Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Written January 16th 2004
Tanjas Darke's book is quite simply a testimony to the strength and resilience of the human spirit. This is a woman who for 20 years was degraded and sexually abused by the very person who by rights should have protected her from such horrors. Her own father.
I have read many books about abused children, but this book is the definitive of all those books, written by a survivor, it's never sentimental, it's often brutally honest to the point of it being horrific but most of all it packs an emotional punch that could polax Mike Tyson in one blow.
I actually came across this book by accident. Late one the evening I was watching a program on SKY and there was a documentary about Tanjas life. I sat mesmerised through the whole program and when it was over I went onto the Internet to find out more about her.
It was then I found out she had written a book about her life, "Flight of the Dancing Bird." Sadly it is not available in the UK and I ended up buying it second hand from the USA as it is out of print even here.
This is a book that should NEVER be out of print. It is a book that every High School Library should have on its shelves; it is a book that every mental hospital in the world should make its Psychiatric staff read.
It is a book about an ordinary girl who suffered the most appalling of abuse and had the courage to carry on living. It is also a book about a survivor who fell in love with a good man and is now in a loving relationship.
I read it the moment it arrived, from cover to cover and it was one of the most painful experiences in my life. However I don't regret reading it for one minute because Tanjas Darke is a heroine to me. Because of her I am now able to look in the mirror each day and not be ashamed of myself anymore.
Thank you Tanjas, you've helped another bird to finally find her wings...
Addendum 29th October 2005
My wish has come true; this book is now back in print, it should stand alongside "The Diary of Anne Frank" to prove that the human spirit can overcome all horrors, from the Holocaust to sexual abuse. Some people might disagree but remember this childhood can be lost in a variety of ways and its not only the Nazis in this world who have a lot to answer for.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Flight of the Dancing Bird: The Heartbreaking Story of Innocence Abused and Trust Betrayed in Paradise
With honesty and inspirational courage, Tanjas Darke offers a rare insight into the reality of dominance and mind games played by abusers, in this case her own father. More importantly she shows how the cycle can be broken and the abuser brought to justice. She relives her father's trial and describes her feelings while giving evidence against him. This is an extraordinary yet ultimately positive story which was made into a television documentary with the aim to give other abuse victims a message of hope while also providing a deeper understanding of a situation that seems incomprehensible and inescapable. Her story will remain in the heart and mind of every reader long after the book has been finished.
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