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A review by caoilo
Suffer the Little Children by Frances Reilly
5.0
A true life story about a little girl called Frances. One morning she is woken up to get ready for a trip to Belfast. Bored of Omagh Frances and her older sister Loretta are excited to go on such a trip, of course their baby sister Sinéad is not expected to remember it as she is a baby. Frances felt sorry that the boys Micheal and Sean would not be going and instead would visit their aunt for the day.
Once the girls are bundled into a waiting car, the excitement dies down and now Loretta and Frances are aware that something is not right. Suddenly they stop after hours of driving. There mother gets out of the car and tells them they are there. Loretta doesn't mind as she stretches her legs. Not long later they find themselves standing by a gate, Loretta holding baby Sinéad. Suddenly their mother shoves a letter in to Loretta's arms and tells her to give it to who ever comes to the gate. With that the mother runs to the car, gets in, the car pulls away like it is in a high speed chase.
It would be comforting to say that this was a rear story, but in an honest and open world stories, or rather truths like this are not rear. Is power the reason behind all these events? There is no denig that the Catholic Church most assuredly held power. Even in the book one police man tells another, "This is the Catholic Church we're talking about. You don't want to take them on. They're above the law they do what they like."
Suffer the Little Children does work as a book but more importantly it is a truth and for some an opening to the true nature of those who hold power. No one is incorruptible not even those married to god.
While this is a biography it is also a well written one. Reilly manages to show and not just tell us about her experience. While she does not use flowery language and keeps her writing in a casual style it is not repetitive which can be a problem with some biographies. People tend to use the same expressions or turn of phrase, Reilly hasn't done that here. Even something that has come up before is expressed in a new way.
People say religion brings people and communities together but here is proof of how it can tare families apart. It is not difficult to see how abuse of all kinds affects a person long after the fact. Given the physical and sexual abuse Frances suffered it in obvious that it went on to effect her adult life. I would say if there was anything to learn from this book I would say it is to never give up and no mater the cost try again and again.
Once the girls are bundled into a waiting car, the excitement dies down and now Loretta and Frances are aware that something is not right. Suddenly they stop after hours of driving. There mother gets out of the car and tells them they are there. Loretta doesn't mind as she stretches her legs. Not long later they find themselves standing by a gate, Loretta holding baby Sinéad. Suddenly their mother shoves a letter in to Loretta's arms and tells her to give it to who ever comes to the gate. With that the mother runs to the car, gets in, the car pulls away like it is in a high speed chase.
It would be comforting to say that this was a rear story, but in an honest and open world stories, or rather truths like this are not rear. Is power the reason behind all these events? There is no denig that the Catholic Church most assuredly held power. Even in the book one police man tells another, "This is the Catholic Church we're talking about. You don't want to take them on. They're above the law they do what they like."
Suffer the Little Children does work as a book but more importantly it is a truth and for some an opening to the true nature of those who hold power. No one is incorruptible not even those married to god.
While this is a biography it is also a well written one. Reilly manages to show and not just tell us about her experience. While she does not use flowery language and keeps her writing in a casual style it is not repetitive which can be a problem with some biographies. People tend to use the same expressions or turn of phrase, Reilly hasn't done that here. Even something that has come up before is expressed in a new way.
People say religion brings people and communities together but here is proof of how it can tare families apart. It is not difficult to see how abuse of all kinds affects a person long after the fact. Given the physical and sexual abuse Frances suffered it in obvious that it went on to effect her adult life. I would say if there was anything to learn from this book I would say it is to never give up and no mater the cost try again and again.