I read the book last night at work, only because someone asked me for my opinion on it, I generally avoid 'abuse stories' even when well written they are depressing.

I haven't got time to comment other than to say it is no great literature master peice, but then she isn't a writer is she.

But I believe nearly all of it...what I don't belive is that her siblings didn't also experience abuse at the hands of their mother. I think she did them a wrong by not acknowledging their abuse.

Should she have told her story? Yes, it is afterall her story, probably her therapy. She had every right. And in no way does it reflect on us as a people and so what if it does? Shit happens.

Before I get back to the story itself later on in the week I want to quote I think facteygal
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facetygal
From personal experience I know a fair bit about child abuse, the different forms of it and how it affects the person it has happened to. I'm actually quite disgusted by some of the comments I've read. I am feeling this

Someone said the girl never showed emotion when her mum was beating her well her emotion was shown through wetting the bed. She never wet the bed when she was at other people's houses because she wasn't scared or anxious or lay in anticipation of what her mother was going to do to her.

Someone said a white man helped her kick start her career, well as far as I can see she started her career by herself. She passed her school and college exams with help from no one, she got the money together to put herself in uni, she maintained contact with a lawyer who said he would mentor her. Even when she asked her mum to sign one likkle form for uni it was ripped up in her face.

Someone said it was notup to her siblings to protectthis girlfrom getting beaten from her mum. Are you seriously telling me you would be happy with ur sibling being called into ur room, stands there and watches while ur motherstrips off ur nightclothes, taunts u and subjects u to physical abuse and ur sibling does nothing to intervene? What planet are you on?

Someonesaid a lot of emphasis was put on school dinners, well her food was rationed at home sometimes she completely went without food so the school dinner would be her main meal of the day. The only time she really ate was when her dad bought the food.

QUESTION: DID YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK OR WERE U JUST SKIMMING THE PAGES?

Someone said why didn't she retaliate against her mother, she did when she refused to go home on numerous occasions. At the end of the day this girl loved her mother and wanted nothing more butfor her mother to love her back. She would never have retaliated by hitting her mother, but she got revenge the day she got her four poster bed and the day she left for uni.

QUESTION: IF THIS IS ALL A BUNCH OF LIES AND THE MOTHER HAD NOTHING TO HIDE WHY WOULD SHE STEAL THE GIRL'S DIARIES THE DAY SHE WAS LEAVING FOR UNI?

ANSWER: BECAUSE THE MOTHER KNEW THE GIRL HAD A STORY TO TELL AND THOSE DIARIES CONTAINED DAMNING EVIDENCE AGAINST HER

For this book to be nothing but fabrication itwould suggest Constance has serious mental health issues, because who in their right mind would contemplate conjuring up such horrific, graphical, disturbing forms of abuse slap it in a book and say "this isa story about my life"? No I don't buy that for one second.

Oh and to the members of the hypocrite society who are berating this woman for "airing her dirty laundry" guess wha? People air their dirty laundry on here all day everyday, but u don't frown on that do u, nah u offer the person advice instead. Makes me laugh

Well said facetygal.

Apparently her younger sisters (the Eastmans) and her Mother were in Febuary 2006 planned a lawsuit against C. Briscoe Does anyone no what as come of this story can't find anything online.

‘PISSABED’ JUDGE IN LEGAL BATTLE

Apparently there is a new book out this year Beyond Ugly (or something) Anyone read this?

(Source: Ugly no more: Judge Constance Briscoe reveals how only radical cosmetic surgery could lay her mother's taunts to rest)

I recently finished reading both of the books: 'UGLY' & 'BEYOND UGLY'. I was not aware of all the publicity 2 yrs ago. Having read a few newspaper artiles that were around 2 yrs ago; it appears that Ms Briscoe may have exaggerated some of the abuse for mass media impact eg she showed a Daily Mail journalist court papers of when she took her step father to court when he 'alledgedly' smashed her head through a window. In her book she said she was 13yrs old at that time; but the court papers showed she was actually 17yrs old. I dont think this excuses her abuse; by it makes me wander if she lied about that; what else did she lie about in her book?? She is clearly still a very disturbed woman. I believed she was abused; and she is still very angry towards her family - which I cant blame her for. I think because the books are not very well written; she had to take bad advice (ie exaggerate the abuse) in order to get her book published; and to gain the amount of publicity that it did attract.

N.B.

It is a known fact that 'misery' literature is the bestselling genre. So its unsurprising that many people would read UGLY. I have read it and must say I was touched. But STILL to this day can't believe how people can be so illogically cruel.

People are complaining that only bad events in black people's lives are publicised. So what is stopping you guys from getting those 'good' books out there?

Woah that's cold isn't it?

Because she married a white man this means that you are not interested in her story, in her struggle?
Pathetic, certain people on this forum always calling other races confused boy.. the irony lol

But anyway I have read the book and also her second book.
Ive read many book about child abuse and theres nothing in constance story which would make me believe she fabricated the whole thing.

I also remember reading that dave pelzer author of a child called it, was also lying but anyway.
I think its a positive story showing that no matter how hard you have it, what you go through you can come out the other side and be successful.

Everyones actions in life is from something else. Like someone else has already said she may have married the white man because how the mother made her feel about her african features, it could be because she felt like white people the only ones who helped her, the black people around her either abused her or didnt look out for her or maybe just maybe she fell in love with someone irrespective of his race!

The second book boring as hell, thought it would tell me more information and be more interesting but i was wrong

Alot of authors write 1/2/3 books, maybe there wasnt a happy ending. Just because shes in her dream job dont mean shes happy. Dont mean shit aint still affecting her.
why should she feel shame, shes the victim bloody hell