‘My Dad and the Foul Beast Within’ tells true tale of abuse, incest
Cassandra Smith tackles ‘taboo’ issues in new memoir
ROANOKE, Va. – Cassandra Smith chronicles a heartrending true tale of overcoming abuse and shame from the hands of her own kin in “My Dad and the Foul Beast Within” (published by iUniverse). This new memoir rallies for the awareness of the grave reality of domestic violence and incest to ultimately put an end to these issues.
Smith’s father was a man who had an angry, sinister soul inside of him, which she called “the foul beast within him.” How the author and her eight siblings survived all the tragedies bestowed upon them is unimaginable. Even though police and social services agencies in two states were called hundreds of times, they were unable to catch the perpetrator. To these nine children, it seemed like the burden of saving their own lives had fallen to themselves. That was exactly what they did in the fall of 1994, when they pressed charges against their father.
To this day, the siblings are haunted by all the horror and abuse they went through. Yet the love these children had for one another was incredible. Even today, they share a special closeness to one another and the desire to protect each other. Out of darkness and tragedy Smith created light, love and success.
“There should be more help for family of incest and abuse. If they see or know of a family going thru this, make that call for help for the children and stay on the local welfare, sheriff dep. and the courts until the children and parents are getting the help they need,” the author points out. “For any victim of any sexual crime: know that they are survivors and their life matters more to themselves than anyone else. Get help, find a good counseling service, get yourself healed, take back your self-worth and strength and make all your dreams come true.”
Smith will donate a portion of the book proceeds to two domestic abuse organizations and aims to collaborate with a large cosmetics company that also organizes a foundation that addresses sexual abuse.
“My Dad and the Foul Beast Within”
By Cassandra Smith
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 334 pages | ISBN 9781532013850
E-Book | 334 pages | ISBN 9781532013867
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Cassandra Smith wrote this story 40 years after her tragic childhood, as a way of healing her pain. She obtained a degree in business management from the National Business College in Martinsville then returned for a degree in medical science, the first in her family to graduate from college. She and her husband are raising two of their grandchildren in the mountains of Virginia.
iUniverse, an Author Solutions, LLC, self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Reader’s Choice, Rising Star and Editor’s Choice designations—self-publishing’s only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter.