http://www.adventuresinneverneverland.com/2012/11/08/a-book-review-my-heart-stop... ( )

This book is quite difficult to review. The story itself is affecting, although it stretches the imagination to believe that a young girl could have such poor luck as to be abused in so many ways, by so many people - family members and "professionals" alike. However, the abuse Chamed suffered in the institution alone is not terribly hard to believe. Even in today's more western, modern facilities, "treatment" and "care" is questionable. As for the writing, I found a few grammatical errors, but I think the biggest problem was a poor, yet probably quite literal, translation. Perhaps the book would be better appreciated in its original form - in the italian language. ( )

Appalling.

I received this book for review from LTER and will be putting my copy in the recycling bin. This has to be the worst book that has ever passed my way.
To start with, the translation is absolutely chronic - and this is the improved version after we were advised to dispose of the first copy we received because of printing errors. The conversation is disjointed, the narrative jumps about and a lot of it makes no sense at all.

Then there is the content of the book. At first it seemed like a really sad story of a girl who contracted polio at the age of 14 months. The medical profession doubted that she would ever walk again but thanks to the love and dedication of her father (the big man), she did manage to walk. She endured a childhood of name calling and isolation because she was a "cripple", but then changed schools at the end of her Primary schooling, to one where she was not known and was able to put this all behind her.
Things were looking up until disaster struck again - but this was where I gradually decided that the saga of hatred and abuse that she had to endure was beyond believable. Every person she came into contact with was abusive in some way. There simply aren't that many awful people, I couldn't believe that she could go from one to the other in such an endless series of catastrophes. She lost my sympathies, it just didn't ring true.

If Chamed really did endure all this, then I apologise for my review, but combined with the awful translation I am giving this the lowest possible rating.

Edited at the request of the publisher. ( )

The memoir of a girl who is first orphaned, abused and then committed to a mental institution has the potential to be an inspiring tale of courage and endurance. However this book is done absolutely no favours by the frankly appalling translation and editing. The story jumps around and the plot is often confused. The poor English serves only to distance the reader from the subject matter. I personally felt very relieved to finish this book and will be studiously avoiding anything else by this author. ( )

This short book by Chamed reads more like a diary than an actual memoir. Loosing her parents at a young age, physical and sexual abuse by those who take her aboard, and lastly ending up in a madhouse with awful conditions, before finally being able to return to a normal life, this is certainly a tragic story. Unfortunately the book as such has been utterly disappointing.
A horrible translation from Italian to English made the reading often quite weird, not because the translations would have been totally wrong, but due to the fact that I knew better and more appropriate words/expressions. Add the strange mix of POV, one moment through her own eyes and then the next moment through her parents', which didn't help much either.
I realize the book is Chamed's way of coming to terms with her childhood experiences, but just writing it all down in a personal diary might have been a better plan.
In short: A shocking story, yet an atrocious implementation! ( )