Review: “The Wheels of Injustice”
A harrowing memoir about the systematically abusive laws of child protection agencies
This was my twenty-fifth book I chose via the Reedsy Discovery program, for which I am the single approved reviewer for this new book. This review also appears on Reedsy.
If you’re interested in becoming a Reedsy reviewer (and have the chance to get paid “tips” to review books!) check it out here.
The Premise
Within weeks of her honeymoon, Susan’s 9-year-old daughter is taken away from her and her new husband is falsely accused of child sexual abuse. What ensues is a years-long struggle to regain custody of her daughter and to clear her husband’s name. Along her journey, she encounters other families adversely impacted by the “child savers” — protection systems put into place to protect children’s rights, which were burdened by corruption and overzealous practitioners. Coupled with her harrowing recount of the events that forever changed her family, Susan accompanies her tale with prayer and shares her faith in God to lead her through.
The Pros & Cons
This was a harrowing memoir about the systematically abusive laws of child protection agencies in the 1980s. I chose this memoir because I have a personal interest in children’s rights, and I am always curious to get a better understanding of the fine line between truth and lie when it comes to sexual abuse in general, and in particular the blend of truth and “fantasy” when it comes to the reliability of a child’s words.
The work of child protection agencies is gritty, grim, and horrific at times — and most of the time, they do save families and rescue children from the grip of disgusting predators. In this instance, however, they got it very, very wrong.
The innocent “tickling” between a stepfather and his stepdaughter took a sinister turn when the child was asked direct questions by a teacher and wound up inadvertently lying. This one small lie blossomed into every mother’s worst nightmare: first, that her child could possibly have been abused; and secondly, that her husband could possibly be a predator. Susan immediately knew that this was wrong on both accounts, but due to the strict laws of the “child savers”, she was unable to prove it for a prolonged period of time.
Faced with the impossible decision to chose between her husband and her child — smear a man’s good name, or “rescue” her daughter by separating from him to please the authorities — she risked waiting for the truth to play out. At first, it seemed as though it would surely be revealed soon, but as time bears on, you can feel the mounting tension and emotional ravaging she must have felt as a mother and wife as her world crumbled around her.
Through all of this, she also struggled financially to make ends meet so that she could afford the legal fees, and to manage all her other relationships including parenting her older daughter — whom, she points out, strangely was not seen as any kind of risk to the “predator” living in their home!
Though I know that some families may be the victims of the system sometimes “getting it wrong”, never before had I imagined just how wrong it could be. With the interweaving of real documents and words from the past, her fervent prayers, and a powerful storytelling voice, we connect and follow the emotional rollercoaster of Susan’s journey.
It was appalling to see how badly words and deeds could be twisted into something so dark. At the same time, it was uplifting to see the way Susan was able to persevere, and even to connect with other families to provide support for others who may have experienced similar situations.
Conclusion
This was a touching, heartfelt memoir of epic proportions that was moving and memorable. It is by no means a glossy recap of a true event — we see and feel every moment that unfolds, both bad and good, and as a result of this honesty, we feel very deeply touched by the injustice she and her family faced. I also really appreciated that she did not flinch away from the truth, and allowed us to see shameful parts of her past with overmedication, depression and poor judgement — and more than anything, I was thrilled that beyond all of this, she emerged triumphant and able to pick up the pieces of her life to rebuild something beautiful.
