Love as Always, Mum xxx: The true and terrible story of surviving a childhood with Fred and Rose West

by Mae West

Overview

'A CHILLING new memoir by the daughter of mass murderer Fred West and his wife Rose describes the savage cruelty of her upbringing in 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester' DAILY MAIL

'Mae, I mean this ... I'm not a good person and I let all you children down ...' Rose West, HM PRISON DURHAM

It has taken over 20 years for Mae West to find the perspective and strength to tell her remarkable story: one of an abusive, violent childhood, of her serial killer parents and how she has rebuilt her life in the shadow of their terrible crimes.

Through her own memories, research and the letters her mother wrote to her from prison, Mae shares her emotionally powerful account of her life as a West. From a toddler locked in the deathly basement to a teen fighting off the sexual advances of her father, Mae's story is one of survival. It also answers the questions: how do you come to terms with knowing your childhood bedroom was a graveyard? How do you accept the fact your parents sexually tortured, murdered and dismembered young women? How do you become a mother yourself when you're haunted by the knowledge that your own mother was a monster? Why were you spared and how do you escape the nightmare?

What other readers are saying about Love as Always, Mum xxx:

'A fascinating read. Mae West seems like such a warmhearted and caring person. It was heart-breaking to hear about what she went through.' 5* Goodreads

'This book is truly moving in many ways and as much as I want to say I enjoyed it, I didn't, because it was heart-wrenching, but that's why it's a 5-star read. So much emotion and truth. It's definitely hard not to be moved by this.' 5* Goodreads

'This is an extremely important story to read, giving Mae a voice to be verbal about breaking the cycle of abuse and surviving a terror she never thought she would be a part of. And because of that, it deserves five stars.' 5* Goodreads

'This has got to be the most heartbreaking and emotionally demanding book I have ever read ... a heart wrenching and powerful read.' 5* Goodreads

'As an avid reader of true crime books I had read a lot about Feed and Rose West. However with all of those books I had never considered their surviving children. This feels like such a raw, honest and real account of day to day life in 25 Cromwell Street. Good on you Mae for your strength to tell your story.' 5* Goodreads

'A hauntingly tragic book. I couldn't put it down from start to finish.' 5* Goodreads

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781409144977
Publisher:	Orion
Publication date:	09/06/2018
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	450,628
File size:	641 KB

About the Author

Mae West moved from Gloucester as soon as she could. She has rebuilt a life for herself and her family, but still lives in the shadow of her parents' crimes.

Neil McKay has written extensively for radio, television and film to great acclaim. He met Mae whilst writing Appropriate Adult, a drama about Fred West, for which he received the Writer's Guild of Great Britain award for best single drama. Other credits include This is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, which won the broadcast award for best single drama, and See no Evil: The Moors Murders, which won the BAFTA for best drama series.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Stigma 1

Chapter 1 Into the Nightmare 9

Chapter 2 Early Days 23

Chapter 3 Basement 35

Chapter 4 Uncle John 48

Chapter 5 Dead Man's Shoes 62

Chapter 6 Family 84

Chapter 7 Heather 106

Chapter 8 Other Homes 126

Chapter 9 Hints and Rumours 142

Chapter 10 House of Horrors 159

Chapter 11 Where No Shadow Falls 175

Chapter 12 Another Life 185

Chapter 13 Trial 192

Chapter 14 Visitor for West 228

Chapter 15 Fallout 256

Chapter 16 A Better Kind of Person 265

Chapter 17 Breaking the Bonds 274

Chapter 18 Another Family 284

Chapter 19 Ghosts 291

Chapter 20 Moving On 300

References 309

Acknowledgements 310

About the Authors 313