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Through A Mother’s Tears
When Cathy Broomfield’s youngest daughter Kirsty disappeared, Cathy hoped she had gone to stay with friends, to escape her brutal and bullying husband. But as the days passed with no word from Kirsty, a loving daughter who spoke to her mum every day, Cathy became increasingly anxious, until the day the police arrived at her door to tell her they had found a body, when she knew her worst fears had been realised...
Through a Mother’s Tears is the poignant and heartbreaking story of how Cathy lost not only Kirsty, her youngest daughter, but Kirsty’s big sister Hayley, who died of heartbreak when the agony of her baby sister’s loss became too much to bear.
Through a Mother’s Tears is the poignant and heartbreaking story of how Cathy lost not only Kirsty, her youngest daughter, but Kirsty’s big sister Hayley, who died of heartbreak when the agony of her baby sister’s loss became too much to bear.
100 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2018
518 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
June 29, 2018
This was an unrelievedly sad story written by the mother of a murder victim in the UK who recounts the tragic events leading up to her daughter’s horrific killing. Written in an everyday manner, Cathy Broomfield shares how she found out about the murder, and how it impacted her family. They were all terribly traumatized, but especially her other daughter who was closest to her murdered daughter growing up. After a time, that daughter spiraled and was eventually lost her life too. So much grief and loss, this was difficult to read all at one go, but I did struggle through it. The tears ran many times as I read on.
I really empathized with Ms. Broomfield all through the book and hope it was healing for her in some way to write about it. I hope that her helping other families dealing with similar situations helps her pain also. Such a terrible story, I hope that something positive can come from it somehow. An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, author Cathy Broomfield, and the publisher for my unbiased review.
Thistle Publishing
Pub Date: June 28, 2018
I really empathized with Ms. Broomfield all through the book and hope it was healing for her in some way to write about it. I hope that her helping other families dealing with similar situations helps her pain also. Such a terrible story, I hope that something positive can come from it somehow. An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, author Cathy Broomfield, and the publisher for my unbiased review.
Thistle Publishing
Pub Date: June 28, 2018
March 29, 2019
A heartbreaking true life story told by the mother whose daughter Kirsty, was murdered by her husband Paul. Sadly she then loses her other daughter who drinks herself to death.
I can not begin to imagine what this family went through and the courage that Cathy had to write this heartbreaking book.
I read this with a massive lump in my throat. It’s written in an honest and soul revealing way that will wrench at you’re heart strings.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
I can not begin to imagine what this family went through and the courage that Cathy had to write this heartbreaking book.
I read this with a massive lump in my throat. It’s written in an honest and soul revealing way that will wrench at you’re heart strings.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
May 27, 2018
Through A Mother's Tears by Cathy Broomfield
This was a true story written bravely by Cathy Broomfield who is from Southern Wales. If I could not read anything so sad again, I would be quite content. With straight forward language Cathy tells us the story how she lost two daughter's, each death was very tragic and senseless. This book haunted me and left me feeling quite depressed all day after reading it in one sitting. Beautiful Kirsty went missing and the worry I felt while reading this was quite palpable.
Cathy's other daughter literally died from a broken heart from the grief she felt from losing her sister. In the next few years after Kirsty's murder, Haley begins to drown her sorrows in the bottle. Haley literally drank herself too death. How this mother who is so grief stricken finds the courage to share her story is extremely brave. Cathy and her husband Dave have only one daughter named Sonya and Sonya's children.
Brutal, unflinching honesty, massage parlors, murder, alcoholism are all part of this heartbreaking story. It is not in any way an inspirational read and I would caution people that this story is very bleak. Sometimes reading a sad true story leaves you feeling devastated for the pain this family endured. Sometimes it can make us feel that our own problems are not so bad.
Thank you to Net Galley, Cathy Broomfield and Thistle Publishing for granting me my ARC for a fair and honest review.
This was a true story written bravely by Cathy Broomfield who is from Southern Wales. If I could not read anything so sad again, I would be quite content. With straight forward language Cathy tells us the story how she lost two daughter's, each death was very tragic and senseless. This book haunted me and left me feeling quite depressed all day after reading it in one sitting. Beautiful Kirsty went missing and the worry I felt while reading this was quite palpable.
Cathy's other daughter literally died from a broken heart from the grief she felt from losing her sister. In the next few years after Kirsty's murder, Haley begins to drown her sorrows in the bottle. Haley literally drank herself too death. How this mother who is so grief stricken finds the courage to share her story is extremely brave. Cathy and her husband Dave have only one daughter named Sonya and Sonya's children.
Brutal, unflinching honesty, massage parlors, murder, alcoholism are all part of this heartbreaking story. It is not in any way an inspirational read and I would caution people that this story is very bleak. Sometimes reading a sad true story leaves you feeling devastated for the pain this family endured. Sometimes it can make us feel that our own problems are not so bad.
Thank you to Net Galley, Cathy Broomfield and Thistle Publishing for granting me my ARC for a fair and honest review.
April 18, 2025
This is just an awful story about a young lady, Kirsty Grabham, being murdered by her husband and her older sister drinking herself to death.
Kirsty certainly came from a dysfunctional family setting. She was only 3 months old when her mother, the author of this book, Cathy Broomfield, told Kirsty’s father to leave. There were some serious mental issues with the man. They are a relatively poor family living in the Midlands in England. They lived in a council house in a town called Redditch. Kirsty has two older sisters. One from her mother’s previous marriage and another, Hayley from the same father as Kirsty.
Cathy gets with another man, Dave, and they move to Bridgend in South Wales in 1998. Kirsty would become a glamour model and in 2008 announces that she will be marrying someone called Paul Grabham. This is completely out of the blue for Cathy. 23-year-old Grabham was a lowlife scummy loser. He would become a murderer. What he did is beyond anything.
The book is very short but extremely disturbing, tragic and heartbreaking. The grief pores from the page.
Kirsty certainly came from a dysfunctional family setting. She was only 3 months old when her mother, the author of this book, Cathy Broomfield, told Kirsty’s father to leave. There were some serious mental issues with the man. They are a relatively poor family living in the Midlands in England. They lived in a council house in a town called Redditch. Kirsty has two older sisters. One from her mother’s previous marriage and another, Hayley from the same father as Kirsty.
Cathy gets with another man, Dave, and they move to Bridgend in South Wales in 1998. Kirsty would become a glamour model and in 2008 announces that she will be marrying someone called Paul Grabham. This is completely out of the blue for Cathy. 23-year-old Grabham was a lowlife scummy loser. He would become a murderer. What he did is beyond anything.
The book is very short but extremely disturbing, tragic and heartbreaking. The grief pores from the page.
April 13, 2019
Thank you Net Gallery, Thistle Publishing and David Haviland for allowing me to review Through A Mother's Tears by Cathy Broomfield.
This story was a heartbreaking one that many can sympathize with but few will ever experience. I couldn't help but feeling that all of the women in this story made poor choices of life partners or baby daddies, starting with Cathy's father and passing down from Cathy to her two youngest daughters. Cathy referred to her daughter Hayley, as a victim, which she certainly was, but when given the option to make choices that would mitigate her victimhood, she often took the more dangerous path,
Broomfield is understandably angry and bitter about the death of her daughters, no doubt blaming both of her daughters' deaths on Paul Grabham. I don't know if any amount of time lapsing would change her outlook on Grabham, the media, or UK's penal system. Nevertheless, this was a bleak read.
I think this story would have been better if a ghostwriter or true crime writer would have written in. The writing was simple and more background on Cathy's two daughters, Kirsty and Hayley, without Cathy's opinions and recollections would have made it better.
This story was a heartbreaking one that many can sympathize with but few will ever experience. I couldn't help but feeling that all of the women in this story made poor choices of life partners or baby daddies, starting with Cathy's father and passing down from Cathy to her two youngest daughters. Cathy referred to her daughter Hayley, as a victim, which she certainly was, but when given the option to make choices that would mitigate her victimhood, she often took the more dangerous path,
Broomfield is understandably angry and bitter about the death of her daughters, no doubt blaming both of her daughters' deaths on Paul Grabham. I don't know if any amount of time lapsing would change her outlook on Grabham, the media, or UK's penal system. Nevertheless, this was a bleak read.
I think this story would have been better if a ghostwriter or true crime writer would have written in. The writing was simple and more background on Cathy's two daughters, Kirsty and Hayley, without Cathy's opinions and recollections would have made it better.
June 20, 2018
My heart breaks for the Broomfield family. Author and mom Cathy anchors her memories throughout this book with the family's various broken relationships and favorite television shows like X-Factor, Shameless, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Big Brother, etc. The trappings of mass-produced popular culture are rife throughout the book: from junk food, tattoos, glamour (meaning nude or topless) modeling, a pink limousine to a pink coffin.
It is clear that these women have limited resources and opportunities; third daughter Kirsty's role model is Jordan aka Katie Price, and second daughter Hayley's is presumably Kirsty. Throughout the book Cathy watches first one daughter and then the next as their lives unravel before her eyes, she worries when they both make terrible life choices but asks helplessly, "but what could we do?" As the mom worries more, she wonders whether each daughter in turn might survive, she waits agonizing for news, hoping beyond hope, tragic, pathetic.
Cathy's helplessness leads her to lash out against medical technicians and the coroner, she considers the press an enemy of the family, and "seriously begins to wonder if the family was cursed; ever since we lost Kirsty it seemed we'd had nothing but bad luck"..."my heart is crushed, my soul destroyed, and all because of one vile person's terrible actions". It is completely understandable that she should blame everything on Kirsty's violent murderer, Paul Grabham; but it is even more horrifying to look at the ills of a society at large where girls are so distracted by the base and tawdry, they are brutally victimized, and fall prey to substance abuse or prostitution.
It is clear that these women have limited resources and opportunities; third daughter Kirsty's role model is Jordan aka Katie Price, and second daughter Hayley's is presumably Kirsty. Throughout the book Cathy watches first one daughter and then the next as their lives unravel before her eyes, she worries when they both make terrible life choices but asks helplessly, "but what could we do?" As the mom worries more, she wonders whether each daughter in turn might survive, she waits agonizing for news, hoping beyond hope, tragic, pathetic.
Cathy's helplessness leads her to lash out against medical technicians and the coroner, she considers the press an enemy of the family, and "seriously begins to wonder if the family was cursed; ever since we lost Kirsty it seemed we'd had nothing but bad luck"..."my heart is crushed, my soul destroyed, and all because of one vile person's terrible actions". It is completely understandable that she should blame everything on Kirsty's violent murderer, Paul Grabham; but it is even more horrifying to look at the ills of a society at large where girls are so distracted by the base and tawdry, they are brutally victimized, and fall prey to substance abuse or prostitution.
May 27, 2018
Bleak and haunting this is a sad tale of the aftermath of murder and the ripples it causes over the years.
Cathy Broomfield should never have had to write this book, the death of her daughters was tragic.
Cathy Broomfield should never have had to write this book, the death of her daughters was tragic.
May 31, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
This is a gut wrenching brutally honest account of a family torn apart by the murder of one daughter and the death of a second one. Cathy Broomfield is a brave loving mother and I have the utmost respect for her and her family.
This is a story that has to be told but should never actually have to be told.
This is a gut wrenching brutally honest account of a family torn apart by the murder of one daughter and the death of a second one. Cathy Broomfield is a brave loving mother and I have the utmost respect for her and her family.
This is a story that has to be told but should never actually have to be told.
June 19, 2018
If there is still a trace of anger within you I don’t blame you, the unfairness of it all was just too much to bear, so yes you are entitled because the love you had when you first laid eyes on them in the hospital room doesn’t die because they did. Your hurt is evident and I realized this is a form of therapeutic healing so I pray you were successful, no matter, your story is a tearjerker for sure. I have two kids and I truly don't want to lose them especially not in the way you lost yours, I don’t even know how you manage to stay sane through it all. It would be totally unfair to say I know how you feel, I don’t. Too many secrets and bravado fills that pride mode to say they can handle at all times, but we must always remember we make our kids but we do not make their minds, they would always do what they think is right for them and what they want, so don’t feel too bad, there is no way you could have prevented the inevitable, know one thing, they living their lives doesn't mean they hate you, their last words can attest to this, they loved you. My heart goes out to you in all your pain and suffering, I know no matter how many years past the hurt and unfairness doesn’t go away it just dims a bit. A heart-wrenching tale of life's trials and tribulations but it also shows the author has a strong will to heal and survive it all, thanks for sharing your tale with us readers, it was indeed a heartfelt and hurtful one, sorry you lost your treasures. A sad but interesting tale.
June 26, 2023
Well written emotional journey through a family's tragedy.
A friend recommended this book to me. I hesitated to read it a little while as, as a mother myself, I 'didn't want to go there'. I just don't want to think about what it would be like to lose a child. I got a copy anyway and started to read Cathy Broomfield's heart wrenching story.
The book turned out a bit different to how I was anticipating. On the cover is a picture of two very young girls, so I had thought that the girls had died at a very young age. Kirsty is grown-up at the beginning of the book and telling her mum that she's going to get married. Cathy Broomfield then tells us of the girls' earlier years, about happier times, of fond memories before everything happened. Also mentioned are events from the times, things in the news, on TV at the time etc. This was written very simply and concisely and I was soon glued to Cathy's story. I was intrigued about who could be responsible for the murder. I was soon gripped by the case.
This was a very interesting read as I hadn't heard of this case in the news or seen it on TV-I can't recall it anyway, so it was all new to me. I certainly didn't know what was going to happen next. This is a terribly tragic story-and for someone to lose a second daughter as well-well, it's just unimaginable. This was well-written and well put-together. I am hoping that pouring out her story and her feelings in this way will be cathartic. I'm sure it will help other parents who have gone through similar circumstances too. An emotional and moving book. An absolute tragedy. A double tragedy.
A friend recommended this book to me. I hesitated to read it a little while as, as a mother myself, I 'didn't want to go there'. I just don't want to think about what it would be like to lose a child. I got a copy anyway and started to read Cathy Broomfield's heart wrenching story.
The book turned out a bit different to how I was anticipating. On the cover is a picture of two very young girls, so I had thought that the girls had died at a very young age. Kirsty is grown-up at the beginning of the book and telling her mum that she's going to get married. Cathy Broomfield then tells us of the girls' earlier years, about happier times, of fond memories before everything happened. Also mentioned are events from the times, things in the news, on TV at the time etc. This was written very simply and concisely and I was soon glued to Cathy's story. I was intrigued about who could be responsible for the murder. I was soon gripped by the case.
This was a very interesting read as I hadn't heard of this case in the news or seen it on TV-I can't recall it anyway, so it was all new to me. I certainly didn't know what was going to happen next. This is a terribly tragic story-and for someone to lose a second daughter as well-well, it's just unimaginable. This was well-written and well put-together. I am hoping that pouring out her story and her feelings in this way will be cathartic. I'm sure it will help other parents who have gone through similar circumstances too. An emotional and moving book. An absolute tragedy. A double tragedy.
June 3, 2018
Sad book , Mom looses both daughters. 1 to her husband who murders her the other to alcohol as she can't cope with the loss of her sister .
June 24, 2018
A quick read on how the murder of a daughter affects the whole family. I just wish there was more background on the daughters. I had a hard time connecting with the family because I felt I needed to know more. The book was also based in another country so I did not grasp all of the details as I am unfamiliar with things in the UK. My heart goes out to this family.
*Thank you to Cathy Broomfield, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*Thank you to Cathy Broomfield, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2018
Heartbreaking
Loved this book.Cathy has spoke from the heart and been open and honest in recognising her daughters troubles.She seems like a lovely caring person who has been dealt a cruel hand.God bless her and her family.
Loved this book.Cathy has spoke from the heart and been open and honest in recognising her daughters troubles.She seems like a lovely caring person who has been dealt a cruel hand.God bless her and her family.
June 1, 2018
This story was a harrowing tale that had to be told. This true story seems like one of the hardest for a grieving mother to have to write, but in honor of her lost daughters' memories, it was evident why she had to write it. Even with a happy familial upbringing and the support system of many, it is the tragedy of life that women suffer from abuse daily and often don't know how to escape from it. Kirsty may be gone from the earth, but her story is one of a beautiful, strong woman with dreams, love, and forgiveness. A broken family has to cope with a terrifying murder by a monster who married Kirsty only a year before her death. This book does a great job of painting a portrait of familial history, while also being brutally honest of the murderous details, the support (and becoming lack thereof) from the police force, and the flaws in the legal system that allows murderers to walk away from prison without consequences that truly outweigh their actions.
This story is very easy to follow and kept me hooked immediately. It did not take long to finish, as it was hard to even look away from it. The only moments in this book that felt a little out of place were when notes of spirituality were embedded in the text without much-given context. Without providing spoilers, it was just hard for me to decipher whether those incidents were real, if the author thought they were real, what exactly their significance was in the larger picture of coping and healing, etc. Other than that, the writing was consistent and told the story in a logical way. While we might be told what is coming next, we are still left wondering how the story will get to that next incident. I hope many more open this book and give it the time it deserves.
This story will shake the hearts of many, and in Kirsty and Hayley's memories, I hope their names become threaded in the minds of the world. They deserve to be remembered.
This story is very easy to follow and kept me hooked immediately. It did not take long to finish, as it was hard to even look away from it. The only moments in this book that felt a little out of place were when notes of spirituality were embedded in the text without much-given context. Without providing spoilers, it was just hard for me to decipher whether those incidents were real, if the author thought they were real, what exactly their significance was in the larger picture of coping and healing, etc. Other than that, the writing was consistent and told the story in a logical way. While we might be told what is coming next, we are still left wondering how the story will get to that next incident. I hope many more open this book and give it the time it deserves.
This story will shake the hearts of many, and in Kirsty and Hayley's memories, I hope their names become threaded in the minds of the world. They deserve to be remembered.
June 15, 2018
A mother's tears
This is a very powerful book of terrible tragedy but also happy times as well as sad ones I could not put this book down its an amazing story of a brave lady would recommend anyone to read this
This is a very powerful book of terrible tragedy but also happy times as well as sad ones I could not put this book down its an amazing story of a brave lady would recommend anyone to read this
June 4, 2018
Thank you to Thistle Publishing for providing me with a digital copy for review.
I basically sobbed for quite a while after finishing this tragic true story. The last paragraph is going to stay with me for a long time.
This book is upsetting emotionally because it is full of heartbreak, despair, grief and sadness. You only need to read the blurb to know how upsetting the book will be. It is tragic all-round. The story is told with unflinching honesty by Cathy Broomfield. Her writing is a punch to the heart and you can feel the grief come off the pages effortlessly.
This is an important story to be heard. You will probably read this in one sitting and then cry afterwards at how awful the world can be. For me, this book emphasised the reason I read; because the grief that Broomfield experiences is the grief of many in the world in similar situations.
By openly sharing her grief, I hope that readers can reflect on their own lives and most of all learn the importance of empathy.
I basically sobbed for quite a while after finishing this tragic true story. The last paragraph is going to stay with me for a long time.
This book is upsetting emotionally because it is full of heartbreak, despair, grief and sadness. You only need to read the blurb to know how upsetting the book will be. It is tragic all-round. The story is told with unflinching honesty by Cathy Broomfield. Her writing is a punch to the heart and you can feel the grief come off the pages effortlessly.
This is an important story to be heard. You will probably read this in one sitting and then cry afterwards at how awful the world can be. For me, this book emphasised the reason I read; because the grief that Broomfield experiences is the grief of many in the world in similar situations.
By openly sharing her grief, I hope that readers can reflect on their own lives and most of all learn the importance of empathy.
June 13, 2018
Through A Mother's Tears is a heart wrenching read. I advise a reader to be sure to have their tissues ready.
I give it five stars.
I give it five stars.
June 12, 2018
Heartbreaking
Wishing this woman well in coming to terms with the tragic loss of her daughters . Appalling circumstances but hope she takes comfort in her remaining daughter and grandchildren . This is a very heart rendering book .
Wishing this woman well in coming to terms with the tragic loss of her daughters . Appalling circumstances but hope she takes comfort in her remaining daughter and grandchildren . This is a very heart rendering book .
June 2, 2018
Broomfield's story is absolutely depressing. She came from a broken home, had three relationships herself, and experienced the murder of her youngest child and watched the middle daughter self destruct. The author states at the end that she just exists in the world, she's basically waiting to die. In fact she overdosed after the murder of her daughter, but her attempt was foiled. The story is blunt and abrupt. Thanks to NetGalley for advance copy.
June 3, 2018
A heartbreaking honest novel of loss and grief. Well written with enough detail to help the reader understand the chronoligical order of events, and the ripple of effect amongst family members. The sadness felt can not be imagined. The hope of reunion ends the writing, and I pray gives reassurance day to day to Cathy Bbroomfield, and others touched by this, and other tragedies...
June 3, 2018
Big hugs
Cathy so hard to read this book but glad you could share this. I remember so very well the day you told us that kirsty was missing i prayed they would find her safe losing one child is so hard but losing 2 is unbearable big hugs stay strong and thank you for sharing your story xxxx
Cathy so hard to read this book but glad you could share this. I remember so very well the day you told us that kirsty was missing i prayed they would find her safe losing one child is so hard but losing 2 is unbearable big hugs stay strong and thank you for sharing your story xxxx
May 31, 2018
What a heartbreaking read.
To lose one child is bad enough, but to lose that child to such a vicious brutal murder, I don't know how Cathy got through that ordeal. And then, just a couple of years later to lose another child to alcohol abuse caused by heartache, just does not bare thinking about.
Such an emotional read but one I feel needed to be told.
Cathy, you say you are weak but in my eyes you are one of the strongest women I have ever read about. You keep going, and let the world know just how unkind it can be and make young girls aware of the dangers out there.
To lose one child is bad enough, but to lose that child to such a vicious brutal murder, I don't know how Cathy got through that ordeal. And then, just a couple of years later to lose another child to alcohol abuse caused by heartache, just does not bare thinking about.
Such an emotional read but one I feel needed to be told.
Cathy, you say you are weak but in my eyes you are one of the strongest women I have ever read about. You keep going, and let the world know just how unkind it can be and make young girls aware of the dangers out there.
June 19, 2018
I’m not sure how I can even begin to ‘review’ this book, because it is the account of Cathy’s experiences and there’s no way you can rate someone else’s book written through their own suffering. What I will say however is that I can easily give this book 5 stars simply for how open Cathy has been in telling her story, and how grateful I feel to have been able to read about Cathy’s two lovely daughters. This must have been so heart-wrenchingly hard for Cathy to write, but I think she has done her daughters proud in writing this account of them, and the love she has for her two girls shines through. Be prepared for a very emotional read.
May 31, 2018
Unbelievably sad
May 30, 2018
Had me in tears
This was heartbreaking. To lose one child is devastating but to lose two is beyond compare. I read this in one go. It was heartbreaking to read. Just unimaginable
This was heartbreaking. To lose one child is devastating but to lose two is beyond compare. I read this in one go. It was heartbreaking to read. Just unimaginable
June 2, 2018
Through a mothers tears.
Well written true story from the first hand experience of a mother. A heartfelt accounting of theocratic events this Mother has had to endure.
Well written true story from the first hand experience of a mother. A heartfelt accounting of theocratic events this Mother has had to endure.
June 29, 2018
3.5 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley & Thistle Publishing for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 🙏🏻❤️. This book was released today and I do hope that you will pick up a copy and allow Kirsty's story to continue on through each and every reader. This book may even save lives. Domestic Violence is so very real. I found Kirsty's situation with her husband extremely relatable to my past and I can't stress enough how extremely grateful that I am that my friends & family got me out of that situation. Who knows where I would be or if I'd even be alive today.
Kirsty's story is absolutely heartbreaking, anyone would claim that if they were in an abusive situation such as hers that they would simply leave but it is NOT that easy. You learn to hide even the smallest of things, fighting becomes a norm, you believe they can change, you're embarrassed, you settle, they become your entire life.
My heart aches for Cathy , Dave, Sonya and the entire family for what they have been through. I couldn't imagine losing two children at such a young age, Cathy is such a strong person to be able to carry on and continue living & loving. I commend her for putting this story out there. I agree that with her that 19 years is a disgrace, he should be behind bars forever!
I did find this book to be a bit problematic at times, the writing often shifted from one tense to another. One paragraph would be talking about the present, and the next paragraph would be remembering the past or talking about something that would happen in the future, I feel that that could have been navigated a bit better. Also, there was an excessive use of adjectives such as : gentle, kind, giving, beautiful every single time Kirsty's name was mentioned. The repitition did get a bit annoying. I was also confused by the following : 1. Paul used Kirsty's debit card the morning after he killed her , but I remember Cathy stating that Paul said Kirsty had left her debit card at home, so that to me would have been a red flag either concerning the time of death or who used her debit card at that time and for what. 2. Also,if the downstairs neighbors heard such commotion as arguing and screaming and testified that it sounded like a "body was being drug across the floor" why wasn't that reported before the trial? 3. I feel like Hayley dying from a broken heart feels a bit like reaching. I understand that she wouldn't have begun drinking if Kirsty hadn't been killed but she didn't actually die of a "broken heart" as some do shortly thereafter a loved one dies-- it was a while after & from alcohol unfortunately. 4. The police never confirmed or denied the star tattoo or at least the reader wasn't told about it. The only recognition of the body was her eyebrows, I would have demanded more.
All of that being said I would still highly recommend this book, but maybe make it longer with more " in depth" details. More explanations. My heart breaks for this family and I hope that somehow they find peace.
Thank you to Netgalley & Thistle Publishing for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 🙏🏻❤️. This book was released today and I do hope that you will pick up a copy and allow Kirsty's story to continue on through each and every reader. This book may even save lives. Domestic Violence is so very real. I found Kirsty's situation with her husband extremely relatable to my past and I can't stress enough how extremely grateful that I am that my friends & family got me out of that situation. Who knows where I would be or if I'd even be alive today.
Kirsty's story is absolutely heartbreaking, anyone would claim that if they were in an abusive situation such as hers that they would simply leave but it is NOT that easy. You learn to hide even the smallest of things, fighting becomes a norm, you believe they can change, you're embarrassed, you settle, they become your entire life.
My heart aches for Cathy , Dave, Sonya and the entire family for what they have been through. I couldn't imagine losing two children at such a young age, Cathy is such a strong person to be able to carry on and continue living & loving. I commend her for putting this story out there. I agree that with her that 19 years is a disgrace, he should be behind bars forever!
I did find this book to be a bit problematic at times, the writing often shifted from one tense to another. One paragraph would be talking about the present, and the next paragraph would be remembering the past or talking about something that would happen in the future, I feel that that could have been navigated a bit better. Also, there was an excessive use of adjectives such as : gentle, kind, giving, beautiful every single time Kirsty's name was mentioned. The repitition did get a bit annoying. I was also confused by the following : 1. Paul used Kirsty's debit card the morning after he killed her , but I remember Cathy stating that Paul said Kirsty had left her debit card at home, so that to me would have been a red flag either concerning the time of death or who used her debit card at that time and for what. 2. Also,if the downstairs neighbors heard such commotion as arguing and screaming and testified that it sounded like a "body was being drug across the floor" why wasn't that reported before the trial? 3. I feel like Hayley dying from a broken heart feels a bit like reaching. I understand that she wouldn't have begun drinking if Kirsty hadn't been killed but she didn't actually die of a "broken heart" as some do shortly thereafter a loved one dies-- it was a while after & from alcohol unfortunately. 4. The police never confirmed or denied the star tattoo or at least the reader wasn't told about it. The only recognition of the body was her eyebrows, I would have demanded more.
All of that being said I would still highly recommend this book, but maybe make it longer with more " in depth" details. More explanations. My heart breaks for this family and I hope that somehow they find peace.
May 25, 2020
I'm giving this book FIVE STARS because it takes courage to pour a grieving heart out, especially when that broken heart has lost two daughters. While I didn't lose my daughter to murder, I suffer the agonizing pain of being a mother who buries her child. It's unnatural. Time may decrease the pain one feels, but a loss such as this is unimaginable. I would be completely unfeeling if I were to judge a mother's heart, her expression of sorrow. Not all of us are experienced writers. Cathy, I commend your strength to relive this nightmare. I am so sorry that your girls are gone. I can't begin to understand the horror you and your family have endured and continue to endure. My heart breaks for Kirsty and Hayley—the choices they made. How difficult that must be to receive devastating news time and again! I don't think anyone chooses a path of destruction. It's easy for young girls to be manipulated, even the best are led astray. It takes guts to share these deep, dark scars with the world. NO ONE deserves to be abused by a loved one. No one deserves to be beaten to death and discarded like trash—despite choices. No parent should be forced to identify their child's body. So, no. I'm not going to pass judgment. I refuse to critique this book. I'm going to send Cathy and her family my sincere condolences. I'm so sorry.
June 28, 2018
Three Daughters two of them dead.
A tragic and harrowing story of a mother whose two girls die; one murdered, the other one drank herself to death.
This is the story of how Cathy lived the nightmare that all woman with children can only fear.
This book is so sad, how a mother copes with such tragedy, the murder, the trial and the worry of losing her other daughter. Cathy is a strong woman who has dared to tell her story in the most graphic detail, which must have broken her heart with every line she wrote.
I am a mother, and I can’t even imagine how I would cope or if I would cope at all.
Cathy opens her heart and the deep wounds she must carry for the rest of her life. I hope she can get some peace now she has written it all down.
Well written and heart wrecking story, but a compulsive read.
Chester.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
A tragic and harrowing story of a mother whose two girls die; one murdered, the other one drank herself to death.
This is the story of how Cathy lived the nightmare that all woman with children can only fear.
This book is so sad, how a mother copes with such tragedy, the murder, the trial and the worry of losing her other daughter. Cathy is a strong woman who has dared to tell her story in the most graphic detail, which must have broken her heart with every line she wrote.
I am a mother, and I can’t even imagine how I would cope or if I would cope at all.
Cathy opens her heart and the deep wounds she must carry for the rest of her life. I hope she can get some peace now she has written it all down.
Well written and heart wrecking story, but a compulsive read.
Chester.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
August 25, 2018
This was one of those rare times whereby i sat and read a book within a day. Quite an emotional read and thankfully, no one was around to see me having to wipe a tear or two away. I lost a son and it is something that i will never get over, but i couldn't even comprehend losing two. I do remember the case from reading newspapers, but never really knew the full story. I do wish Cathy Broomfield all the best for the future. Recommended.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.
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