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5 stars for Cruelly Betrayed by @FaltzMary #memoir #cancer #bookish #bookreview



Title: Cruelly Betrayed

Author: Dr. Mary Faltz

Genre: Memoir


Book Blurb:


I put my own father in prison. 16 years of sexual abuse and threats. 16 years of fear and silence. 16 years of forced smiles and resilience. 10 years of studies. 7 years of pregnancy. 4 years of criminal trials. 10 years of marriage. 5 years of deception. Half a year of cancer…and only 37 years old.


There was no time to ask ‘Why me?’. Facing my own mortality made me realise that a big chapter of my life was not over yet and that I was not as free as I thought I was. These pages have written themselves in the middle of a still, ongoing heavy storm.


I may not be able to control what happens to me but I can always choose how to face it. This book will shed light on a far too common issue while encouraging you to self-analyse to create change in order to get you through your own ‘years’.


My Review:


Only a truly courageous person pulls back the curtain to expose their life to the world. That is what Mary has done here. The details of her life are harrowing. From the evil abuse at the hands of an alleged human being called Dad to the adulterous husband to cancer. By the time I finished this book, my hands were shaking. It is a powerful tale of the human spirit.


That Mary is alive to write this book and can put forward a positive attitude, should give hope to everyone. Cruelly Betrayed will be doubly valuable. First, it was doubtlessly cathartic for Mary to write it. Second, this book is for everyone going through tough times. You will hopefully see that if Mary can come through the challenges with a smile, then why are you frowning now?


Well written and balanced, this book is technically sound. That the author put it together while battling cancer is remarkable. Probably one of the most important books that helps define the power of humanity. You can go through this fire and come out a phoenix.


As a reader, I was enraged at her abuser and his enablers. They may all still be sitting in smug self-satisfaction, but their time is going to come. There is an almighty judge who will be evoking some Old Testament judgment upon all of them. Their eternity isn't going to be sunshine and daisies.


An important book that could inspire an abused person to find the courage to speak out. Again, you can't help but feel better about your own life once you read Mary saying she has no hard feelings anymore. If she doesn't carry a grudge, why does anyone else?


My Rating: 5 stars


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Author Biography:


Dr. Mary Faltz is a clinical research scientist and an accredited pharmacist. The second born in a family of six children, she is a survivor of child sexual abuse that lasted 16 years. Pushed to the extreme by her abuser, she finally gathered all her courage and pressed charges when she turned 26.


At the age of 37, she is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer that she is determined to outsmart. She is a single mother to four beautiful children, and she knows that her late daughter, who is her guardian angel is watching over her. She is determined to reach out and guide people to find their inner strength to get through any adversity life throws at them.


Mary is an accidental author. She wrote a book within 8 weeks while undergoing cancer treatment. She has been quiet for too long. In the face of her own mortality, she felt the urgent need to stand up and speak, loud and clearly.


Upon waking up from a long, complicated surgery, only to learn that her cancer had spread, she started typing her book on her hospital bed. She didn’t realise that she had so much to say until she wrote page after page. Cancer is only one chapter of the book and without cancer, the other chapters could never have been written.


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Reviewed by: Mr. N

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