Helpless: The true story of a neglected girl betrayed and exploited by the neighbour she trusted

Marianne Marsh

Mar 2009 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

Neglected by her careless parents, Marianne turned to her neighbour, the one person that she thought she could trust....

Eight year old Marianne, the eldest of five children, was neglected by her slovenly mother and her violent alcoholic father. Uncared for and unkempt she was rejected at school by her peers and scarcely tolerated by her teachers. Only one person gave her the affection she craved; a neighbour who seeing the vulnerable child knew she was easy prey for his perverted desires.

‘Little Lady’ he called her over the few months he groomed her. Less than twelve months later she was caught in a trap of fear – if she talked she would be punished. With no one to turn to she kept ‘their secret’. At thirteen she fell pregnant.

Still too frightened to speak out she refused to tell the social workers who the father was. Without family support the teenager gave birth to a daughter in the unmarried mother's home.

Six weeks later the baby she had already grown to love was taken away for adoption. Marianne returned home, but the neighbour's abuse continued and a year later she was pregnant again.

This time her father literally tried to beat the baby out of her but she failed to miscarry. Scared for her life and that of her baby's she ran away from home carrying only a plastic bag stuffed with her few possessions.

Marianne who still missed her first child desperately struggled to keep her second daughter. Two months after the birth she realized that for the baby's sake she would have to hand her over for adoption.

Helpless is Marianne’s heartbreaking story as told the bestselling author of Don’t Tell Mummy.

Ratings and reviews

So I just finished the book "Helpless" and wow. This story is a story of non fiction. An 8 year old girl, brought up poor in a very unloving, dysfunctional family. She's sexually abused by her next door neighbor by the age of 8. Although this book can be tough to read at times, I couldn't stop turning the pages. This little girl goes through hell on earth, and you can't feel anything but sympathy for her. This book will keep you engaged, and wondering if she will able escape her abuse. I give this book 5

Helpless is so well written, one can't help but analyse their own abusive past. I hope that foe those who do, find contentment in reading words that ring true, finally spoken aloud. And for those that don't relate, i hope that it instills a will to question and observe and support those suspected of keeping their silence. Awareness isn't just found in voice, but in truly looking at loves outside of our own.

WOW!... I happened to just come across this book this morning after recovering from a horrendous stomach bug 🤢🤢 This book helped me get through the day it just written so well... I just love being transported to what times were like years ago... What a brave courageous woman... How has she got through all this... The poor girl went through the unimaginable... I just have not been able to put this book down from the minute I picked it up this morning... I'm so glad Marianne got happy ending... I think we all need a friend like Bev 🤗 I wished and hoped the man next door would get his comeuppance dirty man 😡😡 Thanks for being brave and telling your story its worth 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🤗👍

About the author

Toni Maguire lives in the UK and Ireland.

Marianne Marsh lives in Kent with her husband. She recently retired from the local hospital where she went into nursing. She now enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.