This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Karen is a retired clinical psychologist, a member of APA, a Professional member of the Canadian Authors Association, the Writers Guild of Alberta, a member of SECE (Stop Educator-Child Exploitation) and a non-fiction writer that concentrates on social issues. The Full Catastrophe (2016) is a memoir about domestic abuse, and "The Village That Betrayed its Children" is a memoir written in the style of new new journalism that combines the personal story of the author with research on the topic of child sexual abuse in schools.
Karen also teaches, mentors and does talks on memoir.
She is a world traveller, having been to Mexico, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic, France, Peru, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Hawaii, and Nigeria. She has lived in Hawaii and England and now lives in Calgary, Alberta.
Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
What happens when the very people who are supposed to protect you choose to stay silent instead? The Village that Betrayed Its Children, written and told through the eyes of Karen Elizabeth Lee, is a powerful, painfully honest memoir that takes readers into a dark secret from her childhood that’s been hidden for far too long—a childhood spent in the mid-20th century in a small village in Ontario, Canada. After a trip to Prague triggers some memories, she travels back to her hometown to find the answers she deserves. The story touches on how the community of people where she lived was failing her and the other children affected by what happened to them at school. It honestly explores the ripple effects of silence, betrayal, and the struggle to heal. It gives a voice to those who never could speak up for themselves, making it a brave and essential book. Speaking the truth, no matter how long it’s been, is a necessary part of the healing process.
After seeing the cover and reading the description, I knew I had to read The Village that Betrayed Its Children, poignantly written by Karen Elizabeth Lee. This book isn’t just about what happened in the past; it’s about the way the betrayal sticks with the survivor’s life. The setting of the small village, and the quiet places where too much pain was hidden away like it was nothing, makes the perfect contrast between the innocence of the children and their trauma even more striking. As an educator, I wish I could’ve helped those so harshly affected by the actions of a teacher. I really appreciated the determination to find out the answers she had deserved for decades. It’s an emotional, important, and courageous read that will stay with me.
