“White Picket Monsters” by Bev Moore Davis

White Picket Monsters: A Story of Strength and Survival

Bev Moore Davis
Morvis Group Inc. (2021)
ASIN: B0926LYYMX
Reviewed by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views (12/21)

It is a horrific fact of life that abuse happens and, more often than not, that abuse is inflicted on a child who neither has the physical or emotional ability to fight back to make the abuse stop. In her book, “White Picket Monsters,” Ms. Davis shows this to the reader from page one. This is not fiction, nor embellished—it is a horror story that is completely true and had to be lived by the author in order for the rest of us to experience the travesty… and learn from it. I, for one, applaud her for being able to put the words on paper, offering insight into those “monsters” that live among us.

This is the story of a small child who was placed in a foster home after being given up for adoption; a child who should have been safe and well-cared for in this new environment. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as the child was placed in an environment full of family secrets, violence, sexual attacks, and manipulation. Simply put, this was not a home of love, comfort, and safety, as any child should feel or expect, but a home of terror. Lucky for her, this child was able to escape and move forward, which is not usually the case.

While the subject matter of the story was absolutely horrifying, this is a well-written work that is a true credit to Ms. Davis. Through the entire book, I never saw a weak, frightened child, but one who had courage and compassion and was full of the need to survive… and she did.

And at the other end of this horrifying story, we now have a lady who has the strength to not only tell her own story over and over again to help others, but who also spends her life out there working to make this stop and using her own past as a catalyst for others who live in desperate times every day of their lives. I think that is an amazing thing, as it is not the norm. Most victims would not be able to do what Bev has done, and I have no way of describing the respect I feel for her. It is a sad thought that, unfortunately, even when the demons in one’s life are physically gone, there is no way for them to be emotionally erased as well.

I wish Ms. Davis the best in life and hope that she is able to help as many others as possible, like the scared child she was, to overcome and find a happy and peaceful path forward.