Touched By Evil

by Michele Knight

Michele's childhood was a nightmare. Her mother was a gifted psychic but highly unstable, unable to control the dark forces her powers unleashed or to look after Michele. When she was six her beloved father died and the last shreds of normality were gone forever. From then on Michele was at the mercy of sexual predators and her mother's violent lovers. Evil surrounded her! But Michele wasn't alone. The presence of her twin sister Lucy was constantly at her side, comforting and inspiring her. Lucy had died when the twin girls were babies. But her spirit stayed behind to watch over her little sister. Time and again, when Michele reached her darkest hour, Lucy reached out with a deep sense of love and gently guided her to safety. This is the heartbreaking, but ultimately inspirational story of a little girl, who was beaten, raped, neglected, and despised, but rescued from despair by her faith in the power of love.

438 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

About the author

Q. How did you find writing the book?

It was an immensely difficult but cathartic experience. I had to revisit many painful memories and experiences that, even though to a great extent I have worked hard to achieve some kind of peace and understanding around, I had, up until the publication of this book, kept private. The task was made easier by the fact that I have always kept detailed diaries and had spent many hours conducting taped interviews with my mother before she died in an attempt to understand what makes us the people that we are.

Q. So why did you write it?

Despite the presence of Lucy during my childhood and teenage years I felt so alone. As an adult and mother myself I can understand that my own mother was just doing the best she could. I also grew up during a time when there was a growing awareness about the extent of child abuse in this country but there was really nowhere for me to turn for help and to a large extent I was just seen as a difficult child and teenager by the adults around me who could have intervened in what was happening. I think that even those who knew felt helpless to do anything about it. Like many children who experience abuse, I swung between a passive acceptance of what became a horrific daily reality and a fury that manifested in me fighting everyone, including myself. Looking back, I can see that I was desperately seeking answers and an escape but it felt as though there was nowhere to turn. Sadly, I know that such abuse continues today and I wrote this in part so that I could reach those who have been or are being abused. Much of my work today is about empowering people to transcend their own problems and circumstances, showing them that there is hope, that there is a way out, that there are people who care. It’s hard to express but I know that when I was going through the worst of things I would have done anything to have heard from someone who had gone through the same things and was out the other side and in many ways I think of this book as a personal letter to anyone who is struggling against the odds to create a life of happiness, joy and peace so that they don’t have to feel alone. It isn’t easy to talk about such things in the public arena. I do accept that I’m going to upset a great many people, but if I can help just one it will be worth it.

Q. Some of the events you relate – the transformation of the scarab into a living thing during your mother’s evocations, the hurricane in Italy, the presence of Lucy – seem so far fetched.

I know! And if it’s hard to read and take seriously, you should try living it and making sense of it! I really hope that such additions don’t undermine the credibility of the equally important messages contained within the book. Remember twenty years ago it would have been hard enough to talk openly about abuse. Hopefully, in twenty years time we’ll be able to respond to stories such as what happened with the scarab in a slightly different way. I could have left all of those things out but I think that when it’s time to tell the truth you tell the whole truth. Nothing is included that I haven’t done everything I can to verify in the most appropriate way.

Q. What about the title of the book? Do you really think that you were touched by evil?

The title came from the publishers who need to do their job in their way. I absolutely do not think of myself like that. I think of myself more as someone who has to experienced the darker sides of human nature so that I could learn and transform and help others. When you meet someone who is vulnerable or weak or in need of protection, you can allow the best in you to shine, or you can act out the baser aspects of human experience. I don’t think our fate is something that is set as a concrete series of events that will happen. We are all constantly co-creating the present and the future. Even though I was abused many times I also describe moments when I actually managed to achieve some sort of c

Reviews

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan and follower of Michele's for years since seeing her on TV. I bought this book because I was interested in reading about her life. The title gives away that it wasn't pleasant but there is no clue as to the continuous abuse she suffered at the hands of countless men. That Michele has survived to become an inspirational medium and psychic with a popular website is testament to her strength of character - something which was clearly apparent in her writing of her life. I'm even more of a fan than I was before x

[Lucy Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written autobiography.
I've read many biographies and autobiographies and I enjoy them immensely. Yes, I'm aware that they are only one persons reflections of events in their own life and they might be sensationalised to make things more compelling. However, I don't think children ever lie about abuse. Michele has the same message of love for humanity now as she did then. So her narrative rings true for me. It's unputdownable because of the flow. You literally should not be able to read this book, especially the first half, because of the abuse. Its really hideous. It's sad that she experienced violence, sexual abuse, spiritual attacks and feeling unsafe all the time but she can only write her life she can't write someone else's. I think she was brave not to sugar coat it. It's important to acknowledge that terrible things happen to lots of children who then just survive, not thrive, due to the neglect and the actions of others. Especially with the toxic trio, alcohol, addiction and mental health. But Michele did survive and eventually thrived. 18 years after this book was published she is still saying the same things about cosmic ordering, spirit guides and living in the present whilst looking to the future. She is so full of love and positivity for us all. She says we are all a shard of the divine whole. We are all interconnected but also isolated into a unique existence. A lesson she learnt at birth when separated from her twin Lucy who saved her life many times. I like her realisation of other layers of knowing, other realities and the power we all have to evolve and transform our lives. Her relationship with her Mum was tumultuous but ultimately gave her her gifts and taught her how to use them. I've just read her book, 'The Power of You' which I feel it's a testimony to her development of the ideas in this book.

[Alison Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this book, and managed to read it within 24 hours, but I came away thinking that it was a 'weird book'. The abuse suffered by this lady throughout childhood was horrific, a little too horrific maybe. It seemed like every single person she encountered as a child had either physically, sexually or emotionally abused her. Maybe she only included the bad parts of her childhood in the book because it certainly didn't seem like she had any happy parts after her father died. The sexual abuse continued right into her adulthood and I was left wondering how any one person could possibly come into contact with so many abusive people. The second half of the book focused more on the author's psychic ability which was interesting, but seemed almost to have been written by a different person to whom wrote the first half. Having said all that, I rated it 3 stars because it was still a great read that kept me captivated.

[Natasha sebuwufu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a powerful story! This book is a hard and heavy read at times, but it’s so compelling to learn about Michele’s life and see how she managed to overcome such difficult challenges. The spiritual aspect of the book really drew me in; hearing about the different kinds of healing and readings was fascinating and added a unique layer to her story.

Although I don’t often read non-fiction, I’m so glad I picked this one up. Michele’s honesty and strength shine through every page, making it an unforgettable and inspiring read. I’d highly recommend it to those interested in stories of resilience or exploring the spiritual side of healing.

[Amanda Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the start it was good. The author's writing is easy to read and understand. However there seems to be a lot of pain involved. Something that cannot be true although the book says based on true events. It's kinda hard to believe that actually happened. That's the only cause I didn't really enjoy the book. Maybe if there was less torture it would sound realistic and it would get a higher rating.

[Khoji · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do a lot of proofreading and copy-editing and based on my experience this book is full of red flags that indicate at best exaggeration and possibly also outright fabrication. So much of it just doesn’t ring true that it’s impossible to take any of it seriously. It reads like a National Enquirer reader’s prurient fantasy about what an abusive childhood might be like. People who have suffered this kind of abuse don’t respond like this, don’t think like this and don’t write like this.

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad,, spooky ,interesting.

Read the reviews and yes they were spot on,what a sad and fascinating life Michelle had,she must have been very strong,to do what she did,I thought 99% that when you die,you go to the spirit world now i am 100%,positive after reading this book,what a great read you won't be disappointed so download and enjoy.

[Tanya Boulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the format a little all over the place at times. The abuse was hard to read and obviously something she had blocked for a long time. The mother-daughter relationship was dynamic and we have to remember it was in a different generation. Above all I really did enjoy this book

[Annette Delves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book compelling and very disturbing.

[Sabrina Rutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm more fascinated by the lives of psychics than I am their books on what the unknown is all about. These people live pretty regular lives that include a lot of brushes with the paranormal, and many mysterious happenings. It makes for some very interesting reading!
I had never heard of Michele Knight before, but this could have something to do with the fact that I don't watch a lot of tv, except for the Bad Girls Club, which I love (loads of drama queens, crazy cat fights), so there isn't much of a chance for me to catch some good psychic show in which she might have been in.
Michele's memoir was an interesting read, but I can't say it's one of my favorites in the psychic memoir genre. I was a little put off by all of the abuse she has endured. It just seemed like there were to many perpetrators, but she also wasn't protected the way she should have been as a child either, so I can't really say it's unbelievable. It does seem a bit sensationalized in my honest opinion.
I love how she described her stay in Italy when she was a child! Her parents ran a tentotel (I think that's what it was called) which is luxury tents set up on the beach for vacationers. They expereinced some wild paranormal activity there, and also survived a hurricane. That part of the book actually had me a little spooked!
Over all I would say this book was pretty good, but maybe just a little to long. I really wish her mother would have written a memoir! She had the most fiesty, little Italian mother who lived a very interesting and hard life. I actually cried when she wrote about her mothers passing. I don't think her mom had the best parenting skills, but she was amazing anyway!

[Sammi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this book. I only gave it 3 stars because with these types of book I don't feel like I enjoy them like I do a good novel.
It was inspiring and definately different from the usual sad childhood story as it had a link with the paranormal.
I must admit though, I have never heard of Michele Knight before reading this book, and when I had got toward the end of it and realised through her book where she had worked I realised that she was a famous psychic.
Weird.

But, again, it was very inspiring to see how she began, and how she got to where she is now in life.
Good read!

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This true story was edging more to the girls psychic sides rather than the sexual abuse she suffered as a child. It was not the best story I have read but in saying that I would not have wanted to experience this girls life.