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Where Children Run

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Where Children Run

By: Karen Emilson
Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
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About this listen

Twins David and Dennis Pischke's lives change forever when their father dies and a man damaged by the war arrives at their farm near the isolated town of Moosehorn, Manitoba. Boleslaw Domko quickly works his way into their lives and their mother's bed.

Where Children Run opens with one of their earliest memories - the day Domko throws their infant stepsister against the wall. In this firsthand account, the twins recall years of neglect, starvation, and enslavement; horrific beatings and candlelit nights spent in the nearby St. Thomas Lutheran Church. Neighbors intervene, but their efforts provide only temporary relief as the children's mother - also living in fear - refuses to press charges.

The brothers vow that if they survive, they will someday expose their tormentor and members of their mother's religious organization who turned a blind eye to their suffering. This is their story - told with stark honesty and in heart-wrenching detail.

Where Children Run is a timeless, unforgettable audiobook about survival, a powerful testament to the strength and adaptability of the human spirit.

Contains mature themes.

©1996 Karen Emilson (P)2018 Tantor
Child Abuse Dysfunctional Families True Crime
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What listeners say about Where Children Run

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Heartbreaking story of mental and physical abuse

It was difficult to understand how such cruelty could be withstood by so many for so long.. and survive. It was a story written by those who survived and although heartbreaking it gives an insight into the strength and resilience of children however not all children can survive this trauma.

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Truth is far more horrific than fiction...

An incredible story of survival...with the only equally tragic thought being the huge number of kids living thru a similar hell today....

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One of most moving books

Great raw book, about life of some unfortunate children!
I am glad they survived Satan!
Jehovah witness that could have helped but did not should be ashamed of themselves

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Understanding child abuse

The effects of any abuse is far reaching. How the children in this story survived to write this book is nothing short of miraculous. I think everyone should read/listen to it. It’ll make you realise how lucky you are

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how they survived

really enjoyed this, felt so sorry for the children, it's a shame David never got to do his dream of being an artist, im glad they lived a happy life once they got away.

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Heartbreaking & Frustrating!

How these poor children were returned to continue to endure that level of abuse again & again is heartbreaking! I couldn’t stop listening as I needed to know they were OK in the end.

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Heartbreaking

Praise to those twins, David snd Dennis, and the other children in this 'family' for their courage, resilience and determination to survive the horrors of their step-father aka Satan's horrific abuse. Praise also to the many families in their neighbourhood who tried to do something about it but the police were useless.

It's impossible to understand how anyone can treat children the way their step-father did, and that their mother was so abused herself from early childhood, she was powerless to find the strength to put them before him.

What's worse is the Jehovah's Witnesses who regularly visited the home, put appearances before protecting those children. I hope they asked their god for forgiveness for turning a blind eye, knowing the unimaginable suffering they were enduring. Shameful.

This was a very very hard listen. I found myself boiling with rage and frustration throughout, and filled with sadness and tears for those kids, but it's important we learn through such real life stories in order to better understand the damage child abuse causes, not only during childhood, but later in life.

'Satan' was a severely mentally disturbed man. He should have been detained under the mental health act long before he was and never released. Only then might this family have stood a chance. Another example of how poorly the authorities (aside from a doggedly determined social worker and teacher who tried to protect these kids) understood this back then, and yet, we still hear similar stories happening today. When will lessons be learned? Why is it taking so long?

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A difficult listen

This doesn't mean I didn't like it, but it would be hard to use the word 'enjoy'. The children really suffered and there was little help from professionals. Domko was a child and animal abuser. It is a frustrating story and it's also hard to feel any pity for their mother who allowed it all to continue. It was a tough time.

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