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A domestic violence survivor, Rosie Malezer was born in 1971 in Queensland, Australia. She is a profoundly Deaf, legally blind Australian Aboriginal author, writer and blogger (thanks to her incredibly fast touch typing skills) and a proud member of the Gubbi Gubbi tribe. Gubbi Gubbi Country is situated on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
Rosie's father - a retired military police officer of the Royal Australian Navy - trained her in the usage and safety of various guns at a very young age. Although she enjoys target shooting, Rosie is strictly against the idea of hunting for fun; her belief being that unless you need to hunt an animal for food and clothing in order to survive, animals should be treated with respect and left to live in peace.
Rosie now dedicates all of her spare time promoting awareness of issues relating to domestic violence, the vilification of her own people in her home country, as well as standing up for Deaf rights. When not writing, she spends her time doing everything she can to remove the communication barriers between the Deaf and Hearing people of the world.
Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite
Change Your Name and Disappear by Rosie Malezer is a truly horrifying account of domestic violence. Tammy had it all - a fantastic family life, friends and career - until she walked into a martial arts studio and met the instructor, Steve. Following a whirlwind romance, Tammy moved in and, from the first night, her life would never be the same again. Follow this brutal account of mental, emotional and physical torture as Tammy tries to hold down a career and keep her sanity while Steve slowly takes it away with every attack. She battles through miscarriages until she finally gives birth to her son, and that is the catalyst to make her leave Steve and try to rebuild her life once more. Steve tries to win her back with promises and when this doesn’t work, he sinks to the lowest depths of depravity. Tammy is constantly let down by the police and even the church. The final attack by Steve left Tammy deaf and blind, and in hiding. This is a story you will never forget reading, and it is an inspirational account of a woman who has faced constant pain, torment and anguish, but has emerged on the other side.
This book is a very realistic account of the mind games played by an abuser. The building of suspense and the accounts of the violence were very cleverly written from the perspective of the victim. The feelings of helplessness and hatred for her attacker are vivid, and especially including her thoughts as a form of dialogue was a great idea. This allowed the reader into Tammy's mindset; she was saying one thing to appease her attacker but thinking something completely different. Tammy didn’t come across as a helpless victim, but rather a young woman who was trapped and couldn’t find a way out. When she left, and throughout the barrage of tragedies, Tammy stayed strong and determined for the most part. I feel her story is one that will inspire strength in women and her story humbled me. An excellent book, highly recommended.
