My Daddy the Pedophile: A Memoir

by Lily Palazzi

A shocking true story of a girl's affair with her father. After years of suffering multiple forms of abuse, a vulnerable young girl flees her home only to land straight into the arms of her biological father—a sexual predator. My Daddy the Pedophile tells the harrowing true story of a teenage girl’s affair with her manipulative sociopathic father. After a terrible dark secret comes to light, the real story unfolds and her courageous journey of healing begins. Powerful and inspiring, My Daddy the Pedophile offers hope, encouragement, and the knowledge that although the road may be bumpy and the journey long, it is always possible to prevail over great trauma. Praise for My Daddy the Pedophile "If you are easily shocked by what occurs behind closed doors in some average suburban neighborhoods, do not read this book. If you want to read a riveting tale of manipulation, abuse, and courageous healing, then this is the book for you." —Sharyn Higdon Jones, MFT, author of Healing Steps "Lily Palazzi's memoir, My Daddy the Pedophile is a riveting, well-paced account of both how her father's calculated manipulation of her desperate need to be loved subjected her to the wounding distortions of incest and how through therapy and the true love of her husband she ultimately finds the healing she had once thought would never be possible." —Catherine McCall, author of the international bestseller Never Tell “It pulls you along from page to page...There's no self pity, no hate—just a suspenseful, honest, highly readable account of how a human being can emerge whole from even the worst of childhoods.” —Adair Lara, author of Naked, Drunk, and Writing “[Lily] tells the complicated story of love and abuse that needs to be brought out of the shadows of shame and into the light of understanding.” —Allison Elwood, MFT

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

228 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2018

Reviews

[Kivalina Mauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I am in awe at how you survived threw all this. My Grandfather molested me from 4 to 13 . Then I was raped by someone I babysat his kids at 15 . I never got therapy I hate sex .

[JENNIFER FOREMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

You must have a strong stomach to read this and a open mind. Book is a good read but the thought this is a true story is by far disturbing.

[SHHHjeanisreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what to feel after reading this.
I've read a few books on abuse, but this is the most horrible thing a child can experience.
And to still think her dad is in HEAVEN now?! I CANNOT.....

I've read something like this a while before, and the abused also still looked up at her father in the end. I mean, how??

Anw, I hope they really get healed.

[Oakley w stocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so proud of you, the first two pages of this book I cried my eyes out, my name is Lilly, and I was molested by my daddy. This book was so good and it brought me back and reminded me of why I do things to help others. It reminded me how alone I am not. It touched my heart in such a deep endearing way that I will never be able to thank you enough for sharing this story with me and tons of others. You are a light, you are strong and you are so so brave. I struggle a lot with sex, who I should love, why I shouldn’t love. I really can’t say anything else besides thank you for being so strong and willing to share and going through all the heart ache to share. I love you.🤍

[Keri Newport · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’d give this book zero stars if I could. I’ll start by saying My professional career was spent working with sexual abuse victims. I have extensive knowledge of victims and offenders, and extensive experience with “child pornography” aka sexual exploitation of minors. That’s what this is. No redeeming value whatsoever. I could not finish it.

[A.M. Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I appreciated the most about this very frank memoir are things the author herself brings up: both very complicated feelings for people who harm us, and the importance of detailing the healing process to show it takes time. Well narrated audio.

[tina smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart breaking but promising.

I read this book in one sitting. It broke my heart to read about this family’s cycle of abuse. I’m amazed by the author’s resilience and ability to stop the cycle within her own family.

[Angela Tumwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel was deeply disturbing, exploring themes of trauma and recovery in a raw and unflinching manner that left me feeling emotionally drained by the end. Despite this, I admire the author's courage to share her healing journey through writing.

[Alannah Roberts ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt so many emotions reading this book💔. I was molested by my stepfather that evil man is in prison today! So proud of lilly for breaking the generation cycle and finding healing in her abuse.

[LeeAnne Cronin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful and disturbing true story of survival. The author gives an honest experience of incest and pedophilia at the hands of her father, as well as the fallout of his eventual arrest and incarceration. I was shocked and disturbed, but only because of the horrors the author and her family had to experience.

[Aaron Esthelm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hard look at abuse how it shapes us and it's ramifications on how we interact with the world

[Yvonne Osorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so different from the other books written by survivors of child abuse. It delves into the things that happened around the abuse and not the actual abuse. This is an amazing book and anyone who has been a victim or or knows someone who is/was a victim of child abuse should read this.

As a CA/CIA survivor, It completely opened my eyes to some of the stuff that I had not quite understood. From disassociation to grooming. How blinded or LOST I felt about what my experiences where until I read this book.

Lily Palazzi, was amazing at writing this memoir. I could not have been written any better. People who have not been in our shoes will not understand, regardless of what they put us through, we may still love them, we forgive them. We don't want them near us or our loved one. But we still want what is best for them and hope for the best because, yes... they are some messed up things that happened, but we will have a heart.

Thank you Lily. I am sorry we went through what we did but we are better people because of it. I am so happy that you have such an amazing and supportive husband who stood by you when no one else would. You are freaking amazing. I am lucky to have a husband as supportive as yours.

[Anthony Lebedev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so sorry little girl i might be too

[KKEC Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Daddy the Pedophile by Lily Palazzi

Lily Palazzi
Audible Release: November 1, 2019
Listening Length: 8 hours 2minutes
Narrator: Patricia Santomasso
Genre: Memoir/Self-Help for Abuse
KKECReads Overall Rating: N/A
KKECReads Rating for Performance: 5/5
KKECReads Rating for Story: N/A
I purchased a copy of this audiobook on Audible and leave my review voluntarily.

Trigger warning: this memoir involves child abuse, incest relationships with a child, pedophilia, suicide, and drug and alcohol abuse.

This was heavy. While many details were kept vague, what was shared is brutal to hear and devastating to contemplate. My heart ached for the many victims of this memoir. For Lily, her siblings, and the other children who were left unprotected and vulnerable.

I have complicated feelings towards Lily Palazzi. While I applaud and admire her for overcoming the horrific abuse she suffered, and for doing the work to end the cycles of abuse, I find her compassion, forgiveness, and understanding toward her father (and primary abuser) bananas.

Lily has more than put in the work and made the effort to change. She has ended the cycles of abuse with her, worked to heal herself, and has moved towards wanting to help others. I am in absolute awe that she is standing tall and strong after everything she went through.

But I also can’t understand why she isn’t furious at her father. She forgives him, and I know that forgiveness (true forgiveness) is done for ourselves and our healing. But she spoke of her dad being an angel and how she looks forward to reuniting with him one day.

Lily has a beautiful support system in her husband, who has held her tight and supported her through so much pain. Anthony is remarkable for not following through with his threats towards Bill.

I appreciate the reasoning behind why Lily wrote this book and shared the things between these pages. She wanted to offer a glimmer of hope to other survivors. She wants them to know that they are not alone and that they can survive their abuse and find normality with healing through therapy.

She shares the dark, complex parts and times she struggled. This story didn’t just end when the abuse did; Lily goes on to share her journey to healing. To learning and growing and shedding the shadows of her past.

This is a heavy topic, with content not suitable for those with sensitivities regarding abuse. But overall, this was a beautiful story of hope, healing, and happiness.

[Megan Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very powerful. I found the writing style detached for most of the book, I think some people might dislike it but it’s understandable in the circumstances and I think it works well for keeping things realistic. I appreciated the inner child work and the compassion for the abusers, it’s easy to see things as black and white and demonize them but they’re trapped too. This book is a really good reminder that abuse is a cycle that’s incredibly difficult to break, you can’t just know you were abused and do the exact opposite of what they did, there has to be real love there and a commitment to seeing your own negative actions accurately, which is difficult to learn. Just as the author exhibited violent reactions, abusers were once victims that suffered too. The only way to break the cycle is to realize that pain is real and valid, but it doesn’t justify harming others.

Healing is a long and difficult journey. Forgiveness is part of that process. I liked that so much of this book covered the aftermath, because that’s the place I’m in right now. I found the description of the dark and lonely place heart wrenching and relatable. Questioning one’s own strength when dealing with flashbacks as being on the edge of a cliff, unsure if the next one will send you over was accurate. I especially loved the ending, I thought it perfectly communicated something I’ve been feeling about my parents, that you can’t save them, but you can have compassion for the broken children that created them and want the best for them. And it ended on a positive, loving note. I’m grateful I was able to read this story, I felt seen and that’s vital in situations like these.

Obviously the book is potentially triggering, anyone reading should proceed with caution, listen closely to their emotions and stop if it gets too overwhelming. But personally, it was invaluable and I’m grateful for the experience.

[M.C. Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most will judge a book by its front cover, not because of the way it looks, but because of the content the title implies. It's not for the faint of heart, but I do believe literature like My Daddy the Pedophile is necessary to be read. Today the world is obsessed with "spice." Everyone has their guilty pleasures, but what does reading that "spice" do? Make others think its okay to take what they want from others. Growing up in a world where abuse is repeated over and over again, makes the offense seem normal. It's not normal. Abuse should never be something that is normal in a household and ignored. Unfortunately, sexual abuse goes on even in one's own backyard. Too many children get taken advantage of by sexual predators, who end up being family members. The innocent who will take those family members at their word, even if it doesn't feel right, and say nothing because that is what they get instructed. There are too many that stay silenced. There are not enough who are brave enough to face their trauma head on in order to heal. Healing isn't pretty, but necessary in order to break the cycle. The most healing and rewarding process is writing a book. Not only is it therapeutic, but it will find its way to those who need it and help them understand it's not okay what is being done to them. Even if that someone is their father. To shine a light in the void of darkness.

[Emmie Must · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, I really appreciated how she explained how the relationship between her and her father evolved how she excused him and the whole family dinamic, I thought man were not sent to jail for incest back in the day to be honest after reading Kiss daddy goodnight by Louise Armstrong I thought they didn't. I'm glad she explained how she overcome her traumas and how she forgave herself and finally understood why she did and behave like she did when she was a little girl and even after getting married her therapy sessions and how the Center for abusers worked she did a great job explaining all that and also what her father suffered and even she was kind enough to forgive him I guess because she knew he was hurting too but I'm glad she didn't talk to him again or went to his funeral either, her Mom though but still she was a victim too and everybody reacts in a different way I'm glad she is a good example for survivors

[Melissa Hawthorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very difficult book to read because of the topic, but it sheds light on such a complicated situation. I've read memoirs about abuse before, and usually the author's writing is stuck in whatever age the person started experiencing the abuse (for example, the writing is stuck at a 5th grade level), but Lily Palazzi has a very eloquent style of writing. I love the way she was able to capture all the different emotions, at all different stages in her life. As I got to the end of this memoir, it was reminiscent of reading something like the book "Sybil". I was relieved to get to the end, as it was a very uncomfortable topic, but also because the memoir ends with inspiration. I'm really glad that Lily Palazzi chose to write a novel about her experience--I hope that it's able to bring comfort and healing to others that have had similar experiences.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books was really sad, mostly because it saddens me that children get abused so badly by their parents. Especially when children are seeking for the love and attention of their parents, like in this book, and the parent took advantage of that and turned it into something horrific. It’s just sad how many adults have suffered from this type of abuse. An abuse that breaks the trust of unconditional real love.

Good book, different from other books I’ve read that deal with trauma, mostly physical and emotional abuse. This is my first book that deals with emotional and sexual abuse and even rape. It was a bit hard to read, but I can say that it helped me understand the author from how she dealt with her abuse and how she overcame it.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually my very first book review ever. That’s how much I loved this book. I literally just finished reading it and I want to sing it’s praises for several reasons. Because of how raw, real and honest it is. Because of how fearlessly it discusses and examines an experience that too many have an not enough talk about, look at or deal with. I have so much respect for Lily. I only hope this book reaches more people. I want to share it with everyone I know despite and especially because of the nature of the story. Thank you for sharing your story. I truly appreciate it.

[Marly Butterfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, where do I even begin. This book has some details that are very detailed (which is how it should be explained because that’s what she went through) some days I had to put the book down and take a minute. I read this book because I have never experienced anything like this or had anyone close to me, I know this happens more than not and it’s great to be aware. I wanted to see behind her eyes. It is a great book at times a littler sicking but once again it’s the story! Power to her for always trying her hardest.

[Maycey Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh this book is MESSED UP. Kudos to this woman for what she endured at such a young age & overcoming this trauma & ending the cycle. You’re a true badass woman! This book is 1000% disgustingly & honestly written of a girl & her siblings living with a sociopathic pedophile of a father & how she overcomes her past. Such a sad sad read… just knowing people actually go through this kind of torture growing up and feeling alone in the midst of the abuse.
Ugh 5/5 stars for just being the woman to overcome this and write this book!

[Eliza Mila · Rating 5 out of 5]

To go through physical and mental abuse is traumatic enough. To relive the trauma by going to therapy that unlocks the part of the brain that keeps one safe from the ordeal is another. But it takes a strong and determined person to write their story and after getting rejected, self-published. These are the kind of books that should never get rejected for they have the impact to help so many others in a similar situation. It's not glamourus to read but necessary. The more voices willing to speak out, the magnitude of others being able to break the cycle.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Daddy

A heart breaking and heart warming story of triumph over tragedy. God places us in a family then tries to see how strong or weak we are. Although the author did not go overboard with her religious beliefs or even lack of them, she left it to the reader to see the subliminal message of heaven and if there is a heaven and her father, in her mind, became an angel, then there must be faith as she imagined it should be.

[Lindsey Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a sad story but one awareness needs to be brought to

This was one of the hardest books I’ve read to date. It sadness me to know that someone who suppose to keep you safe could do such awful things. That being said i felt it was beautiful written. The author is incredible brave to have shared her story and overcome so much. This story certainly has strong triggers for anyone like lily who’s been abused but also has a great story of how you can survive and go on still.

[Debbie's Fire · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Daddy the Pedophile: A Memoir

Well written on a subject hard to imagine happening.
Hurt people hurt people.
No one knows what happens behind the front door of any home.
Deciding to live instead of suicide takes strength and heart taking
steps to heal and live.
The world is better with you, your husband Anthony and Amy.
Thank you.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...

I only read the first 11 chapters. It became so repetitive. She was in love with her dad. She wanted to stop having sex with him. But, she would continue to have sex (Just one more time) bcz she wanted something from him.....
And when she caught her dad in bed with her little sister, she believed him when he said he wasn’t having sex with her.

[Andria Laws · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book hoping to understand my own fathers struggle with pedophilia. Although I did gain greater insights Than I had before reading I don’t think I’ll ever understand this insidious perversion. With that being said I was very moved by this woman’s inspiring and courageous journey of healing and forgiveness.

[Bret Boster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you

My mom was molested as a child and I never understand the correlation with the religious abuse I encountered as a child from her. After reading this book, I understand the cycle and why this happened to myself and my brother. Thank you for writing this book and making me see things from my moms inner child and what she must have experienced to survive the abuse.

[Nicole Mullikin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very hard to read and the content simply incomprehensible at times. But It pulled me through because the individuals were so compelling and in spite of the horror, I wanted to know what happened next. The author did a wonderful job and ultimately moves to a place of healing which so many memoirs completely skip over or exclude.