Incest: The Secret Game

"Incest, The Secret Game" De Lorme's provocative true story allows the reader to watch events unfold through the innocent eyes of a child who is being abused by her father. We witness her growth moreover feel her emotions. Cloaked in dark family secrets, her little girl's life in England is a kaleidoscope of experiences including exile at the whim of bohemian parents, living through the second world war and enduring the confines of fundamentalist Catholicism. The writer describes how a girl in her early teens is told unpalatable secrets by her younger sister therefore has to solve the riddles that life has been presenting. Silenced by the taboo that creeps beneath the surface of every class in all societies, the sisters' nightmare of sexual abuse and mental cruelty continues. Overcoming her legacy of betrayal and abandonment, at nineteen Madeleine still does not dare to speak out on the incestuous relationship of her father with his children. Forced to conceal the unspeakable shame, she nevertheless resolves to reconstruct her identity thus starting her journey towards being a free-spirited young woman. De Lorme's shocking memoirs are challenging, yet balanced by her quirky observations of everyday humour. "A real page turner-well written and brutally honest . once you start you can't put it down. Madeleine's courageous expose helps break the silence on the pervasive and devastating reality of childhood abuse." Dr. Cathy Kezelman ASCA: Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse