I was recently asked by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners if I would be interested in participating in a virtual book tour.  The book for the tour is titled Little Madhouse on the Prairie: A True-Life Story of Overcoming Abuse and Healing the Spirit .  Even though I’m usually glad to participate in book reviews, I was especially excited to be a part of this one.  For most of these tours, I’m sent an E-book and I write a review based on that.  In this case, the author Marion Elizabeth Witte wanted my snail mail addy so that I could be sent an actual copy of the book.  I’m glad she did so because the pictures contained within the book really added to the reading experience and the understanding of her story.

Little Madhouse chronicles the life of the author.  Most of this memoir is spent reviewing recollections of the abuse Marion sustained while growing up on a small farm in North Dakota.  It is heart-wrenching.  The book helped me to realize how thankful I am for growing up in a loving and supportive household.  As a father to a wonderful daughter, it broke my heart to think that anyone could treat their daughter the way Marion was treated.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s writing style.  She captivated me with her story.  The tone and voice was conversational and clear.  These kinds of things make a difference to me when I read a book.

Thoughts

• This is not really a self help book.  It is primarily a memoir.  The first two thirds or so give a vivid picture of Marion’s home life.  The last third describes the impact those early events had on her life and how she has managed to work through most of the issues that surround her abuse.
• Pay close attention to the players in the first couple of chapters.  It gets a bit complicated so you may have to go back and reread a few sections.  I found that skipping ahead to the pictures helped me to keep the players straight in my head.
• If you suffered abuse as a child, I believe this book may help you to sort out some of the many issues that result from the abuse.  Chances are you are experiencing the same kinds of difficulties in your adult life that Marion has faced.  You may be heartened by her successes in dealing with her issues.
• If you did not come from an abusive home, this story will still touch you.  The determination of the human spirit shines through and that is one of the reasons I found this book to be so inspiring.

I’m so glad I was able to participate in this book tour.  Marion, thank you for sharing your life experiences with the world.  I hope that folks with a history of abuse in their life will get the book and be inspired as I have.