The Unthinkable

A Story of Control, Violence and My Mother

David Challen

$49.99

Hardback

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English

BRAZEN
05 June 2025

Memoirs; Domestic violence; Coping with personal problems; Family & relationships

'David is one of the most courageous men I know . . . His book is one that everyone should read to understand coercive control, and what it is like to be a child growing up in a house where there is domestic abuse' Melanie Brown MBE, aka Mel B

'Beautifully written and deeply moving, I found David's book so compelling I read it in one sitting. It is a powerful call to action as much as a very personal memoir' Samira Ahmed

'A devastating portrayal of coercive control as depicted by a son' Irish Independent

""When my mum struck, it was with the cumulative rage of thirty years of hurt.""

David Challen grew up in the perfect home with the model family.

He also grew up inside a house which concealed his father's manipulation and control.

One Saturday in 2010, David's mother struck more than twenty blows to the back of her husband's head with a hammer after thirty years of abuse. She then washed the dirty dishes from the lunch she had just cooked and left the house. In those few minutes, David's life was changed forever.

Over the next decade, he led the fight to overturn her conviction; and in doing so he not only freed his mother and helped change the legal system, but also became a voice for the countless victims of coercive control across the country.

This is a powerful story of a son's love for his mother; of an insidious form of abuse that must be better understood if we are to truly tackle it; and fight that reshaped how society understands domestic abuse.

By: David Challen
Imprint: BRAZEN
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 218mm, Width: 138mm, Spine: 28mm
Weight: 374g
ISBN: 9781914240263
ISBN 10: 191424026X
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 05 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

David Challen is a domestic abuse campaigner. He successfully campaigned to free his mother in a landmark appeal recognising the decades of coercive control she had suffered. David continues to speak out against violence against women and is a Prison Advice and Care Trust Ambassador (PACT).

Reviews for The Unthinkable: A Story of Control, Violence and My Mother

'David is one of the most courageous men I know, and I met him when he was campaigned for his mum while she was still in prison. His book is one that everyone should read to understand coercive control, and what it is like to be a child growing up in a house where there is domestic abuse.' -- Melanie Brown OBE, aka Mel B