BOOK REVIEW
BILL MCCARTHY This is not a pleasant book to read but, if you ever doubted that evil people exist in our most trusted institutions then you probably should read it. Daryl chronicles his life from the time his malevolent mother deserted her children to the care of the State, in this case, a Salvation Army children’s home where they were subjected to the most horrific treatment. Denied offers of adoption by their scheming mother, they survived until, as teenagers, she took them to Australia to live with her new husband. After this arrangement broke down, 14-year-old Daryl was pushed on to the street on a rainy night. His subsequent survival and growth into a successful adult is a wonderful example of courage and fortitude. Like many memoirs this is not particularly well written, but this is mostly irrelevant given the context.
MARY BARBER I hope this book is widely read. It is Daryl’s personal story and that of his two brothers and sister while in the “care” of the Salvation Army in New Zealand. So many people at the Salvation Army home turned a blind eye to allow this abuse to go on for so long. They are all culpable. The cruelty and violence Daryl faced every day was extreme. I admire his courage in writing this memoir. The book also shares Daryl’s adult life. He had some years in the Australian army followed by a successful career in fitness and bodybuilding. He found love and friendship in his life which pulled him through the dark times. Well worth the read.
BOOK review
TONY HARRINGTON
SUZI HIRST Yet another book written by a damaged soul about a life of physical, sexual and psychological abuse, childhood innocence taken from him, abandonment, loss of family and his battle to survive and make a life for himself. All of this starting from birth. Shunted from foster home to foster home he was eventually placed in the care of the Salvation Army. The abuse and cover-up of all those involved with his care is disgraceful – especially for a Christian establishment. The hatred of his mother is extreme but oh so understandable. The damage to his brothers, sister and half-brother caused by parents and so-called carers make this hard to read. That Daryl made a success of his life is commendable.
THE ORPHANED SOLDIER by Daryl Te’Nadii
A powerful true story of one boy’s fight to survive, this harrowing memoir is Daryl Te’Nadii facing the chilling memories of his childhood in New Zealand. Abandoned by his mother as a baby, he was put into care where he suffered daily beatings and humiliation. After 12 years, his mother returned but he faced further abuse at the hands of his stepfather. His mother left him again and at 14 he was living on the streets. After joining the army at 18, Daryl finished high school and was one of only 67 to be chosen for elite training. He went on to win 29 Australian titles in powerlifting and body building. Available in 163 countries, writing the book was cathartic for the author who now hopes it will shine a light on violence against children and support men’s mental health.
JOHN KLEINSCHMIDT I have always found it difficult to fully comprehend the betrayal of trust, hurt and anger that those who have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused during childhood experience during their lifetime. If Daryl Te’Nadii does nothing else in this book he clearly articulates the impact of these abuses on himself, his family and people around him over more than 40 years. To his credit he acknowledges the good times he experienced in the orphanages but clearly the abuses have stayed with him every moment of his life. His story is told well despite repetition and mistakes that are a little off-putting.
This memoir is about a New Zealand boy who, with his two brothers and sister, is abandoned by a heartless narcissistic mother. They were placed in a Salvation Army orphanage described as the “Palace of Pain in Horrorville”. Two violent and sadistic male paedophiles marauding in the cloth of Christ physically and sexually abused the children and destroyed the lives they should have been protecting. Daryl faced his demons with the help of friends and close family ties. He blunted the painful psychological intrusions and ruminations by adopting a life of extreme physical exercise. Congratulations Daryl on telling your sad story and exposing one of the many unchristian organisations who criminally abused children. You are a true survivor and a warrior for this lost and unwanted generation. A must read 9/10.
JO BOURKE I doubt I will ever forget this book! It is a brutally honest account of Daryl Te’Nadii’s courage in surviving mental, physical and sexual abuse from five years of age in a church home in New Zealand. Totally confronting and related in such detail, I will never forget the image of a skinny six-year-old made to stand naked for 15 minutes in sub-zero temperature as punishment. Add to that the treatment by his biological mother and stepfather and it’s no wonder suicide was often an option for Daryl. Most of all this story made me angry! The Salvation Army is but one of many “Christian” establishments that have acted similarly towards innocent children in their care. A letter of apology does not make amends! Huge congratulations to Daryl for facing his demons. He is an inspiration and proof that it is possible to not only survive the worst possible childhood but to eventually live a happy life. Definitely worth reading.
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