A well-written, but unrelievedly depressing, chronicle of a little girl's grooming and sexual exploitation from the age of eight to her nearly suicidal twenties.There are numerous books, both novels and nonfiction, that can help young people who have been the victims of such abuse. Alas, this is not one of those books.

Not recommended. ( )

Quite a compelling read where the author goes back to her seven year old self- when she and her mother first met the seemingly affable Peter at a swimming pool.
Margaux was the only child of a well-meaning but mentally ill mother - in and out of hospital. Her father could be scary, critical and a drinker.
When Peter - living with a woman with two teenagers- welcomed mother and daughter into his home, frequently, it seemed at first a magical place. Indulged, with pets, trips out, kindness....only gradually did Peter want something in return.
I thought one of the strongest aspects to it was the changing picture we got of Peter as Marghaux matured and started to see him - somewhat- for what he was. The kindly, wonderful adult slowly morphs into an unpleasing old-for-his age loser... ( )

Uncomfortable and disturbing memoir of child abuse. ( )

> Babelio : https://www.babelio.com/livres/Fragoso-Tigre-tigre-/400345
> L'Express (Hubert Artus, le 16/10/2012) : https://www-lexpress-fr.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.lexpress.fr/culture/livre/tig...

Margaux met Peter at a neighborhood swimming pool; they played together and became friends. He was 51 and she was seven. Margaux's father was critical and controlling and her mother, who had mental problems, was happy to take her to Peter's house for visits so she could get away from her husband. She had no idea that things became physical between them when Margaux was nine. Their relationship lasted for years, until Peter's suicide. This is a memoir of it. It's complicated, interesting, moving.

As she got older she became almost completely isolated from people her age, spending all her time with Peter, alienated from her father who had made it clear she was a disappointment and from her mother who was in and out of mental hospitals. He was the only person who cared about her. But when she was interested in having a boyfriend he was pouty and unhappy. The balance switched so that she had the power to stay in their private world or break out.

Throughout, she doesn't ask for vindication or revenge or even sympathy, just shows us her feelings. I respect that. The latter parts were hard for me because of resonances in my own but I have nothing but respect for her writing. ( )