could be easy to question why Rosie did or did not do certain things but when it's all said and done I don't know what she could have done to change the outcome. In her closing chapter she wrote One of the things I am proud of is being respectful towards Greg. There is nothing to be gained by defiling his memory. If I think anything at all about him, it’s that he and I were both failed by the system. That whatever intervention occurred – from a law enforcement and mental health perspective – it was ultimately too little, too late. And so finally, I have come to accept there was nothing more I could have done to prevent Luke’s death . This I could not do, and for her strentgth, for her attitude I can only admire this lady.

[Carly Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: family violence, murder, grief

Rosie Batty is courageous, compassionate and incredible.

This is a story of the system that let her down - police, mental health services, child protection, Legal aid. (The timeline at the end of the book was so disturbing.)

The horrific violence she endured from a man who was in her life for many years.

The courage she had to make a difference despite enormous grief.

And it’s a tribute to Luke, her beautiful son who was murders by his father.

Rosie narrated the audiobook - it must have been so hard for her.

It’s not an easy read, but it’s an important one. Go gently reading this. Sending all my love to Rosie, and to Luke.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew this book would be hard to read - the story is well known and heartbreakingly tragic. However I wasn't prepared for how angry it would make me. Not at Rosie, never at Rosie - she describes herself at one point as a frog in boiling water, not aware of exactly how bad it was getting. The constant abuse she suffered at the hands of a mentally ill man would have worn her down in ways I can't imagine. No, I'm angry at the system that allowed any of this to happen. From a justice system that saw her ask for help repeatedly but not receive it to a health system that didn't recognise or do anything about the clearly very mentally ill and unsafe father.

Read it. Not because it's an enjoyable book - nothing about this could be enjoyable. Read it to understand and to become another advocate for change, as Rosie is.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosie Batty is an absolute inspiration. In 2014, her son Luke was murdered by his father, Greg, after years of abuse and torment- which was thoroughly ignored by the authorities. This is Rosie's story of her life with Greg, her years as a mother to Luke, the day of the murder, and her life now - including how she is advocating to end domestic violence and improve services available to women in these situations.
I don't understand how Rosie gets so much hate. She was 2015s Australian of the Year, and I honestly think it was so well deserved. Here is a woman who has suffered the ultimate tragedy. The one thing all mothers fear. And instead of letting it destroy her, she is fighting and staying strong. She is fighting to create a world where this doesn't happen anymore. I admire you so much, Rosie. You make me want to be a better person.
Thank you for having the courage to share your story.

[Lizz Sayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that every Australian should read, especially our politicians. All the government need do is to examine Rosie's journey to see where the system falls down and where money should be invested to support victims of family violence. Hopefully this book will change community attitudes so there will be no more victim-blaming. An amazing, thoughtful, articulate and extremely harrowing story from a courageous survivor.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was traumatic to read. Her story is both so frustrating & so horrifying. This is definitely not a ‘feel good’ novel and it is hard to pick it up and continue to read but I believe it’s vital for us as Australians to hear these stories. We need to be willing to look these women in the eyes (metaphorically) and be confronted by what is happening in our neighbourhoods on a daily basis. We need to be motivated to change.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be back for a proper review when I recover from reading this book. Gut-wrenching. Illuminating. Essential. The end is admirable in terms of its analytical approach to what went wrong & what needs to change in terms of policy and processes in Australia.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heat breaking and so incredibly powerful.

[Timothy Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heartbreaking book is one that every Australian should read, because it speaks to the pernicious horror that permeates every corner of our society. Rosie gives an honest, unflinching and courageous account of her life under the debilitating control of a man who, while he is clearly mentally unwell, would repetitively engage in what amounts to torture tactics within the cycle of Family Violence. I make reference to his mental health for a couple of reasons, one being that the system failed to provide him with the help he needed; and the second being that it was not the only cause.

Greg was part of a society of where this macho masculinity still governs, where gender inequality and sexism is still rampant, and where men being violent are all basically accepted as the norm. While Rosie's story is clearly at one end of the spectrum, the reality is that men engage in this behaviour on a daily basis. The statistics are there. Reading Rosie's story you should never again think "why didn't she leave," either about Rosie or any other woman, because it's not the fucking point. The better question is "why did the services she so desperately turned to for help fail her?" With that help, with better identification and access to services to treat Greg's mental health issues, and with less acceptance of men behaving violently towards women as the social norm, Luke would still be alive.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook 3.5 stars

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a remarkable woman. To go through years of abuse. To try so hard to protect herself and Luke in a failed system. To have her son murdered. THEN To go on to speak and fight and challenge a broken system and our patriarchal society?! What a fucking legend.

An important book to read, we all need to read, be aware of and be ANGRY about. This narrative happens far too often.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book. I don't generally read books of this type, but I am glad I read this one. Whilst I knew the story was very true and very real, it felt unreal, like I was reading a story that someone had made up. And I guess I was hoping for the sake of Rosie and Luke that it was 'just a story'. I truly feel for Rosie, Luke and their family. To have gone through all that they have is just so hard to comprehend. I guess until we are in the position she was in, it is so very hard to understand the circumstances and easy to think Rosie should've just taken Luke and run...sadly though, for many reasons, decisions and actions like that are not easy. Thank you to Rosie for putting her experiences in writing and for all she is doing to help promote awareness of domestic violence and encouraging us all to do our bit. I cannot even begin to comprehend how it must feel to have to cope with the death of one's child, much less under the circumstances of Luke's death. Rosie is a remarkable woman and I hope as time goes by, even though she will forever miss her little boy, that the pain she feels each and every day will be less of a burden on her.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I am going to be honest. I recall when Luke Batty died being angry with his mother for allowing this to happen, for not protecting her son. I recall being further incensed when she spoke to the media and stated that Luke's father loved him. "What!!" I thought, how could she think that when he just killed his son.

Then I read this book.

I was wrong. Rosie did everything she could to protect her son, but unfortunately the system let her down. I was ashamed at my previous thinking and with all the information, with the knowledge gained from speaking to friends who have gone through similar situations, I understand why Rosie did what she did, and how she tried to do the right thing by Luke before his death. Hindsight is a marvelous thing and I am sure Rosie would do certain moments in her life so much more differently if she had only known how it would end.
I admire Rosie for trying to use her horrid life experience to good effect, in preventing other similar events occuring to other people. I personally think I would be a blubbering wreck on the floor, still trying to process how and why it happened to my son.
A great read. Very emotive.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standing ovation, and continuous APPLAUSE: For Rosie Batty's honest and detailed telling; and her resolute determination to make changes to the way society deals with family violence.

I had so many comments I wanted to make but find myself with nothing even remotely adequate. I moved through Rosie's account with frustration, anger, and tears. I highlighted sections I wanted to quote for my review but there is only one that sums it up- "No mother should have to attend their own child's funeral. It's fundamentally wrong: a complete inversion of the natural order of things." (p260).

Applause also, for author Bryce Corbett: This was a book I could not put down.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Rosie for your brave and heartfelt reflections and recollections of the impact of losing Luke and how your life changed from that moment.
Her book covers the factors and events that lead to a young boy being killed by his father, explains how a woman was not supported and totally let down by the legal system and a man who played the system in the most tragic way possible. Inciteful, enlightening, scary and sad.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a stand

This book is fantastic. I couldn't put it down. I have recently completed advocacy training at a domestic violence shelter and this book explains the timeline of violence (starting with emotional) so well and in a way that reaches and educates people. For those people that say "why doesn't she/he just leave the violent relationship" I implore them to read this book.

[Dot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book but I hate it. I love it because Rosie tells her story so beautifully and it’s one of the most well written autobiographies I’ve read. I hate it because I hate that this is a story that happened. That it is such a failing if our system and our society. And how devastating it is that this is a story at all.

[Kristin Alford · Rating 4 out of 5]

To hear her story in detail and half way through - why aren't they helping her! The inevitable conclusion and glimpses of the unsettling, ever present threats many women must feel every day. Worth understanding.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve become Australian of the Year because I am the person no one wants to be, the mother who has suffered the insufferable.

It seems unnatural to give such a heartbreaking tragedy a five star rating. It's so hard to fathom losing a child, especially in such a brutal way, that you can't help but admire Rosie's brave and honest telling of this story.

There are several things that stood out to me:

- The subtle way that domestic violence can start
- The lack of help and support available to Rosie (and even Greg)
- The way Rosie felt she was perceived by police and certain magistrates ('just another domestic')
- The laws that protected Greg's privacy in regards to child pornography charges and mental health assessments, but where were the laws to protect Luke and Rosie?
- This isn't just a story of domestic violence. It's also about the lack of gender equality in our society and the lack of resources for mental illness. I am in no way making an excuse for Greg's actions, but throughout this book, we can see his mental health becoming increasingly unwell and help seemed to be offered to protect Luke, Rosie or Greg himself.

There were so many times throughout the book that I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, because I could feel how helpless Rosie felt, desperately trying to protect herself while also ensuring that Luke and his father had a positive relationship. It was also difficult to see how much empathy and compassion Rosie showed Greg.

Family violence is a pernicious spiral. Because of the constant verbal abuse, you get worn down and become totally confused – your sense of self is completely eroded. And it takes a third party with experience in these matters to hold up a mirror and encourage you to look into it.

It's easy for those looking from the outside to ask "Why doesn't she leave?" and A Mother's Story answers just some of the multiple answers to this question. Ultimately though, we have to change our response and shift the accountability to the perpetrator. The question instead should be "Why does he think it's OK to be violent?"

I'd recommend that everyone read this book. applaud Rosie for standing up and telling this story. I hope her influence will help to save many lives.

[Erin Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I have no words. I do however have many emotions mainly anger and devastation. It seems we as a community always say to victims of DV “why didn’t you do ‘X’ or ‘Y’? Rosie Batty did EVERYTHING she possibly could to protect herself and her son and they were both let down. Even the way Rosie describes the lack of mental health support her ex partner received to her knowledge, is another way they system let this family down. That sweet little boy. It’s just absolutely heart breaking. Chapter 24 left me ugly crying and shaking. I understand why she wasn’t able to be with Luke after he was killed but I was so desperate for her to just be able to hold him and be there with him. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rosie and hearing her choke up when reading it out loud made it REAL.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book although obviously knowing how it all ended made the first parts of the book hard to read. Just leave, stay In England I kept thinking, knowing full well this was not the case. I found it fascinating too as she tried to explain how it felt to receive such an honour as Australian of the Year, all due to a tragic story. She was most certainly let down by the system, and I wonder how the even more vulnerable victims get on. The sad part is that since this book was written in 2015, not too much has changed in regards to attitudes and women are still getting murdered. A good read.

[A.E. Dooland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fascinating look a family violence from someone intimately acquainted with it! I found the beginning and the framing of Rosie's life a little long, but I can certainly understand why she wanted to show herself as a whole person without the violence.

Absolutely worth a read for anyone looking to connect over similar experiences or looking to understand what it's like to live the violence.

[Jess]

You can't assign a rating to a biography like this. I can't recall reading a book and being both incredibly angry and so sad at the same time. Australia (and the rest of the world) needs to take a long look at alllll the factors that make a story like this non fiction.

[Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosie narrated her talking book; you could hear the emotion in her voice which was very meaningful to listen to. 3.5 stars.

[Sasha Loveday · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tragic story of harassment, abuse and an inept system which was there to protect but ultimately did not.

[Denise Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A confronting, frustrating and courageous book

[Sami Van Der Sterren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing. But well worth the read. I found myself questioning everything I thought I knew about family violence

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking and raw retelling of Rosie’s first hand experience of child loss and domestic violence.