Saving Samantha

Samantha C. Weaver
Hay House (2006)
ISBN 1401910300
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (6/06)

The subtitle of this book is “a young woman’s escape from childhood hell” and after reading “Saving Samantha” one wonders how many other children go through the same hell growing up without ever knowing there is another way of life. Samantha’s childhood life of utter abuse and neglect is portrayed in spellbinding detail. How could two parents be so cruel to their own children?

Samantha’s memoir starts off with her father’s voice “Do as you are DAMN well told!” and sets the theme of her story. She explains how her parents never cuddled her or told her they loved her.  Instead she and her two siblings were told they were rude, naughty, and disobedient. They were beaten just to be beaten.  They didn’t have heat in the bedrooms and often saw their breath. Their breakfast consisted of a glass of milk and a custard cream biscuit which was given to them the night before. On weekends they weren’t allowed out of the bedroom until lunchtime while their parents were still in bed. Their toilet was a bucket kept in the bedroom.  They had no toilet paper so they wiped themselves on the floor or with a sock. They lived in fear at all times.

Samantha’s father was a severe depressive that couldn’t hold down a job. He attempted suicide on many occasions.  Her mother was the classic enabling wife, paralyzed by fear. For her, it was much simpler to abuse her children rather than stand up to her husband. Depression absorbed everyone in the family and at age 14 Samantha attempted suicide. She was prescribed an anti-depressant.

Of course nothing changed except the feelings were masked. She refused counseling. Again, at age 18 Samantha considered suicide, however, this time she realized that there was hope and with help, checked herself into a psychiatric hospital. With much therapy and medication, Samantha was able to look at her agonizing childhood experiences, disown her dysfunctional parents, and move on with her life. Today, at age 26, she is living a fully functioning and happy life.

“Saving Samantha” is a riveting book that once started cannot be put down.  Fortunately I had several 5 hour plane flights where I could read this book without disturbance. It is hard for me to imagine how parents could treat their own children with such disregard and cruelty.  Is there no conscious in people like this?

This book is well written and hooks you at the end of every chapter.  There were times I had to stop and re-read a sentence, only to figure out the meaning. Samantha is British and some of the terms she used are not common in the United States. However, this did not detract from the flow of the story.  If anything, it made it more intriguing.

I highly recommend “Saving Samantha” as a must read.  It is a personal testament that no matter how dreadful childhood was, there is hope and an avenue to make changes in one’s own life. All it takes is determination, courage, and desire. And, most importantly, there is help to facilitate the change.

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