Reading Changed My Life - Townsend Press

Daisy Russellheavy work boots. There were times her mouth wasso cut and swollen from the blows of her father’sfists that she could not eat solid food. When Daisy’smother tried to protect her, the beating would fallon her instead.“He’d been beaten growing up himself,” Daisysays. “I think he had no idea there were ways to dealwith his anger other than hitting.”The family’s constant moves served to protectDaisy’s father. When Daisy would go to school coveredwith cuts and bruises, she would tell herteacher she had fallen, or walked into a doorway.She was too frightened of her father to tell thetruth. By the time the teacher might have becomesuspicious about her frequent injuries, or concernedabout her struggles to learn, the family had lefttown. There was no one to come to her aid.And anyway, Daisy had little reason to think anadult might help her. Life had taught her that adultswould not protect her. Not only did her father beat39