A child called it dave pelzer
John O’Leary welcomes Dave Pelzer, author of A Child Called It to the Live Inspired Podcast reminding us that we have the ability to emerge from the shadows into a brighter, more resilient future.
Dave Pelzer endured years of unimaginable child abuse inflicted by his own mother, and yet emerged from the depths of despair to become a beacon of hope and resilience.
In 1995, Dave courageously shared his harrowing experiences in his memoir, A Child Called It, a book that not only touched the hearts of millions but also achieved an unprecedented feat by remaining a New York Times bestseller for an astounding six years. Today, Dave has made it his life’s mission to empower others to discover their inner strength, persevere through adversity, and unlock their fullest potential.
Join us as Dave shares about the unimaginable torment he endured during those years of abuse and the pivotal roles his teachers played in his path to survival. He also delves into the profound and transformative journey of forgiveness, illustrating the incredible power it holds in healing the wounds of the past.
My friends, this conversation is a reminder that no matter how dark your past may be, there is always a way to rewrite your own narrative and emerge from the shadows into a brighter, more resilient future.
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SHOW NOTES:
- Target Child Selection: Researchers say it’s not uncommon for an abusive parent to single out one child as the target of physical violence.
- When Dave’s parents separated in January 1973, by happenstance, his teachers stepped in and he was placed in foster care.
- Dave wasn’t scared of the diabolical new things he feared his mom would do to him. It was her getting more aggressive in the forms of abuse she already practiced.
- Tumblers: Where things happen at the right time, at the right place.
- After being rescued and placed
- David James Pelzer (born
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My Story: "A Child Called It", "The Lost Boy", "A Man Named Dave"
I have very mixed feelings for this book. No doubt, this book indeed helped in enhancing my knowledge and understanding of child abuse victims, but it arose several questions in my mind which remained unanswered till the end of the book. Moreover, this book gives only one perspective to the situation/theme of the book.
I strongly wanted to find why David's mother behaved in such abnormal and deviating from the norm ways. The author does not give a satisfactory explanation for that. Secondly, the book discusses a lot about david's struggle but there was hardly any mention of his brothers later in the book. He struggled for his wife, for his son, for himself but there was not a mention of his brothers.
In the book, it is mentioned that David divorced Patsy from whom he had stephen because they were different an dcould not understand each other. Later, he married Marsha and was greatly satisfied. There are ample descriptions of his happily married life with Marsha and the extent to which Marsha understands him. But, interestingly, when I googled about dave pelzer, I found that David and Marsha are divorced. This made me doubt every word of the book I have read. Indeed, there are accounts of his social worker and teacher but still I am swinging between feelings of doubt and certaininty.
These are my feelings. I know some may not agree but this is what I felt after reading this book
Dave Pelzer
American author (born 1960)
David Pelzer | |
|---|---|
Pelzer speaking to airmen while visiting troops in Southwest Asia | |
| Born | (1960-12-29) December 29, 1960 (age 64) Daly City, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Autobiographer, motivational speaker |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | A Child Called "It", Help Yourself |
| Spouse | "Patsy" (m. 198?; div. ??) Marsha Donohoe (m. 199?) |
| Relatives | Richard B. Pelzer (brother) |
| www.davepelzer.com | |
David James Pelzer (born December 29, 1960) is an American author of several autobiographical and self-help books. His 1995 memoir of childhood abuse, A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive, was listed on The New York Times Best Seller list for several years, and in 5 years had sold at least 1.6 million copies. The book brought Pelzer fame, and has also been a source of controversy, with accusations of several events being fabricated coming from both family members and journalists.
Biography
Pelzer was born in San Francisco, California on December 29, 1960, and was the second of five boys. He grew up in Daly City, California. He is the son of Catherine Roerva Christensen Pelzer (1929–1992) and San Francisco fireman Stephen Joseph Pelzer (1923–1980). Pelzer's books describe the abuse he suffered for several years of his childhood, including continual mistreatment and beatings by his mother, whom he said thought of it as a game. His teachers stepped in on March 5, 1973, and 12-year-old Pelzer was placed in foster care. At age 18, in 1979, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the Gulf War. In the 1980s, Pelzer married his first wife, Patsy (a pseudonym), with whom he had a son. In 1996, he carried a torch in the Summer Olympics torch relay. Pelzer and Patsy divorced, and many years later, he married his second wife, Marsha Donohoe, who was his editor.