When Isobel and Alex came home from school to find their abusive father had brutally murdered their mother, their world was thrown into chaos. Plunged into a care system that neglected them, Isobel and Alex were expected to come to nothing, and had only each other to rely on.
Isobel and Alex’s mother used to do everything with them. A full-time teacher, she dedicated herself to her children, partly in order to give them every possible opportunity in life, and partly to keep them out of the way of their increasingly eccentric, erratic and unpleasant father.
Their father, a violent and frightening man, spent most of his time locked in his bedroom, a room the rest of the family never ventured into. He became increasingly bitter and angry at the outside world in general, and at his wife and children in particular. The local community feared his outbursts as much as Isobel and Alex did, but the neighbours saw far less of him as he became increasingly housebound. No one came to the Kerr’s house to visit.
When Isobel was 15 and Alex 13, they came home from school to find police everywhere. Their father had stabbed their mother between fifty and sixty times with a sharpened chisel. As far as anyone could tell the attack was unprovoked and of incredible savagery, but the children were given the minimum amount of information. No one wanted to upset them unnecessarily.
Their mother had been an only child and they had never been in contact with their father's family. There was no one else for them to turn to – except each other.
This is an inspiring story of a brother and sister who only had each other, and a powerful testament to what can be achieved through courage and love.
About the author
Isobel Kerr graduated from university in 2007 with a degree in Forensic Science. Since then she has been working in residential care homes for young people and volunteering as an independent visitor with NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service). Along with her brother, Alex, she annually travels abroad to participate in volunteer projects; such as at an orphanage in Ghana and an elephant rescue centre in Thailand.
Alex Kerr is currently fulfilling his passion for computers by studying for a degree in Forensic Computing. Along with his sister, Isobel, he annually travels abroad to participate in volunteer projects; such as at an orphanage in Ghana and an elephant rescue centre in Thailand.
