Sara Payne: A Mother's Story [Paperback]

I'd had this book for quite a while before I started reading it as I knew it would tug on the heart strings and be generally upsetting. Sara & Mike Payne lived through the single most horrific ordeal seeing their child abducted and murdered by a callous, unrepentant monster. Their strength of character saw them through the darkest days but I don't think you ever really get over the death of a child, especially a child lost in such horrible circumstances.

Sara Payne wrote this book to explain how the family made it through and the trauma suffered by the entire family as a result of Sarah's disappearance. While they appreciated the help of the media and public in the search for Sarah and the messages of condolence when she was found the media interest was extremely difficult and Mike especially found it hard to deal with. Sara dealt with the media intrusion better because she refused to let her emotions break through and kept a `stiff upper lip' throughout the whole affair. This façade would eventually crumble and Sara's grief overwhelmed her.

The guilt felt by the boys, Luke and Lee, was heart-breaking but through their courage and attention to detail they brought the man responsible for Sarah's death to justice. That must have been harrowing for them but they did themselves proud.

This is a heart-wrenching book and I defy anyone to read it and not have tears in their eyes.

I finished reading this book this weekend. As it was only a small book I expected to be able to read it quickly but as it was so detailed and upsetting I found that I could only read a few chapters at a time. It is a very interesting book and I do feel for the whole Payne family and their relatives. However, as a mother to a young daughter myself, I do not think I could have written a book with this much detail myself under the same circumstances as it is very vivid. Would not recommend to those of a highly sensitive nature.

Everyone remembers the sad story of Sarah Payne but everyone remembers her school photo or her mum begging for help to find her. In this book you find out what Sarah was really like and what she meant to her family, you find out about what the reality of her disapperance was really like and how the whole family had to come to terms with and deal with what happened to them. It is one of the saddest stories and something no one should have to live through, it moves you, you are living the nightmare with her and crying with her too. A must read.