Behind Closed Doors

By: Sue Smethurs, Katherine X

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Four children by her father.

Thirty years of horrific sexual abuse.

In March 2009, Joseph Fritzl was sentenced to life in jail for the systematic imprisonment, torture and rape of his daughter, Elisabeth, over 24 years, fathering seven children. The case shocked the world.

But just a month before, the story of Australia’s own house of horrors was emerging in a Victorian country town.

Under a blanket of suppression orders, a man in his late 60s was quietly arrested, charged - and later convicted - for the systematic rape, abuse and imprisonment of his only daughter, 'Katherine', which spanned decades. He fathered four of her children.

Until now, this shocking story has been buried under a complex legal web and Katherine’s insistence on silence so that she could rebuild her shattered life and protect her children. In Behind Closed Doors, written with Sue Smethurst, Katherine breaks her silence and tells the story of how she survived - and how such degrading abuse went unnoticed for so long.

©2015 Sue Smethurst and Katherine X (P)2016 Bolinda

Interesting story with a good voice from the victi

The one thing I really liked about this book was the victim was the one speaking throughout most of it, giving little snarky remarks about things that social workers said, etc. I think that helped me identify with her and like her as a person. Her story is heartbreaking.
I really do wish there would have been more detail about what all those years looked like in her adult life. That was the major piece which was missing. You got more of a sense of how bizarre it was from the notes of Jane. I'm actually assuming the reason the adult years were glossed through comes back to her memory loss and the fact that she was so shut down during these years. So I can understand why it got more vague. But I would have liked to understand what day to day life looked like.
It's still a worthwhile listen.

Brave Women

Story of a abused woman that summed up the courage to seek justice. I wish her the best of luck

Sad that it's a true story

What did you like best about this story?

I can't say I liked this story. It was incredibly sad and so hard to imagine what Katherine endured for decades. She was very brave to tell her story. There were many moments throughout the book where I shook my head and thought how was this possible that no one helped this woman and her siblings.

Have you listened to any of Caroline Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Caroline Lee is a wonderful narrator. This narration was different because she didn't change her voice tone for the different people in the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When she was saved by Jane and when her father finally had his day in court for his punishment (which was not severe enough!)

Horrible

I got this book because the narrator was Caroline Lee who is great. The subject matter is too much... the story was kind of all over the place. I had to stop listening.

No sense of order

What would have made Behind Closed Doors better?

The memoir should be more chronological. It is out of order and continues to be so as the story goes on. I had to stop after chapter 5.

Would you ever listen to anything by Sue Smethurs and Katherine X again?

no

Would you listen to another book narrated by Caroline Lee?

no