Reviews

"Finally someone who has healed enough to speak the truth

about these tragedies in a style similar to the writing style of "Natural Born Killers."

Jim R. Szymanski (North Carolina)

"The book is nothing less than a perfect horror. 

Brings to light what only the tormented can explain 

with such solemn grace. Well done CT."

Kihm Skillicorn

(Owner/Executive Producer,

The Factory Recording Studios - Seattle, WA)

"This book resonated to my very core even though I have no personal experience with the thematic content. Cherry Tigris writes so beautifully; her voice expresses both the pain of a tortured innocent child and the strength of a woman who has overcome. There were many times I felt I could not finish the book, but the connection Cherry made with me as an narrator to a reader meant that I did not feel I could put it away, lest I be one more person unwilling to save a little girl from her abuser. Tigris artfully exposes the hypocrisy that can come from those who seek after perfection, and yet still has somehow overcome to such a degree that little to no bitterness is found in her descriptions of a monster. Cherry is an example of a powerful woman who emerges from a horrible past and who uses the demons she faced better the world for others. "Toilet Paper People" is breathtaking, tragic, masterful, and full of hope, and Cherry herself is personable and kind. I only hope "That Woman" has been severely punished for everything she has done."

Melece Meservy

(BYU Educator, Hawaii)

"Even though we've not met in person, I believe in the things you do. From The Toilet Paper People, to The True Story of Anna Lynn Hurd, and now your work with the homeless, you use life’s obstacles as a stage. Opening people’s eyes to the ugly truths around them is not easy. Child abuse, domestic violence and women's rights are huge aspects of homelessness. Safety and security are basic human rights; thank you for defending them. Despite the fact that the majority of homeless people are women and children, there are very few shelters for women. There are even fewer for those who identify as GLBT. Outfront Minnesota is one of the few that come to mind. I admire you for using your gift of writing as a voice for those who are suppressed by society's myths about conformity. Over the summer I will be working on research; we hope to introduce a bill during the next legislative session that would bring #unconditionalhousing to MN. Keep doing what you're doing, Cherry Tigris. You are making a difference. It is only when you're doing it so successfully that the haters appear. You've made it, girl!"

 An Garagiola-Bernier

(Komorkis Research and Activism)

“When I opened this book, there was a part of me that thought, 

‘Okay, this is the best thing I could have done because this book was written by
someone with so much courage and so much compassion. Cherry Tigris has something really important to say that sometimes as a culture we find pretty scary to talk about."

Amira Sara

(Soul Food Books, Redmond, WA)

"It’s difficult to put into words the full range of emotions I experienced when reading Cherry Tigris’ hard-hitting, autobiographical tale of child abuse, Toilet Paper People. What started out as a plan to simply start reading late at night and finish the next day wound up taking me into the wee hours of the morning as I could not stop turning the pages of this riveting, gut-wrenching book. I will be interviewing Cherry on Writestream Radio on Tuesday, March 19 and hope you’ll tune in to discover more."

Daria DiGiovanni

(Founder) Writestream Radio Network on Blog Talk Radio

(Author ) "Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal"

#Writestream Twitter Chat.www.dariadigiovanni.com

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Through Christy's pain comes victory,

By Glen C - This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

"Part of this process has taught me to find beauty in my own faults and to find the true strength it takes to forgive myself and others along the way. I believe this to be the only path to true peace. Here's to the journey!” Cherry Tigris - Through Cherry's pain comes victory over those that abuse. Her book is a very candid snapshot of how brutal some people can be and how their control of others seems to fill a void in their own sick, pathetic lives. Of course as we know it only seems to fill the void. As I read the book, it took me back to my own struggles with being abused and then finally my acceptance that I was an innocent victim. The courage that Cherry has displayed in coming forward with her story will undoubtedly help many others confront the demons that hold the keys to their own private prison. She shows that if she can overcome this then so can you and I. Bravo to your journey Cherry and thank you for telling your story! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

 

5.0 out of 5 stars I missed her...after the last turn of the page.

By Niccole M. Bourlier (Los Angeles) - This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

I received my "Toilet Paper People" book a few days ago and couldn't put it down, as I became entranced in Cherry's sharings. Though her horrors are haunting, her spirit shines through most charmingly with the very "toilet paper people" that inspired her book title. I love them...her "toilet paper people" and find comfort in knowing they were there. A special telling of childhood stories that beg to be told as much as they plead to be silenced. And it is in their rawness, that my own survivor's space was irrevocably touched. This is more than just words on paper and "five stars" is hardly enough to rate what is unratable. And "I missed her" when the last page was turned.

5.0 out of 5 stars toilet paper people                  

By joel t. - This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

"Toilet paper people" is a must read for anyone who has suffered from child abuse. I am one, of many. The author, in confronting her own demons, & having the courage, to reclaim her own divinity, will undoubtedly give much needed Hope to many. And help them to reclaim their own divinity, as well. It certainly did for me. Buy this book. And by all means read it. It will be a precious gift to treasure. My sincere gratitude to the author. For having the guts to address, what many aren't willing to."

                                                                                                   

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hero in Our Midst

By Mandi S. Reinhart "Jezzy" (Seattle, WA) This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

For many reasons, I know this book and I were destined to find one another. Though I did not, nor could not, have imagined the impact it would have on my life. Cherry and I have a similar past, though my story is not nearly as gruesome a tale to tell. I'll admit, I was truly frightened to open the pages of this book because I wasn't sure exactly where it would take me. I have built a crazy life for myself burying many feelings that stem from childhood abuse and have avoided stories like Cherry's for fear of falling down the rabbit hole of despair further. The Toilet Paper People was not at all what I expected...and what I found in myself while reading it, even more startling and amazing. I truly had no idea what a wonderful journey it would be, and continues to be. Yes, there were moments of anger and anxiety. How could anyone suffer so much, repeatedly, at the hands of a lunatic and go on each day? How did this abuse continue for so long without someone on the outside noticing? Where was the hero (in or outside of the system) that should've come along to rescue this child? I became frightened for this little girl, worried over what would happen to her next, uncertain if I could hang on until the end. As I continued to turn the pages my hatred and loathing of "that woman" began to turn into fuming rage. You become "that woman's" captive as well, go deep into the mind of a severely mentally ill human being who's deeds are absolutely unforgivable. Ultimately I found myself staring into a mirror of the past, revisiting some of the same acts of terrorism I too endured as a child. Only this time...I didn't have to do it alone. The first time Cherry invites you into her world to play with the Toilet Paper People you understand that in the midst of such horrors it is always possible to find hope, love, and friendship. I found myself smiling back at the pages imagining this sweet little family, what they must've looked like, or sounded like, and reveled in the bond she created that was so pure, and so needed. The Toilet Paper People helped me tap into a self I had long forgotten, a strength within me that I had somehow lost and have now found again. When I finished this book, I had cried, laughed out loud, and cheered wildly for the hero that is Cherry Tigris. I am so grateful for this book, for Cherry's brutal realism in the telling of her story, and for the voice it gives to those of us who have tried so hard to bury the past, only to relive it's echoes painfully each and every day. I learned that there is hero in all of us that have survived such cruelty without saviors, and that we are all capable of tapping into that hero to ride the storm to victory.

5.0 out of 5 stars Unafraid to Bare All

By John Shephard : Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

It's rare that one reads a book that allows you to see into someone's soul, yet Cherry Tigris does just this. Although, I cannot relate to the traumatic childhood she had, I was enthralled with the unabashed openness that was shown throughout this book. If anything, I'd imagine that there are many that are suffering and could benefit greatly from Cherry's story and eventual triumph in life.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars You Should Read Toilet Paper People

By Gregory Dyer "www.SpicyMovieDogs.com" (Tampa, FL)

This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

Even if you aren't a reader I would urge you to purchase and read Toilet Paper People because it will awaken awareness in you about the more undercover forms of bullying going on in the world. Toilet Paper People could save a life if placed in the hands of someone who just might be going through something similar. It offers a glimpse into the life of someone who went through it all and managed to hulk up and burst out of the situation. Many of us should never be parents but we don't know until some poor little person is raised in our hell and then forced to conform to a world with no patience for people that don't fit in. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars She's a survivor.

By DaveO - This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

"TOILET PAPER PEOPLE is a punch to the stomach at times, a blanket over the heart at others. Cherry Tigris found a means to survive horrors most of us can't even imagine, and in sharing such, she gives illumination and hope rather than despair and blame. Deceptively sparse, it's more akin to narrative poetry and so cuts a little quicker, a little deeper, with a pinpoint accuracy to that will to overcome that exists in us all, but that shines only in some." Dave O'Leary, author of HORSE BITE

                                                                                   

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope and inspiration

By lilly killbear - This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

When I read Cherry's book it touched those places in me where the affects of my own childhood abuse reside. Her amazing way of sharing her experience helped me to remember that i survived ,and that through those life changing experiences i gained like Cherry , a strength that has seen me thru it all! although it was a painful journey Cherry reminds me with her beautifully told story that it was all worth it in the end. 'Cuz look at her now!!

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Is Far From Disposable

By ValiantBlue - This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

Toilet Paper People is a moving autobiographical account of Cherry's horrific early life and the incredible strength that she has derived from it. Through sharp insight, Cherry reminds us of the wonder of life itself with her vivid, yet beautifully simplistic perspective. As a survivor of childhood abuse myself, I was deeply touched by this uncompromisingly honest work, but I highly recommend it to anyone. I thoroughly enjoyed Cherry's uncompromising writing style; although it reads effortlessly, her matter-of-fact observations and plainly descriptive storytelling made me feel as though I were there with her as these events took place. Cherry's determination to embrace life for all its shades of the beautiful and the ugly in it is truly inspiring, and doing so in the face of such devastating beginnings is the mark of a true success story. She reminds us that life is an amazing journey, and that we must hold each other accountable for our actions (and, at times, inaction). Cherry and her Toilet Paper People offer a moving and valuable lesson, and this book is unquestionably worth reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars A reality that must be heard,

By Holly Gray (Redmond, WA USA)

This review is from: Toilet Paper People (Paperback)

A story of abuse that is told by a victim transformed by her own misery- if you have enjoyed Jeannette Walls memoirs and her ability to transform sad memories into a certain magic then get Cherry Tigris' new book. Her stories will fill you with anger and rage- feelings that could only be a tiny spec of what she must have spent years processing and living. The true charm reading the book comes in knowing that despite such tragedy a talented ambitious woman was created, who is full of life and all its potential. Her story will never be forgotten- it is an inspiration to me and my deepest hope for her is that her intention with the book will be realized. That she can be a voice to others that are facing or who have faced such horrific abuse and that somehow her stories will ignite in them the spirit that has carried her out of from her past and into a self-reliant, independent and thriving woman.

 

"TOILET PAPER PEOPLE' is a real, raw roller coaster of emotion from beginning to end that is almost impossible to put down. It's like seeing through the eyes of another while walking in their shoes." TODD TAYLOR (North Carolina)