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My Mother's Eyes
- Narrated by: Shanelle Dawson, Alley Pascoe
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
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My Mother's Eyes
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Summary
Imagine living with the knowledge that your father had murdered your mother and lied to you your whole life, telling you she left because she didn't love you anymore.
How could a father do this to his children? How could a husband do this to a woman he at one time loved?
When she was four years old, Shanelle Dawson's mother, Lynette, disappeared. On 8 January 1982, the woman who had been a loving, constant presence vanished without a trace. Four year old's might not be able to articulate questions or understand a lot, but the ache of absence is very real. Year after year that ache persisted.
Shanelle's father, Chris Dawson, claimed that his wife just needed to get away. This is what he told Lyn's parents and siblings. This is what he told his daughters. But Lyn never returned home. Her side of the bed was immediately filled by Shanelle's teenage babysitter, a former student of her father's.
After thirty-six years of her father's lies, a podcast called The Teacher's Pet investigated her mother's case. Sordid details about the father she loved became public. Whispers that he had murdered Lynette grew louder. The police refocused on the cold case. Then, Chris Dawson faced court. Forty years after she went missing, he was sentenced to twenty-four years in prison for the murder of Lynette.
Now, in this brave, emotionally powerful memoir, Shanelle reclaims her mother's story and finds a channel for her own voice. It is an unforgettable insight into the ripples of trauma and loss that family violence brings and shows how Shanelle found the strength to confront her father and can now create a new life after unimaginable deception.
This is Shanelle's story.
What listeners say about My Mother's Eyes
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barbara Roberts
- 19-11-23
Outstanding Book Lynnette Would Be So Proud
This is an interesting and achingly heartfelt book. Shanelle’s own story of her world travels always seeking & spiritual really make sense in light of her mums disappearance. An amazing adventurous lady travelling the world with such empathy for the people and places she visits. Her insight into the Dawson family is a substantial piece of the jigsaw of Lynn’s life and their awfulness in closing ranks and protecting her Dad, that even after Lynn had been part of the Dawson family for 15 years she meant nothing to them. Shanelle’s attempts not to lose her sister in this mess are particularly sad as she was treated as an outsider her whole life within this family & her sister was her link to her Mum, it’s no wonder she got out and travelled the world to escape the isolation and her oh so welcoming home life & perhaps her sister staying & taking a more conventional path has led her to refuse to believe her Dad is guilty. Her comments in relation to JC are intelligent, dignified and pointed, both girls suffered horribly at the hands of JC and this shouldn’t be ignored. Her honesty about both sides of her family is refreshing. I wish her and her daughter nothing but the best, I too lost a parent at a very young age and people don’t understand just how much it damages your soul, Shanelle conveys this with dignity and a beauty that is hard to describe. Lynn would be very very proud & I hope her sister listens to this and opens her heart because they have both lost too much already. I am not as empathetic as Shanelle and I hope Paul and his odious wife Marilyn in particular are rightfully scorned as justice as evaded them. The latter are my personal views and not reflected in Shanelle’s book at all.
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