I have recently read the book A Mother`s story by Sara Payne.
I am sure there is not a single person who would not recognise a photograph of the author, or indeed her daughter who was so cruelly abducted and murdered by known sex offender Roy Whiting.
As the subject matter was quite harrowing I was unsure whether I really wanted to read this book, as the book was obviously going to be quite upsetting in places
However I was intrigued to learn more about Sara Payne , as I believe she is a woman to be greatly admired for her great strength and convictions.
The book begins when Sara was 16 years old and met her childhood sweetheart Mike who was to be the father of her four children with Sarah being the youngest.
It then gives an insight into their happy ,although sometimes not perfect life. It soon becomes obvious that the most important things in Sara`s life are her children, with material possesions far behind in the scale of things.
Sarah is a little girl who is adored, and although she has her moments as every eight year old, is a very soft charming little person with a very caring nature. This somehow makes the abduction and subsequent murder seem even more harrowing, as you can imagine.
There are descriptions of her different sometimes quirky personality which really bring a tear to your eye and special moments she shared with her mother show the strong bond between these two.
**Content **
These are the different sections of the book
1.Sarah
This is self explanatory and covers the birth and short life of Sarah Payne.
2. Abduction.
This covers the details of the abduction and events leading up to when she disappeared from the quiet country lane on that beautiful summer`s day.
3. Murder.
This gives an insight to how Sara Payne dealt with the news that her daughter had been murdered.
4.. Funeral
5.Sarah`s Law.
This section covers the research and implications of Sarah`s law, which would mean the whereabouts of every convicted paedophile being made public ,to help prevent any more unnecessary tragedies, involving these evil predators and their victims.
6. Roy Whiting
This chapter covers the evidence and enquiries that led to the arrest of Roy Whiting a 37 year old, previous sex offender who was living in the area near to where little Sarah was abducted on that fateful day.
7. The Pride of Britain.
This describes the day when Sarah and her husband Mike attended the Mirror`s pride of Britain day, where they were due to receive an award for their work campaigning for Sarah`s Law.
It describes how Mike realised he could not take any more pressure from reporters and interviews and the pressure finally ended up with him and his wife publicly shouting and screaming at each other. This award was finally bravle received by Sarah Payne without the support of her husband who did not want to be involved in any publicity. This chapter is very harrowing as it shows how a situation can alter a person`s behaviour and make them behave in a totally unpredictable and yet understandable wat, considering the circumstances.
8. Mike
This basically describes the nightmare this whole scenario had opened up for Sarah`s husband Mike and is really indicative of his deep love and despair at the loss of his beautiful daughter, which at times led to his behaviour being very erratic and upsetting for his wife who somehow, managed to always show a brave and very strong front during the proceedings.
9. The Trial
tThis is a moving section which lets the reader know the innermost thoughts of the girl`s mother as she faces her daughter`s murderer for the first time and I feel that this chapter really portrays her as a woman to be greatly admired for her courage and fortitude.
10.Aftermath
The title of this chapter is self explanatory. It describes the difficulty of everyday life , as the whole family try to pick up the pieces of their lives, each aware that a part of their family has been taken away from them, never to be returned.
The days when not one of the family had the energy , or inclination to start the day without little Sarah and the gradual but really difficult task of re establishing a routine.
11. Pregnancy
The news that Sara Payne was pregnant with twins should have been a happy event in her life, but this was tinged with a difficult relationship with her now estranged husband, and the susequent loss of one baby.
Their grief had magnified their personal problems, which before Sarah`s murder they had been able to cope with.
12. Motherhood.
With Mike present at the birth of her daughter Ellie , the final chapter of this book deals with the baby`s birth. Her husband was present at the birth and it is a moving observation of how this experience has helped the couple to talk and understand what has happened to them ,and their obvious problems. It leaves the reader , hoping that this relationship does work out as they really deserve some happiness and an end to the stress and arguements.
In my opinion this is a unique and very moving book and I would strongly recommend it to anyone , whether a parent, parent to be, or in fact anyone who wants to read an honest account of how a mother copes with the murder of a daughter and how it affects everyone involved.
It`s a story of tragedy and courage yes, but it is also a tale of hope and inspiration.
Sorry for the long length of this review. Hope you managed to read most , if not all, but I felt this book deserved every word written.
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
