Nipper: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Little Boy and His Violent Childhood in Working-Class Dundee

by Charlie Mitchell

Charlie's earliest memory at two and a half was listening to his dad batter his latest girlfriend in their Scottish tenement flat. Beaten and tortured by a violent alcoholic father in 70s' poverty-stricken Dundee, Charlie's early life was one of poverty and misery, but at least he had his best friend Bonnie a German shepherd puppy to turn to. Charlie lives with Jock, his violent, disturbed, alcoholic father in a Dundee tenement. Money is scarce, and Jock's love of vodka means that Charlie bears the brunt of his abuse. Often too bruised to go to school, Charlie lives in constant fear of Jock's next outburst. Subjected to hours of physical and mental torture, Charlie can only think of killing his dad. The only thing Charlie can rely on is Bonnie, a German Shepherd puppy, brought home to keep Charlie company while Jock goes out on his drinking sessions. But even Bonnie doesn't escape Jock's brutality. Please Don't Hurt Me, Dad is an evocative portrait of seventies and eighties working-class Dundee, where everyone is on the dole, alcoholism is rife and most people have illegal jobs on the side. Somehow Charlie escaped from the everyday struggle for survival. Bonnie wasn't so lucky.Charlie's way out came in the form of a beautiful young woman who became the love of his life and his saviour.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2009

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books its shows how simple things can change life I wish everyone could be like that. We should make all troubled teenagers read this book it could be life changing.

[Don Ariff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well for someone who had been severely battered during his childhood, Charlie could actually write very well. Quite thrilling too!

This true story truly is heartbreaking especially for the bonding and love that Charlie and Bonnie the doggie shared. Very inspiring towards the end but definitely not when he himself started drinking, drug abusing and vandalizing.

At least in the end, he learned his lesson :)

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

charlie is lucky to be alive after years of abuse he suffered from his father, it's shocking that this sort of abuse went on for years with no one doing anything. Stories like this make me grateful for my lucky upbringing.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad! Broke my heart to read about Charlie's childhood, but thank goodness he's a survivor. It's always terrible and heart wrenching to read about horrific childhoods.

[Judy Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh and cry, Excellent read.

[Peedie William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book, firstly because it was a story which I could relate to, and it is based in Dundee, Scotland, where I work. It was reading this story which gave me encouragement to write about my own childhood. This book brought a lot of thought provoking questions about my past. A very well written account of the authors young life. I have recommended it to dozens of readers.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bit of a eye opener. You don't think that something like the abuse dished out could go unnoticed in today's society, sadly this is just so.
A well written book, written by someone who has 'been there' and survived to tell the tale.

Reading this, you now understand why some kids turn into little monsters and why they are just that.

[Mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very true to life in Scotland in they days !

[Danny Howson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really moving and such a good really glad charlie is happy now and i would love to know what happened to poor bonnie worth a read guys

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marked the book as i liked it. How can you like a book about abuse and the fact that as you are reading it you feel frustrated and cannot help the child. Well i liked the fact it was a real life account, i liked learning about what life was like somewhere i have never lived and most of all i was made up that he came through it all and picked up the pieces as a survivor, and those are the best stories ever.

[Kathleen Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nipper

Brilliant read don't know how a parent can be so cruel well I can really that was just like my step father only worse was done to me but a brilliant read glad his life turned out good and he's done well

[Annette Brampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was about a boy who grew up in Scotland. He had a tough upbringing. Eventually though he does manage to turn his life around.

[Donna Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find books like these quite upsetting & so do not make a habit of reading them. However the upset in this book which is clear from the off-set is masked by the good humour of the child & then adult telling the tale. Charlie is separated from his Mother & brother & lives with his father at 4 years old. In court when asked who he would prefer to live with he tells them his father although this was not the case & even at such a young age cannot fathom why he said it knowing it would be his undoing.
In working class Dundee set i the 1970's it was normal for fathers to work then spend their nights drinking, the drinking turned into abuse Charlie took regular beatings his only escape being school where he got up to all sorts of hi-jinks with his friends. A place where he could go to be himself.
His only solace later becoming his dog. This book was genuinely upsetting but it was also genuinely funny. Relatable to Scottish culture, working class families & how it was in the days when people did not want to get involved in anyone else's business even if there was something clearly wrong. This was given to me to read by a friend I shall be recommending it & passing it on.

[yvonne wilkie Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

This book took me right back to my life growing up in 1970’s Falkirk although I endured abuse it was never to the extent of what Charlie endured. Although I grew up in Falkirk I live in Perth and work full time in Dundee and married a man from st Mary’s so the places that Charlie talks about I can totally relate to. I absolutely loved this book and hated it in equal measure I felt absolutely bereft for that poor little boy being starved and abused and often felt that he wouldn’t make it out alive🥺I loved bonnie as we too had a long haired German shepherd growing up called Shane . I am so happy for Charlie that he met Sophie and sorted his life out . Sad as it may be the awful abuse we go through makes us go one way or the other and thankfully it made me stronger and determined to make something of my life and obviously done the same for Charlie. This book will stay with me for a long time thank you Charlie

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What that poor little lad had to go through for 12 long years by his psychotic, animalistic monster of a dad, is jaw dropping shocking !
I don’t think I’ve ever come across abuse on this scale before !
I had a gut feeling that it wasn’t going to end well, that he was going to seriously hurt someone an end up going to prison for a long time while he was struggling to learn how to live with
“all the metal chains of his past being dragged behind him” !
I actually got goosebumps on the last couple of pages as I realised it really did end good for Charlie, god if anyone deserves to have an amazing life it’s him.
I just hope he’s enjoying his life with Sophie “his Angel” and his family.
God bless him.

[Garima Bali · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A lot of young kids we know, including us, are being treated so badly and abused so much that it has turned a whole generation into time bombs, just waiting to go off"

This book is heartbreaking and hard to read at times but fortunately it ends well. Being a true story, it makes it so much more impactful. It's hard to believe and captivating.
The writing style may not be the best but it hardly matters when you are so engrossed in someone's life. It truly depicts the horrors of violence and what they do to children and how they shape their lives.

Also there's a dog and their friendship is amazing.. so, must read!

[Sarah Dootson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know whe I read these books as I know they upset me but I found after reading this I ended up happy at the end .... well written account of the life of a young man & his unhappy childhood had me crying, laughing & smiling all at the same time in some parts

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harrowing story from a kid who grew up on my street. I recognized so many places described in this book. Amazing that this man was able to pull life together after such an intense experience.

[Devon Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard book to read but loved it and lovely to see the author came out of this awful abuse on the other side.
Would recommend!!

[Maria Argent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sad but story a bit slow