This book is unputdownable. It is so well written from start to finish it just grabs you. I found this story to be the most shocking of all the books of this type that I have read. The front cover alone of the little boy holding his soft toy is enough to make you cry.

Joe had a protective loving father who he cherished and adored until one fateful day when a horrific accident claimed his father's life. From that day on Joe's life was never the same! He witnessed his father burning to death and from then on he became mute. His father, his protector was gone and Joe's life became one of abuse, physical, verbal and sexual!!

Joe's story is graphic, violent, abusive and certainly not for the faint hearted! His 'mother' was a monster who physically and verbally abused him all his life and then let others sexually abuse him so she could make money off him. She constantly threatened to kill him if he ever told but she knew her secrets were safe because Joe couldn't talk!

Joe was treated like an animal by his mother and brothers, being made to sit under the table and lick food from the floor which they would chuck to him often spitting on it or stamping it in to the ground!

I havent quite finished the book yet but am compelled to write a review now as it is an excellent though heartbreaking story! My heart goes out to Joe and all he has gone through. Congratulations Joe on writing your story and making a success of your life after all you have been put through by people who should have cared for you. You are a survivor and I wish you all the best.

Synopsis

Joe knew his mother was cruel and violent, but he trusted his beloved father to protect him from her. When a freak accident saw his father burn to death in front of him, Joe was left at the mercy of his mother. Without the love of his friend and brother, he wouldn't have survived. With them, he went on to spend his life fighting child abuse. Joe was just five years old and the horrific scene literally struck him dumb. He didn't speak for four and a half years, which meant he was unable to ask anyone for help as his life turned into a living hell. His schizophrenic mother and two of his older brothers spent the following years beating him, raping him and locking him in the cellar at the family home. Fed on scraps that he was forced to lick from the floor, he was sometimes left naked in the dark for three days without human contact. Unable to read or write, all Joe could do to communicate his suffering was draw pictures. The violence and sexual abuse grew in severity as more people, including his stepfather, were invited to use him in any way they chose.The only thing that saved Joe was the kindness of his elder brother and his only school friend, both of whom showed him that love was possible even in the darkest of situations.

At fourteen he finally found the courage to run away, hiding in a hut by a railway line, fed on scraps by some local children who found him. Joe's is the ultimate insider's story, casting light into the darkest of hidden worlds, and a truly inspirational account of how one small boy found the strength to overcome almost impossible odds and become a remarkable man. Now that he has found his voice again, Joe speaks out against child abuse and helps support and protect other children whose lives have been blighted by it.

http://www.crysilenttears.co.uk