Katie McCan - Madeline

review by Maggie Perkovic on show June 2011
THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN PRIMARILY TO BRING THE SAD TALE BACK INTO THE WORLDS FOCUS. AS EVERYONE WILL RECALL NEARLY 4 YR OLD MADDIE WAS TAKEN WITH HER FAMILY TO PORTUGAL ON HOLIDAY BUT NEVER RETURNED. ABDUCTED BY AN AS YET UNKNOWN PERSON HER FAMILY STILL BELIEVE SHE WILL BE RETURNED OR AT LEAST THEY WILL KNOW HER FATE.
KATIE IS AS HONEST AS SE CAN BE, YES SHE BLAMES HERSELF FOR LEAVING THE CHILDREN UNATTENDED, WISHING THEY HAD NEVER GONE ABROAD, SHE WANTED TO GO TO CENTRE PARCS IN BRITAIN AND TELLS HOW SHE SHOULD NEVER FIND ANY ENJOYMENT IN LIFE AFTER THE DREADFUL INCIDENT HAPPENED. EVEN WORSE IS WHEN THE PORTUGESE POLICE ACCUSE KATIE OF MURDERING HER CHILD HERSELF.
SHE WRITES IN A CLEAR AND CONCISE STYLE, ALMOST DIARY LIKE AND PRAISES HER HUSBAND FOR HIS STRONG AND CARING SUPPORT AT ALL TIMES.
THE CHILDREN WERE BORN BY IVF AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THEY WERE ALL VERY MUCH WANTED AND LOVED.
SOME MAY FIND IT HARD THAT MADDIE WAS IN A NURSERY BY 6 MONTHS BUT AS BOTH PARENTS WERE IN CARING AND DEMANDING CAREERS THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, HOWEVER I WAS SURPRISED THAT HEY WERE IN A HOLIDAY CLUB IN PORTUGAL EVERY DAY, SURELY HOLIDAYS ARE TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER?
ALSO, SHE REALISED THAT A LOT OF DETAILS OF THEIR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CHILDREN AND DINING PLANS WERE NOTED BY THE RESTAURANT AND ANY ONE WISHING TO CHECK THIS COULD HAVE DONE SO.
SHE DOES MENTION TWO POSSIBLE SIGHTINGS. ONE ON THE SAME NIGHT OF A MAN CARRYING A SLEEPING CHILD IN AN AWKWARD WAY AND IT WAS APPEARING TO BE WEARING NIGHT WEAR LIKE MADDIE'S. THE OTHER A LITTLE LATER ON IN A PETROL STATION WHERE A SAD LITTLE GIRL ASKED A MAN WITH HER IF SHE COULD SEE MUMMY NOW. HE REPLIED NOT YET.
THE POLICE BEHAVED IN AN APPALLING WAS, ONE EVEN PUBLISHED A BOOK DETAILING HOW KATIE KILLED HER LITTLE DAUGHTER. THEY HAVE SUED HIM AND THE BOOK HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SHELVES BUT HE IS APPEALING AGAINST THE JUDGEMENT, MUCH TO THEIR ANGUISH.
I BOUGHT THIS BOOK TO HELP WITH THE CAUSE AND IT MADE ME REALISE HOW CRUEL THE MEDIA CAN BE. I APPLAUD THE MCCANS FOR THEIR DETERMINATION TO KEEP MADDIES NAME IN THE PUBLIC EYE, AND LIKE US. LONG FOR A HAPPY ENDING.
review by Mags