Angels Crying ~ A True Story of Secrecy and Tragedy by Tom Moore

 

Angels Crying by Tom Moore is the heart wrenching true story of Tammy King, a bright and beautiful child, born in St. John's, Newfoundland on November 9, 1972.  Tammy, along with her siblings,  were brought into a world of poverty and alcoholism to parents who both had a family history of substance abuse, addiction and unemployment. Unable to  properly care for the children they brought into the world, the foster care system stepped in to protect them; to give them a life that their natural born parents simply could not provide. For a time the children thrived in their new homes supported by loving individuals, until 1986, when Tammy and her younger sister were moved to a new home; a home afflicted by generations of lewd and wanton behaviour that was shrouded in secrecy disguised as love and concern. How did Tammy, society's most precious resource, come to view her life as hopeless and decide that it was just not worth living anymore?  Angel's Crying by Tom Moore is an expertly researched narrative that exposes the inadequacies of society's polite assumptions and lifts the veil of silence on how a nation treats its most vulnerable and disadvantaged members.

The three little girls stared in awe as the stewardess explained the safety regulations in English and then in French. The motors were roaring and the plane soon started down the Torbay runway at unbelievable speed. It was their first plane ride and the first time away from St. John's.

The lady in the seat beside them was a social worker, a stranger to the three small travellers. They zoomed down the runway faster than thought, faster than hope, faster than love. They hurtled away from the mother and father they loved in spite of everything. ... 

They were on their way to their new home in Deer Lake, on the western side of the island. 

 

Self published in 1994, Angel's Crying is Moore's second national bestseller.  Based upon 3 years of well-documented research garnered from Royal Commission files, court transcripts and personal interviews, the author presents the true story of a student who once sat in his classroom. Driven by a desire to uncover the truth and dispel the rumors that were circulating throughout the small bay community during the fall of 1988,  Moore notes that "no one seemed to be pursuing the obvious questions about her death. The silence was deafening." In the Preface to the 2nd edition, Moore states that "the story had to be told and the ogre of secrecy challenged."  As a result, the author does an excellent job of conveying not only Tammy's narrative, but also the stories of those who had been placed in the same foster home before her.  In an attempt to understand the role that the criminal justice system and the social welfare system played in its failure to protect these young girls, Moore pens a gripping and oftentimes disturbing tale that was difficult to put down.  In so doing he presents a strong and highly detailed condemnation of all levels of Newfoundland government and the RCMP and highlights a system plagued by human frailties and the desire of most people to remain comfortable within their dome of silence.  It is this silence and the misery that it ultimately inflicts upon the young victims of sexual abuse that this book is written. 

Angels Crying ~ A True Story of Secrecy and Tragedy by Tom Moore is a must read. As an educator, I applaud Moore's sensitive approach and skill in his valiant attempt to slay the ogre of silence and bring justice to the victims of sexual abuse! Well done, sir! Copies of this novel can be obtained from Flanker Press.