
Life with My Idiot Family: A True Story of Survival, Courage and Justice over Childhood Sexual Abuse
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kathy Picard
About this listen
Seven-year-old little girls love their daddies. Kathy was no exception, so when her daddy started paying “special” attention to her, she felt “special” in turn. Her daddy loved her. What could be better than that?
Few betrayals run as deep as the betrayal of being sexually abused throughout your childhood by the man you should have been able to trust with your life. For Kathy, the betrayal ran deeper because when she finally found the courage to start speaking out about what her abuser did to her, her family responded by labeling her a liar and a troublemaker.
Kathy didn’t stop speaking out, though. In fact, she spoke out more, eventually becoming a powerful voice in the nine-year campaign to get both the criminal and civil statute of limitations extended for child sex abuse crimes in Massachusetts. On June 26, 2014, the day the civil bill was signed into law, Kathy was finally able to file suit against her abuser.
Abusers get away with their crimes because the thought of confronting them - even through legitimate legal channels - can be a terrifying prospect for a victim. Yes, Kathy’s story as a victim is filled with years of sexual abuse and threats, but there are many more years filled with personal and professional triumphs as her life progressed beyond the physical and emotional reach of her abuser. Kathy is inspirational proof that good people can win and that speaking out and fighting for what you truly believe in can help make this world a better place to live.
©2017 Lake Town Publishing LLC (P)2019 Lake Town Publishing LLCListeners also enjoyed...
-
Broken
- The Most Shocking Childhood Story Ever Told. An Inspirational Author Who Survived It.
- By: Shy Keenan
- Narrated by: Judy Mason
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I was born and broken in Birkenhead, abused from infancy by a network of every kind of pervert from ‘thinks it’s love’ to ‘show it hurts’. I was unwanted, beaten, sold, swapped, photographed, filmed, left for dead, corrupted, blamed, betrayed, ignored and orphaned. But I was also born with a fire inside me. I call it my Phoenix Fire. I am no victim—that word only describes what happened to me. Nor am I a survivor because that implies I am over it. I am a Phoenix—a work in progress. This is my story....
-
-
Unbelievable Story
- By Amazon Customer on 09-07-23
By: Shy Keenan
-
A Family Secret
- My Shocking True Story of Surviving a Childhood in Hell
- By: Maureen Wood
- Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abused from the age of eight by her older brother and then her step-father, Maureen Wood quickly became numb to the constant suffering. But Maureen’s world crumbled when her own mother started to abuse her too. A Family Secret is the harrowing true story of how one little girl survived sickening abuse by the people who should have loved her most and how an innocent baby finally saved her.
-
-
Bravery in Spades
- By Mama of Roses on 03-22-21
By: Maureen Wood
-
My Daddy the Pedophile
- A Memoir
- By: Lily Palazzi
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After years of suffering multiple forms of abuse, a vulnerable young girl flees her home only to land straight into the arms of her biological father - a sexual predator. My Daddy the Pedophile tells the harrowing true story of a teenage girl’s affair with her manipulative sociopathic father. After a terrible dark secret comes to light, the real story unfolds and her courageous journey of healing begins.
-
-
Tragic and healing
- By Terri on 10-22-21
By: Lily Palazzi
-
No One to Save Me
- My true story of child sexual abuse, abandonment, neglect and a mother’s betrayal. This is how I survive
- By: Melissa Jordan
- Narrated by: Eleanor Shannon
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine being an innocent seven-year-old girl with a broke, single mum. Now imagine your mum meets a man who can give her a nice house and a better life in exchange for you. That’s what happened to me. For years, I suffered neglect and psychological and sexual abuse from him, with my mum being a silent witness. When I was finally able to get rid of him and escape, I didn’t know that my life was only going to get worse.
-
-
Amazing
- By Christopher K on 04-23-21
By: Melissa Jordan
-
Dirty Little Dog
- A Horrifying True Story of Child Abuse, and the Little Girl Who Couldn't Tell a Soul (Skylark Child Abuse True Stories, Volume 1)
- By: Kate Skylark, Sophie Jenkins
- Narrated by: Jill Myers
- Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sophie Jenkins is living a happy life in the idyllic Dorset countryside when she meets Martin Brett, the man who will go on to abuse her and haunt her dreams for years to come. A momentary act of neglect leads to a horrible series of events that leaves her changed forever. Badly let down by the adults entrusted to care for her, Sophie’s life begins to spiral downward. However, Sophie’s message is ultimately one of hope and empowerment. She is in the process of rebuilding her life when fate leads her to encounter her childhood attacker once again.
-
-
Narrator choice ruined it for me.
- By P. Stein on 09-10-20
By: Kate Skylark, and others
-
My Prison Without Bars
- The Journey of a Damaged Woman to Someplace Normal
- By: Taylor Evan Fulks
- Narrated by: Em Eldridge
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My Prison without Bars is a courageous and harrowing journey through the catacombs of hell, from the mind and voice of a little girl, living with her own monster underneath her bed. Written in first person, this novel is not a memoir, but more a psychological thriller based on true events; chronicling one woman's attempt to claw her way out of the darkness of Child Sexual Abuse, while struggling to find normal, in a not-so-normal world. It is poignant, dark and graphic; not for the faint of heart.
-
-
My life
- By PMOUSAABR on 03-08-16
-
Broken
- The Most Shocking Childhood Story Ever Told. An Inspirational Author Who Survived It.
- By: Shy Keenan
- Narrated by: Judy Mason
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I was born and broken in Birkenhead, abused from infancy by a network of every kind of pervert from ‘thinks it’s love’ to ‘show it hurts’. I was unwanted, beaten, sold, swapped, photographed, filmed, left for dead, corrupted, blamed, betrayed, ignored and orphaned. But I was also born with a fire inside me. I call it my Phoenix Fire. I am no victim—that word only describes what happened to me. Nor am I a survivor because that implies I am over it. I am a Phoenix—a work in progress. This is my story....
-
-
Unbelievable Story
- By Amazon Customer on 09-07-23
By: Shy Keenan
-
A Family Secret
- My Shocking True Story of Surviving a Childhood in Hell
- By: Maureen Wood
- Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abused from the age of eight by her older brother and then her step-father, Maureen Wood quickly became numb to the constant suffering. But Maureen’s world crumbled when her own mother started to abuse her too. A Family Secret is the harrowing true story of how one little girl survived sickening abuse by the people who should have loved her most and how an innocent baby finally saved her.
-
-
Bravery in Spades
- By Mama of Roses on 03-22-21
By: Maureen Wood
-
My Daddy the Pedophile
- A Memoir
- By: Lily Palazzi
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After years of suffering multiple forms of abuse, a vulnerable young girl flees her home only to land straight into the arms of her biological father - a sexual predator. My Daddy the Pedophile tells the harrowing true story of a teenage girl’s affair with her manipulative sociopathic father. After a terrible dark secret comes to light, the real story unfolds and her courageous journey of healing begins.
-
-
Tragic and healing
- By Terri on 10-22-21
By: Lily Palazzi
-
No One to Save Me
- My true story of child sexual abuse, abandonment, neglect and a mother’s betrayal. This is how I survive
- By: Melissa Jordan
- Narrated by: Eleanor Shannon
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine being an innocent seven-year-old girl with a broke, single mum. Now imagine your mum meets a man who can give her a nice house and a better life in exchange for you. That’s what happened to me. For years, I suffered neglect and psychological and sexual abuse from him, with my mum being a silent witness. When I was finally able to get rid of him and escape, I didn’t know that my life was only going to get worse.
-
-
Amazing
- By Christopher K on 04-23-21
By: Melissa Jordan
-
Dirty Little Dog
- A Horrifying True Story of Child Abuse, and the Little Girl Who Couldn't Tell a Soul (Skylark Child Abuse True Stories, Volume 1)
- By: Kate Skylark, Sophie Jenkins
- Narrated by: Jill Myers
- Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sophie Jenkins is living a happy life in the idyllic Dorset countryside when she meets Martin Brett, the man who will go on to abuse her and haunt her dreams for years to come. A momentary act of neglect leads to a horrible series of events that leaves her changed forever. Badly let down by the adults entrusted to care for her, Sophie’s life begins to spiral downward. However, Sophie’s message is ultimately one of hope and empowerment. She is in the process of rebuilding her life when fate leads her to encounter her childhood attacker once again.
-
-
Narrator choice ruined it for me.
- By P. Stein on 09-10-20
By: Kate Skylark, and others
-
My Prison Without Bars
- The Journey of a Damaged Woman to Someplace Normal
- By: Taylor Evan Fulks
- Narrated by: Em Eldridge
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My Prison without Bars is a courageous and harrowing journey through the catacombs of hell, from the mind and voice of a little girl, living with her own monster underneath her bed. Written in first person, this novel is not a memoir, but more a psychological thriller based on true events; chronicling one woman's attempt to claw her way out of the darkness of Child Sexual Abuse, while struggling to find normal, in a not-so-normal world. It is poignant, dark and graphic; not for the faint of heart.
-
-
My life
- By PMOUSAABR on 03-08-16
-
Enslaved
- My True Story of Survival
- By: Emily Vaughn
- Narrated by: Janine Cooper Marshall
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emily has always felt like an outsider, so when a family friend takes her under his wing she is delighted. But soon it becomes clear that his motives are not all they seem. At the age of 11, Emily is groomed into being a ‘county lines’ drug trafficker. It is the beginning of a vicious cycle that sees her become prey to one abuser after another, involving a huge child-sex-trafficking gang. The scale of the abuse—at the hands of hundreds of men—is sickening, and at times it feels like there will never be an escape. But then, in the darkest of moments, a ray of light shines....
-
-
misleading title
- By Lisa H. on 01-21-21
By: Emily Vaughn
-
Boy in the Barn
- Journey of Triumph over Horrific Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and PTSD
- By: Kurt B. Ellis
- Narrated by: David Seager
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John grew up in an incredibly narcissistic, dysfunctional family on a farm in southeastern North Carolina during the repressive 1960s. This was the model family to the broader community. His parents were considered pillars of society. Yet, this family held many deep, dark secrets governed by family honor, vanity, and pride. The parents' standing in the community was paramount to everything else. No one–no family member, circumstance, event, or situation–was to shame and embarrass them and get in the way of how they ranked and viewed themselves.
-
-
Tragedy at its worst
- By Dawn on 07-21-23
By: Kurt B. Ellis
-
Stella's Story
- Thrown Away Children, Book 1
- By: Louise Allen
- Narrated by: Melanie Crawley
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Named after the lager that christened her at birth, Stella's life is characterised instability and neglect. Her teenage mother abandons her in the first few weeks of her life, and left in the 'care' of her father, she ends up lying deserted in a house with no food, no water, no clothes and no warmth. She eventually lands in the care of foster carer Louise, who is determined to change her life for the better.
-
-
Heartbreaking and wonderful!
- By Deb S. on 10-28-24
By: Louise Allen
-
Educated
- A Memoir
- By: Tara Westover
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University.
-
-
The Other Side of Idaho's Mountains
- By Darwin8u on 03-28-18
By: Tara Westover
-
Tears of the Silenced
- An Amish True Crime Memoir of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Brutal Betrayal, and Ultimate Survival
- By: Misty Griffin
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Misty was six years old, her family started to live and dress like the Amish. Misty and her sister were kept as slaves on a mountain ranch where they were subjected to almost complete isolation, sexual abuse, and extreme physical violence. When Misty reached her teens, her parents feared she and her sister would escape and took them to an Amish community where they were adopted and became baptized members. Misty was devastated to once again find herself in a world of fear, animal cruelty, and sexual abuse.
-
-
Author is definitely dedicated
- By Felisa Kay on 09-15-20
By: Misty Griffin
-
Sins of Our Mothers: Skeletons in Our Closets
- By: Shana K. Dines
- Narrated by: Dani George
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My mother was bipolar, mentally ill, a sociopath that not only got pregnant by my 15-year-old father but went on to abuse me in every way imaginable. This is my story. People have a hard time believing that women, especially mothers who are supposed to protect their children, can be molesters and pedophiles, but my mother was one. I am not only telling my story for my own recovery, exposing the sins of the mothers in our family, but to help others to see that if this happened to them, they are not alone, and they can recover and have healthy, reasonably happy lives.
-
-
Hard story to tell
- By NanaD on 04-10-22
By: Shana K. Dines
-
Love as Always, Mum xxx
- The true and terrible story of surviving a childhood with Fred and Rose West
- By: Mae West, Neil McKay
- Narrated by: Julia Barrie
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The true story of an abused childhood, of shocking brutality and life as the daughter of notorious serial killer and master manipulator Rose West. You're 21 years old. Police arrive on the doorstep of your house, 25 Cromwell Street, with a warrant to search the garden for the remains of your older sister you didn't know was dead. Bones are found, and they are from more than one body. And so the nightmare begins. You are the daughter of Fred and Rose West.
-
-
Amazing
- By Anonymous User on 10-31-18
By: Mae West, and others
-
Know My Name
- A Memoir
- By: Chanel Miller
- Narrated by: Chanel Miller
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford's campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral. Now, she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words.
-
-
Just, thank you.
- By Alysha DeShaé on 09-25-19
By: Chanel Miller
-
In Order to Live
- A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
- By: Yeonmi Park
- Narrated by: Eji Kim
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In In Order to Live, Yeonmi Park shines a light not just into the darkest corners of life in North Korea, describing the deprivation and deception she endured and which millions of North Korean people continue to endure to this day, but also onto her own most painful and difficult memories. She tells with bravery and dignity for the first time the story of how she and her mother were betrayed and sold into sexual slavery in China and forced to suffer terrible psychological and physical hardship before they finally made their way to Seoul, South Korea - and to freedom.
-
-
Wow. What a story!
- By Jfm on 02-01-16
By: Yeonmi Park
-
Unbound
- My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement
- By: Tarana Burke
- Narrated by: Tarana Burke
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, the "me too" movement, Tarana Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her own journey to saying those two simple yet infinitely powerful words - me too - and how she brought empathy back to an entire generation in one of the largest cultural events in American history.
-
-
Resilient
- By Sharna Che on 09-14-21
By: Tarana Burke
-
Unspeakable
- Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice
- By: Jessica Willis Fisher
- Narrated by: Jessica Fisher
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Using the written word as her witness statement, Jessica Willis Fisher tells a lacerating story of finding her voice after two decades of silence and an unforgettable story of risk and faith.
-
-
"Don't tell" culture exposed
- By Angela on 11-03-22
-
Good Morning, Monster
- A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery
- By: Catherine Gildiner
- Narrated by: Deborah Burgess
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this fascinating narrative, therapist Catherine Gildiner presents five of what she calls her most heroic and memorable patients. Among them: A successful, first-generation Chinese immigrant musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her at age nine with her younger siblings in an isolated cottage in the depth of winter; and a glamorous workaholic whose narcissistic, negligent mother greeted her each morning of her childhood with "Good morning, Monster". Each patient presents a mystery, one that will only be unpacked over years.
-
-
some things shouldn't be consumed
- By Jess on 12-28-22
What listeners say about Life with My Idiot Family: A True Story of Survival, Courage and Justice over Childhood Sexual Abuse
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joyce
- 05-08-19
Sad story but triumphant ending
I was so sad listening to this book, but then I found myself listening to Kathy's story a second time to get the full understanding of the trauma she endured (I often listen passively while I'm working). I was initially shocked at the sadness of the story and didn't realize until further researching that the narrator of the book was also the same person this story was about. Although I found the story to be incredibly sad, I also realized that Kathy came out on top - with such a positive outlook on what had happened to her.
Thank you for sharing your story Kathy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- susannatalya
- 06-30-20
Great Tale of Trauma and Courage.
The beginning of Kathy's story is hard to hear, but the story of how she built her strength back and became the hero of her own life is amazing and inspiring. l highly recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MI
- 04-07-19
Kathy is a true Hero
Kathy has made it her life mission to help others who have endured this horrible abuse. Her own personal story gives others the courage to face their own abusers and gives them the strength to find their own voices. She is a true hero in my eyes.
To the reviewer that picks on the way she says "Idea", she is from Massachusetts, it is how we speak. Focus on the story, not her accent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lynn B.
- 06-20-20
The whole story
This was a wonderful chronology of horror, hope, and help. As a therapist, and #metoo warrior, I highly recommend this to anyone pursuing a career in advocacy, mental health provider, or personal healing. Many good wishes to Kathy and all of her advocates along the way.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Adam Cooper
- 11-24-20
Powerful and Important!
Kathy is not only a survivor, but an advocate. This book is a great tool. Child Sexual Abuse is real and it needs to be addressed. No more sweeping it under the rug.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AR
- 05-31-20
A traumatic topic covered beautifully
Beautifully written and gives courage to victims of sexual abuse. An inspirational battle for validation.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Dawn Petgrave
- 05-18-21
This is MUST read
Thank you Kathy. I recommend this book to all parents, caregivers and teachers. It gives a better understanding of childhood sexual abuse.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lois Fox
- 01-01-21
Feeling an affinity
Thank you for your strength and perseverance, Kathy. I experienced sexual abuse as a child. It’s very helpful to share your experience to help others. I’ve been sharing for years and have dealt with the isolation and ridiculous. Gaslighting is the worst. I give you all the credit for working on having the statute changed. It is a huge step in putting predators behind bars.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Irene Bali
- 04-06-19
A tru story but flat in writing.
It was interesting because it was a true story. I couldn't get over the authors use of idear instead of idea.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tracy Moskal
- 10-21-19
True Bravery
Kathy is truly a very brave woman. To tell this story and own her truth, to never give up the fight, so another child does not have to lose their innocence is truly remarkable.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful