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The House of Lies
This compelling memoir of family secrets, murder, sexual assault and domestic violence is also the gripping story of Renee's constant struggle to accept the truth and her true identity, and, ultimately, to forge a life on her own terms.
On the outside Renee McBryde's life sounds not too far from normal: she grew up with a single mother and her greatest support was her loving grandmother. She went to school, she played with friends. If you fill in the details, though, it was far from normal. Her mother was 16 when she had Renee, and she was single because Renee's father was in jail for killing two men who, despite what he told Renee, he had not killed in self-defence.
Renee grew up believing that as the daughter of a double murderer, she didn't deserve much in the way of happiness - so instead she found misery at home and in her relationships. Now she is a survivor, not just of her childhood but of the abuse that marred her adult life.
This is her sometimes shocking, often moving, inspirational true story.
On the outside Renee McBryde's life sounds not too far from normal: she grew up with a single mother and her greatest support was her loving grandmother. She went to school, she played with friends. If you fill in the details, though, it was far from normal. Her mother was 16 when she had Renee, and she was single because Renee's father was in jail for killing two men who, despite what he told Renee, he had not killed in self-defence.
Renee grew up believing that as the daughter of a double murderer, she didn't deserve much in the way of happiness - so instead she found misery at home and in her relationships. Now she is a survivor, not just of her childhood but of the abuse that marred her adult life.
This is her sometimes shocking, often moving, inspirational true story.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
303 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2017
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262 people want to read
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November 14, 2017
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Lies, crime, abuse and family secrets are all part of The House of Lies by Renee McBryde. In this very personal biography, McBryde bravely bares her soul, ripping apart her troubled childhood, tenuous teen years and complicated early adulthood. The House of Lies is an incredibly raw and true story of pain and resilience.
The House of Lies travels through the problematic early life story of Renee McBryde, who is now a happily married mother of three, working in community welfare, based in the Northern Territory. For Renee to get this point in her life has been an incredibly hard slog, marred by a less than perfect start to life, as Renee outlines in this honest account in her book. Renee was born to a sixteen year old mother, who was also a runaway. Her nineteen year old father was placed in jail soon after Renee’s mother found out she was pregnant for killing two men. For a significant length of Renee’s childhood, her mother and grandparents told Renee the reason she couldn’t see her father was that he worked on the popular Cottee’s cordial farm. One day Renee’s whole existence is ripped apart when she discovers this is a lie. For the troubled years to come, Renee is unable to reconcile with the fact that she is the daughter of a double murderer. As a young girl, Renee makes a pact with herself to overcome her past. However, in reality this is a hard task, as Renee is issued with many obstacles in her path to success. These include painful periods of loss, bullying, self esteem issues, rape, termination, domestic violence and the family roots which continue to haunt her.
I tend to find it problematic to review memoirs and The House of Lies is so deeply raw, honest and absorbing that I am faced with some degree of difficulty in rating this book. What I will aim to do instead is draw your attention to this affecting memoir, the moments of sadness and hope as a young woman navigates the world in which she has been placed.
Renee McBryde is a young woman who has been dealt a rough card in life. From the very beginning, while in her teenage mother’s womb, it was clear that Renee was going to struggle to overcome the difficult early start to life. Renee was lucky in some respects, she had the guiding light of her grandparents, particularly her grandmother, who nurtured her as much as possible. Renee’s grandparents prove a vital lifeline to Renee’s upbringing as Renee was faced with many adult burdens, the product of being the daughter of both a felon and a teen mother. Reading the section in this book focussed on Renee’s childhood gave me a deeper appreciation for my own sheltered childhood. Unfortunately, Renee is not alone in the way she was brought up, many people will be able to draw comparison between their own troubled upbringing and Renee’s.
The House of Lies draws our attention to the darker aspects of life, the ones we often do not want to confront. From an early age, Renee must contend with the trail of broken relationships her emotionally unstable mother leaves behind. She has to reconcile with her young mother, who just wants to go and out and enjoy herself as young people do, instead of care for her daughter. Then, as a teenager, the one figure that provides Renee with comfort and a sense of belonging is cruelly taken away from her when her grandmother succumbs to cancer. Perhaps the most overwhelming area in Renee’s life she must learn to accept is the huge lie told to her about her father’s true identity and background. When Renee finally learns the truth and sets about conducting her own research into her father’s history, the truth is shocking. It is a truth that continues to frequent Renee’s thoughts for many years to come.
The structure and approach Renee McBryde takes to her memoir is logical and this is a personal biography that reads much like a narrative. It opens with the scene of Renee’s father being arrested for murder, just as Renee’s mother has discovered she is pregnant. It then moves to Renee’s early childhood days, her teen years, university days in Canberra, to finally following Renee’s early twenties. At this point, Renee forges a career for herself while negotiating an abusive relationship which she is unable to break. I must make mention at this point that the content of the book may induce high emotions for some readers. There are instances where Renee reveals situations she was faced with where abuse, self abuse, sexual assault, abortion and domestic violence come into play. Despite the episodes that need trigger warnings, it takes much courage on behalf of the author, Renee McBryde, to share these aspects of her life with her readership.
The compelling and conversational mode of storytelling employed by McBryde, assisted in my reading of this often sad and depressing tale. This is not an easy read by any means. I also experienced moments of pure frustration when I just wanted to yell at Renee and say “leave” – both the situation and person perpetuating her cycle of violence. It was hard to understand how Renee’s thought processes worked that she honestly believed that she deserved all that came at her, due to her origins. No one should be made to feel like this at all. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, as eventually, a better life beckons for Renee. She finds a sense of peace through the love of a supportive man, her professional calling in life helping the disadvantaged and the support of personal counselling.
The House of Lies, is a memoir that reminds us of the pure strength of the human spirit and the sense of resilience that comes with a tough life lived. Renee McBryde reaches out to her readers and fearlessly bares her soul, revealing her struggle to accept her strenuous early start to life. Powerful stories such as Renee’s need to be put out there, as hopefully it will give a voice to those who have or are suffering from a similar situation.
Lies, crime, abuse and family secrets are all part of The House of Lies by Renee McBryde. In this very personal biography, McBryde bravely bares her soul, ripping apart her troubled childhood, tenuous teen years and complicated early adulthood. The House of Lies is an incredibly raw and true story of pain and resilience.
The House of Lies travels through the problematic early life story of Renee McBryde, who is now a happily married mother of three, working in community welfare, based in the Northern Territory. For Renee to get this point in her life has been an incredibly hard slog, marred by a less than perfect start to life, as Renee outlines in this honest account in her book. Renee was born to a sixteen year old mother, who was also a runaway. Her nineteen year old father was placed in jail soon after Renee’s mother found out she was pregnant for killing two men. For a significant length of Renee’s childhood, her mother and grandparents told Renee the reason she couldn’t see her father was that he worked on the popular Cottee’s cordial farm. One day Renee’s whole existence is ripped apart when she discovers this is a lie. For the troubled years to come, Renee is unable to reconcile with the fact that she is the daughter of a double murderer. As a young girl, Renee makes a pact with herself to overcome her past. However, in reality this is a hard task, as Renee is issued with many obstacles in her path to success. These include painful periods of loss, bullying, self esteem issues, rape, termination, domestic violence and the family roots which continue to haunt her.
I tend to find it problematic to review memoirs and The House of Lies is so deeply raw, honest and absorbing that I am faced with some degree of difficulty in rating this book. What I will aim to do instead is draw your attention to this affecting memoir, the moments of sadness and hope as a young woman navigates the world in which she has been placed.
Renee McBryde is a young woman who has been dealt a rough card in life. From the very beginning, while in her teenage mother’s womb, it was clear that Renee was going to struggle to overcome the difficult early start to life. Renee was lucky in some respects, she had the guiding light of her grandparents, particularly her grandmother, who nurtured her as much as possible. Renee’s grandparents prove a vital lifeline to Renee’s upbringing as Renee was faced with many adult burdens, the product of being the daughter of both a felon and a teen mother. Reading the section in this book focussed on Renee’s childhood gave me a deeper appreciation for my own sheltered childhood. Unfortunately, Renee is not alone in the way she was brought up, many people will be able to draw comparison between their own troubled upbringing and Renee’s.
The House of Lies draws our attention to the darker aspects of life, the ones we often do not want to confront. From an early age, Renee must contend with the trail of broken relationships her emotionally unstable mother leaves behind. She has to reconcile with her young mother, who just wants to go and out and enjoy herself as young people do, instead of care for her daughter. Then, as a teenager, the one figure that provides Renee with comfort and a sense of belonging is cruelly taken away from her when her grandmother succumbs to cancer. Perhaps the most overwhelming area in Renee’s life she must learn to accept is the huge lie told to her about her father’s true identity and background. When Renee finally learns the truth and sets about conducting her own research into her father’s history, the truth is shocking. It is a truth that continues to frequent Renee’s thoughts for many years to come.
The structure and approach Renee McBryde takes to her memoir is logical and this is a personal biography that reads much like a narrative. It opens with the scene of Renee’s father being arrested for murder, just as Renee’s mother has discovered she is pregnant. It then moves to Renee’s early childhood days, her teen years, university days in Canberra, to finally following Renee’s early twenties. At this point, Renee forges a career for herself while negotiating an abusive relationship which she is unable to break. I must make mention at this point that the content of the book may induce high emotions for some readers. There are instances where Renee reveals situations she was faced with where abuse, self abuse, sexual assault, abortion and domestic violence come into play. Despite the episodes that need trigger warnings, it takes much courage on behalf of the author, Renee McBryde, to share these aspects of her life with her readership.
The compelling and conversational mode of storytelling employed by McBryde, assisted in my reading of this often sad and depressing tale. This is not an easy read by any means. I also experienced moments of pure frustration when I just wanted to yell at Renee and say “leave” – both the situation and person perpetuating her cycle of violence. It was hard to understand how Renee’s thought processes worked that she honestly believed that she deserved all that came at her, due to her origins. No one should be made to feel like this at all. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, as eventually, a better life beckons for Renee. She finds a sense of peace through the love of a supportive man, her professional calling in life helping the disadvantaged and the support of personal counselling.
The House of Lies, is a memoir that reminds us of the pure strength of the human spirit and the sense of resilience that comes with a tough life lived. Renee McBryde reaches out to her readers and fearlessly bares her soul, revealing her struggle to accept her strenuous early start to life. Powerful stories such as Renee’s need to be put out there, as hopefully it will give a voice to those who have or are suffering from a similar situation.
June 18, 2022
An abusive boyfriend but otherwise I think she had a pretty decent upbringing and a decent enough life especially compared to some of the harrowing stories I’ve read, this one was tame. A couple of sections were a bit rough though and it did make me wonder why someone would stay in an abusive relationship especially as the male in question wasn’t controlling, there was no one forcing her to stay. She spent far too much time living inside her head and she started to believe her own BS. It’s not uncommon, I do it all the time and it’s annoying and actually makes you believe things that aren’t really true. As the saying goes: ‘You are your own worst critic.’
June 25, 2017
I found this book incredibly easy to read ... even though what Renee went through was sad, difficult and had me holding my breath at what may have come next. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to go through what she did. So happy for her that she found the wonderful John and she now lives and happy and safe life with him and their boys.
February 6, 2017
For a book with difficult subjects, it was very easy to read. The perfect balance of humour and fondness to the heavy weight of huge societal issues that could've very nearly drowned one person. Renee's story of overcoming and becoming is so inspired and inspiring that I read it in one day!
March 31, 2023
I finished this book in less than 24 hours. Once I started I had to keep reading, to know what was going to happen next. Renee makes the reader feel like they are on the journey with her, experiencing every emotion. I definitely recommend this book to all.
April 10, 2019
Gem is 16 and so pretty heads turn to look at her. She and Mick, 19, plan to leave King’s Cross and “…really make a life together.” Standing begging outside Central Station, her athletic swimmer’s body looks starved. That night in 1981, in Mick’s arms, happy in the knowledge of the baby growing inside her and with dreams of a better life to come, Gem is rudely awakened. The door to Mick’s place crashes to the floor as six armed police officers storm inside.
“Michael Caldwell, you are under arrest.”
In the book, there are many houses, many lies. It is Renee’s own story; she is a young woman still, and one for whom the reader gains enormous empathy. But more on that anon…
The young Renee – Ren – loves her weekend with Nan and Grandpa. Saturday nights are special. Ren gets to chat on the phone with her father, Mick, who is never there for any special event because he is far too busy managing the Cottee’s farm. One night, Johnny Young and Young Talent Time on television in the background, Daddy has something special to tell his four-year-old daughter. He does not work on the Cottee’s farm, does not make Cottee’s Cordial after all; in fact he lives in a place called jail. He killed two men, “It wasn’t meant to happen… you’ll understand better when you’re older.”
Many factors affect our lives, especially through our formative years. For Ren there is shock at hearing her father explain his situation – she asks, “…are you sure?” – and then becomes silent at the certainty of it all. It becomes The Secret. Later, in primary school, with need to confide in someone, she chooses to speak with Maya, her school friend. Maya’s response to The Secret is less than enthusiastic and Ren realises she has made a mistake. She hides behind her alter ego, Ruby.
Many other issues arise but none of these disturb her as much as what she learns going to the library and searching old newspaper records, where she finds court reports of her ‘rent boy’ father’s horrific, bloody crimes. Mick had acknowledged the murders to her, but the gory records she finds reaffirm her need to play Ruby forever, to wear her like an armour. “No one would ever accept me or love me if they knew what was in my blood. I would be a social outcast.” She feels the only way to survive is to turn into someone else.
Ren throws herself into her school work, finally gaining entry to university. Her objective is to become a big-name lawyer.
The House Of Lies is far from pretty. It tells of a student with huge potential pushing herself beyond the bounds of safety and paying dreadful consequences because of it. There are times in her story the reader screams out Stop! Break the nexus! wanting to offer support, but to no avail. We read of Ren’s lifelong belief – even then, at only twenty-two – about facing up to her demons and not running away. It’s a fine credo but unfortunately she has written in no escape clause.
As a big old bloke, I have no inkling of how such violent nature originates and yet, from years in family support, court support and in suicide intervention, I have seen numerous instances. There are avenues of help available in the community, provided the victim knows of them and is prepared to seek them out; that Ren felt she had to do it all on her own is perhaps the saddest part of her story.
Sincere thanks to Hachette Australia for my ARC.
“Michael Caldwell, you are under arrest.”
In the book, there are many houses, many lies. It is Renee’s own story; she is a young woman still, and one for whom the reader gains enormous empathy. But more on that anon…
The young Renee – Ren – loves her weekend with Nan and Grandpa. Saturday nights are special. Ren gets to chat on the phone with her father, Mick, who is never there for any special event because he is far too busy managing the Cottee’s farm. One night, Johnny Young and Young Talent Time on television in the background, Daddy has something special to tell his four-year-old daughter. He does not work on the Cottee’s farm, does not make Cottee’s Cordial after all; in fact he lives in a place called jail. He killed two men, “It wasn’t meant to happen… you’ll understand better when you’re older.”
Many factors affect our lives, especially through our formative years. For Ren there is shock at hearing her father explain his situation – she asks, “…are you sure?” – and then becomes silent at the certainty of it all. It becomes The Secret. Later, in primary school, with need to confide in someone, she chooses to speak with Maya, her school friend. Maya’s response to The Secret is less than enthusiastic and Ren realises she has made a mistake. She hides behind her alter ego, Ruby.
Many other issues arise but none of these disturb her as much as what she learns going to the library and searching old newspaper records, where she finds court reports of her ‘rent boy’ father’s horrific, bloody crimes. Mick had acknowledged the murders to her, but the gory records she finds reaffirm her need to play Ruby forever, to wear her like an armour. “No one would ever accept me or love me if they knew what was in my blood. I would be a social outcast.” She feels the only way to survive is to turn into someone else.
Ren throws herself into her school work, finally gaining entry to university. Her objective is to become a big-name lawyer.
The House Of Lies is far from pretty. It tells of a student with huge potential pushing herself beyond the bounds of safety and paying dreadful consequences because of it. There are times in her story the reader screams out Stop! Break the nexus! wanting to offer support, but to no avail. We read of Ren’s lifelong belief – even then, at only twenty-two – about facing up to her demons and not running away. It’s a fine credo but unfortunately she has written in no escape clause.
As a big old bloke, I have no inkling of how such violent nature originates and yet, from years in family support, court support and in suicide intervention, I have seen numerous instances. There are avenues of help available in the community, provided the victim knows of them and is prepared to seek them out; that Ren felt she had to do it all on her own is perhaps the saddest part of her story.
Sincere thanks to Hachette Australia for my ARC.
October 21, 2022
I actually read Unravelling Us first and then went and found this book. It helps explain a lot about Renee's relationship with her mother. Despite the hard topics that she deals with the book is well-written and easy to read. After reading both of Renee's books it is a real strength of character that she has turned out to be the kind of person she has become today given what she has been through.
(this book didn't actually take me that long to read - it was just that is started as my lunchtime read)
(this book didn't actually take me that long to read - it was just that is started as my lunchtime read)
January 27, 2018
Renee has done such a wonderful job in telling her story!!! I truly admire her strength in sharing the 'truth' of events in her life.
Couldn't put this book down!!!
I can relate to being forced to hold family 'secrets' which still haunt me today, unfortunately, I still can't speak much of them. I hope one day to share my story.
People like Renee are an inspiration to what we as humans can achieve when we allow ourselves to believe and evolve to who we are.
Couldn't put this book down!!!
I can relate to being forced to hold family 'secrets' which still haunt me today, unfortunately, I still can't speak much of them. I hope one day to share my story.
People like Renee are an inspiration to what we as humans can achieve when we allow ourselves to believe and evolve to who we are.
March 29, 2018
This book is very easy to read and I felt that I just couldn't put it down. It is an incredible story. Renee experienced so much at such a young age that is hard to really fathom. It's just a completely different world. Her story is just so heartfelt and reading about the places in sydney that I know of and been just makes it so much more heartfelt. It is great that Renee took control of her life and left the past behind her, hard and confronting but she did it! Worth reading.
August 19, 2019
Brilliant
A real page turner, perhaps a bit slow at first but importantly so, I realised as I got further into the book.
It became the cause of very late nights.
Renee really possessed grit and determination - ar times.
A real page turner, perhaps a bit slow at first but importantly so, I realised as I got further into the book.
It became the cause of very late nights.
Renee really possessed grit and determination - ar times.
March 29, 2020
Such an easy read, I think it was well written and a book that I didn’t wAnt to put down, such a remarkable woman that overcome so much, I would have like some photos of herself, her nan etc but so great full she shared her life in black and white
March 24, 2017
Easy to read, even though it had several difficult topics. Seems like Renee eventually got a reward in life.
October 29, 2017
Good book
I enjoyed the book and watching Renee become the whole woman Ans is today . I liked learning about life in Australia.
I enjoyed the book and watching Renee become the whole woman Ans is today . I liked learning about life in Australia.
February 21, 2019
Amazing young woman
Took a while for me to get into this book but once I was I could not put it down.
Took a while for me to get into this book but once I was I could not put it down.
June 24, 2019
A gripping story
It only took me a few days to read this book, I found it hard to put down. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it from start to finish.
It only took me a few days to read this book, I found it hard to put down. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it from start to finish.
August 12, 2019
A masterpiece! I couldn't put it down.
January 5, 2023
Heartbreaking at times, but a fascinating read about a woman struggling to come to terms with her past and how it has shaped her identity. A true story.
February 19, 2017
http://jessjustreads.com
Renee McBryde grew up in Sydney with her single mother and her grandparents, and when she was very little found out that her father was actually in prison for double murder. And despite what he told Renee, he didn’t kill those two men in self-defence.
The House of Lies is the compelling true story of Renee’s life, up until she’s in her early twenties. Finding out that her father didn’t work on a cordial farm and was, in face, in prison had a huge effect on the rest of her life. She grew up believing that as the daughter of a double murderer, she didn’t deserve much in the way of happiness - so instead she found misery at home and in her relationships.
This memoir is a slow-build, harrowing story. Renee’s revelation about her father is a catalyst for a lot of decisions she makes later in her life. She always clashes with her mother, who gave birth to Renee when she was just 16. The reader starts to realise the shame and embarrassment Renee feels for her family’s situaton, and how this manifests in her life. She can’t tell anyone about her father, but she desperately wants to. She gets bullied at school, goes through periods of obesity and then anorexia, and her mother goes through a string of failed relationships that Renee feels separate from.
Renee doubts herself a lot in the early years of her life, feeling like she doesn’t deserve the best and that she is being punished whenever something goes wrong. She suffers a painful assault during her university years, and then spends years in an abusive relationship. She believes it’s her own fault that her boyfriend Ben is beating her, and these chapters really highlight was it’s like for a victim of domestic violence. For someone who’s never experienced it, those chapters were eye-opening. The guilt and the shame of that relationship, and the subsequent courage that it takes to leave that kind of relationship is overwhelming to read and really illustrates to the reader the kind of person Renee is.
Renee’s memoir is a reflection on a time from long ago. She now lives in Alice Springs, is married, and has three kids. The House of Lies really only delves into her life until Renee’s early to mid 20s, however it does feel like the difficult childhood and teenage years that she had were the worst of it, and she used the experiences to set herself on a much more healthy path, both physically and mentally.
At times, this memoir is hard to read. But, it’s also inspiring and courageous and brave. I really loved reading it.
Renee McBryde grew up in Sydney with her single mother and her grandparents, and when she was very little found out that her father was actually in prison for double murder. And despite what he told Renee, he didn’t kill those two men in self-defence.
The House of Lies is the compelling true story of Renee’s life, up until she’s in her early twenties. Finding out that her father didn’t work on a cordial farm and was, in face, in prison had a huge effect on the rest of her life. She grew up believing that as the daughter of a double murderer, she didn’t deserve much in the way of happiness - so instead she found misery at home and in her relationships.
This memoir is a slow-build, harrowing story. Renee’s revelation about her father is a catalyst for a lot of decisions she makes later in her life. She always clashes with her mother, who gave birth to Renee when she was just 16. The reader starts to realise the shame and embarrassment Renee feels for her family’s situaton, and how this manifests in her life. She can’t tell anyone about her father, but she desperately wants to. She gets bullied at school, goes through periods of obesity and then anorexia, and her mother goes through a string of failed relationships that Renee feels separate from.
Renee doubts herself a lot in the early years of her life, feeling like she doesn’t deserve the best and that she is being punished whenever something goes wrong. She suffers a painful assault during her university years, and then spends years in an abusive relationship. She believes it’s her own fault that her boyfriend Ben is beating her, and these chapters really highlight was it’s like for a victim of domestic violence. For someone who’s never experienced it, those chapters were eye-opening. The guilt and the shame of that relationship, and the subsequent courage that it takes to leave that kind of relationship is overwhelming to read and really illustrates to the reader the kind of person Renee is.
Renee’s memoir is a reflection on a time from long ago. She now lives in Alice Springs, is married, and has three kids. The House of Lies really only delves into her life until Renee’s early to mid 20s, however it does feel like the difficult childhood and teenage years that she had were the worst of it, and she used the experiences to set herself on a much more healthy path, both physically and mentally.
At times, this memoir is hard to read. But, it’s also inspiring and courageous and brave. I really loved reading it.
February 7, 2017
Renee is brought up in one of the rougher parts of Sydney by her young mother and nanna - her father is in jail for murder, and although she has a stand-in grandfather for most of her life, things aren't exactly stable. Her mother prefers to go out drinking and dancing through Renee's formative years, and when her nanna dies suddenly of cancer in her early years of high school Renee is at even more of a loss than usual.
As she gets older, Renee struggles with a lot of things - school is of huge concern even though she's smart, because children can be so cruel and Renee just wants to fit in. Aside from the family troubles, Renee struggles with her weight and mental health and can only bully and threaten and plead with those around her for what she wants - but never getting what she needs. Although her mother sometimes has good advice (in how she doesn't care what job Renee gets as long as she's happy), Renee wants to hear her mother proud of her grades and encouraging her to be a lawyer instead.
This is a hard read because it certainly gets a whole lot heavier before we get hints of the goodness. Renee feels pushed out of her family when her mum falls pregnant to the latest man in her life. She meets up again with her father. She goes through abusive relationships and suffers through events that she continues to blame herself for many years after - even though she is the victim.
Luckily, there is hope and the book ends with Renee in a healthier space, seeing a mental health specialist, and then an epilogue of where she is now. We live in the same state - Renee now lives in Alice Springs and works in community services (more specifically in child protection) - something she could truly excel at as in some of the rougher areas of the Territory, the kids don't listen to adults who don't truly understand what they've been through.
This is a hard, heavy and depressing book to read, but it also has such weight and value in its pages. There is no shame in lives like Renee's, and only healthy thinking and supportive discussion can hopefully help people walk away from the violence and seek help earlier. This is recommended reading (with trigger warnings for many things - rape, abuse, violence...) and though it's a hard slog, it's a story that needs to be told and McBryde does so in an engaging and devastating way.
As she gets older, Renee struggles with a lot of things - school is of huge concern even though she's smart, because children can be so cruel and Renee just wants to fit in. Aside from the family troubles, Renee struggles with her weight and mental health and can only bully and threaten and plead with those around her for what she wants - but never getting what she needs. Although her mother sometimes has good advice (in how she doesn't care what job Renee gets as long as she's happy), Renee wants to hear her mother proud of her grades and encouraging her to be a lawyer instead.
This is a hard read because it certainly gets a whole lot heavier before we get hints of the goodness. Renee feels pushed out of her family when her mum falls pregnant to the latest man in her life. She meets up again with her father. She goes through abusive relationships and suffers through events that she continues to blame herself for many years after - even though she is the victim.
Luckily, there is hope and the book ends with Renee in a healthier space, seeing a mental health specialist, and then an epilogue of where she is now. We live in the same state - Renee now lives in Alice Springs and works in community services (more specifically in child protection) - something she could truly excel at as in some of the rougher areas of the Territory, the kids don't listen to adults who don't truly understand what they've been through.
This is a hard, heavy and depressing book to read, but it also has such weight and value in its pages. There is no shame in lives like Renee's, and only healthy thinking and supportive discussion can hopefully help people walk away from the violence and seek help earlier. This is recommended reading (with trigger warnings for many things - rape, abuse, violence...) and though it's a hard slog, it's a story that needs to be told and McBryde does so in an engaging and devastating way.
Read
February 11, 2017A compelling and fascinating read.
September 28, 2022
Frankly am not sure why this book was written. The tale of the authors childhood, adolescence and young adulthood is one debacle after another: a murderer father; a teenage mother; an opaque grandmother; bitchy school colleagues; university jobs at adult stores then a brothel; a rape; an abortion; a violent boyfriend: every page is an horror. It is well written with a good pace and vivid representation of the main characters but I just felt I learnt way too much about a tragic first 25 years of a young woman who eventually found happiness. (The promotional material focus on her father's murders yet in fact he and his story leaves very scant attention in the book - annoying )
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