April Raintree- Beatrice Culleton

April Raintree- Beatrice Culleton:

Cheryl's Point of View

One day during April's final trial they brought in a another girl. It was Mark's ex-girlfriend.I had technically taken him away from her but it wasn't my fault that he wanted me and not her.

It started to become harder than usual. I kept up my drinking. I ran awy and stayed with Nancy . Then one day i just couldn't do it anymore and I jumped off the St.Louis bridge. It was the same one my mom jumped off of.

Child Abuse

•Emotional - constant disapproval, belittling, constant teasing.

a physical maltreatment or sexual molestation of a child.

•Physical - hitting, shaking, burns, human bites, strangulation.

•Neglect - absence of adequate food, shelter, emotional and physical security, and medical care.

•Sexual - fondling, the showing of private parts by an adult, sexual intercourse, oral and anal sex, forcing a child to watch while others have sexual intercourse, incest, pornography.

I chose this picture because I believe it shows the shattered soul of the abused child

Alcoholism

addiction to the consumption of alcoholic drink; alcohol dependency

I chose this photo because it shows how disgusting it looks when an alcoholic is passed out on the street

Racism

A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

I chose the skull photo because it shows that we are all the same underneath so why judge?

I was taken to a new family. The MacAdam family was very nice to me. I loved being there. it made me happy

She thought my sister was me and so did the rapists. She wanted the rapist to scare me. That is when she found out for the first time that I am a prostitute

I moved in with April and the Derosiers in their little farm house

Mrs.Derosier was so mean to me and my sister. Mrs.Semple thought that me and April couldn't live together without causing trouble so she sent me to another family :(

The macAdams family made me feel special, but I hated being separated from April soooo.....

My social worker Mrs.Turner then moved me to a new farm with the Steindalls. The steindall's had horses

Eventually April got a new social worker. His name was Mr.Wendall. He took my sister out of the Derosiers house and brought her to come stay with me and the Steindall's until April could go to the Academy. Me and my sister Camped and road horses.

The Steindall's were also nice but I still missed my sister. I always tried to help my sister get out of the evil care of the Derosiers.

I searched for my dad and I met him. He was a drunk. He was dirty. He was just a Gutter creature. I was in absolute disgust when I met him. However I asked him every question that I thought of ever asking him. He got me to have a drink when I was talking to him and I did and that's what started my alcoholism.

One night a guy took it too far and I tried to stop him.He hurt me and then I woke up in the hospital

Because of my drinking I was broke enough as it.

My dad didnt make it any easier. He alwasys needed money and would get mad at me and call me selfish when i had none. One day I told him no and I left with him screaming behind me.

It shoked me to see April when I woke up. She told me about how her husband was a tool and then she said she would get my things from mine and Marks apartment.

The next time that April saw me she told me about how she had been kidnapped and rapped when she was trying to get my things.

April crying

I could not believe it. I felt terrible, if I hadn't sent her to get my things she would have been fine. April told me when her trial would be.

My name is Cheryl Raintree. Me and my sister loved our parents.

After I was done High School I started going to the University in Winnipeg, to become a Social worker. I wanted to help young Metis children so they didn't have to go through the same things as April and I.

I was about 3 years old when a woman named Mrs.Grey took us away from our parents

Me and my sister were taken to an orphanage where we were separated from each other and taken care of by nuns

We didn't stay there long before we were assigned another social worker. Her name was Mrs.Semple

All we wanted was to go home after being at the park and hang out :(

I also started volunteering my time at the Friendship centre

To me I believed that we were the best family around

I would do anything and everything to help people stay away from native girl syndrome.

When April met Bob and moved away it was hard on me. I started to get involved with a guy named Mark.

I knew he was bad for me but I still loved him. We became broke and he started to sell my body so we could live

Mark is also the father of my son

I took a trip to see my sister in Toronto, it wasn't bad but i couldn't believe how much she had changed. She was kind of a snob now that shes with all the rich white people.

Before I left, April gave me her shoe box of information about our parents. I decided then that I was going to search for our parents since April had no luck.

I was living with April as well :) we had lot's of fun together. It was amazing to be reunited again.

My Personal Response

The book was very moving. there were times that I wanted to cry. There were times that I wanted to laugh. There were times when I wished that I could have been in the book. Beatrice Culleton did an amazing job when writing this book. Yes, there were some spelling errors, but that did not effect the powerful feelings in the book.I would recommend anyone to read this book :)