Books › Don't Hurt Laurie!
Don't Hurt Laurie!
First published 1977 · 166 pages
A tense, emotionally urgent story about the crushing weight of a secret and the life-saving power of finally being heard.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like holding your breath in a quiet house, anchored by a steady, anxious heartbeat. The narrative pulls you directly into the protagonist's hyper-vigilant world, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where every creaking floorboard or shifted mood signals danger. Written with straightforward, unvarnished prose, the story refuses to look away from the harsh realities of domestic trauma, yet it never tips into gratuitous shock value. Instead, the emotional texture is defined by a profound empathy and the slow, fragile build of trust between new siblings. It is a gripping, emotionally urgent experience that will deeply move readers who gravitate toward realistic fiction honoring the resilience of children and the immense courage it takes to finally break a silence.
- Mood
- claustrophobic
- anxious
- tense
- hopeful
- Tone
- earnest
- urgent
- empathetic
- serious
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the burden of secrecy · finding a voice · power of an ally · resilience in trauma · trusting adults
- The writing
- Direct, accessible, and unadorned, prioritizing emotional honesty and clear-eyed realism over stylistic flourish.
- The arc
- The journey moves from isolated terror and silent endurance to desperate courage and the profound relief of being believed.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate classic, issue-driven realistic fiction that tackles heavy subjects with empathy, focusing on the resilience of children.
Content notes
- child abuse
- domestic violence
- emotional abuse
- gaslighting
- medical trauma
About the book
"Don't Hurt Laurie is Willo Davis Roberts' story of a girl physically abused by her mother. Can she escape, and will anyone believe her story?"
After her mother, prone to fits of anger, remarries, Laurie, a battered child, is aided by her new nine-year-old stepbrother in finding the help that she so badly needs.
Description from Open Library.
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