No Accountability
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Early Reviews
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Keith Lawton is a victory. A victory over neglect. A victory over torment. A victory over a harrowing and painful past.
Born to an alcoholic father and a schizophrenic mother, Keith Lawton did not have a childhood - he had a ticking time bomb. His father's death and his mother's illness lit the fuse, and the shattered debris of his life has taken a lifetime for him to even attempt to repair after circumstances marooned him in the national scandal which is the British "Care" system.
"No Accountability" is the autobiography of someone who refused to stand mute witness to his own destruction at the cruel, abusive hands of others. It is a selfless true story of a secret past, endured in the darkness of silence brought out into the light with bravery, and humour.
“Despite its bleakness, No Accountability is a story of hope… it demonstrates the importance of moving on from traumatic experiences and putting the past behind you”
“No Accountability is a worthy successor to 'No Photographs' as well as a commendable read in its own right.”
“Stand beside Keith and all the other children and adults who face abuse every day because if there is one thing I have learned from this book it’s that if we don’t, vulnerable people will continue to hide in shame.”
"No Accountability" by Keith Lawton – Early Reviews – Pre-Publication
Keith Lawton's debut 'No Photographs' is a personal account of care system failings, and now, with his latest offering, “No Accountability”, Lawton continues to explore and expose the collective disgrace, which should be the subject of far-reaching enquiry and national soul-searching. "Care" is a euphemism in such a setting, a piece of irony because there is very little in way of actual care available, which “No Accountability” shows.
Lawton describes the systematic and wholesale destruction of innocence in everyday terms and does so with devastating effect, chronicling the long-term impact upon his subsequent life in harrowing detail, expressed in simple terms without excess and decoration. He is to be applauded for this, and his story is stronger because of it.
The aftermath of such scandalous treatment is, after all, not experienced, felt or lived in the language of dispassionate evaluations and judicial enquiry - the words of the survivor are raw, and understandably so. Lawton takes the rawness of his emotional reaction to his experiences and, rather than using his narrative to lament or wallow, instead uses it to describe, to guide and inspire those who have also lived it.
Throughout, the tone is one of someone who seeks to relay the unfolding of a nightmare to those fortunate enough to have never experienced it, in order to draw attention to the suffering and struggles of those who have.
Lawton's bravery is to be applauded. His words add a human face to the bald statistics and anonymous headlines surrounding what is, in no uncertain terms, a national scandal of horrific proportions. The reader is drawn into the trauma and its aftermath, and I dare anyone to read this book and not become a crusader for the accountability, which has so far been absent and denied by those responsible for inflicting such ordeals on the innocent.
This book is a worthy successor to 'No Photographs' as well as a commendable read in its own right.
D.A.
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No Accountability is a wonderful book, bringing us Keith’s own experiences, told in the way only he can. His brutal honesty and humour make this a “Must Read” for those looking for truth, hope and inspiration.
“No Accountability” follows on from “No Photographs” and we find out more about Keith and his life journey. I find Keith’s humour endearing and if it weren’t for this then I would have struggled to connect with the story, not for any other reason than that I have no personal experience of the care system. I believe the message of this book is firmly carved around bringing things out into the open. Hiding from the truth is tantamount to condoning the abuse that very clearly happens.
I am touched that Keith has had the courage to share his story with us. I cannot imagine having the strength he has and I am eternally grateful for my own childhood because “No Accountability” reveals that not everyone is so fortunate. There are tough lives that go on around us every day and many suffer in silence with no voice and no support.
So, stand beside Keith and all the other children and adults who face abuse every day because if there is one thing I have learned from this book it’s that if we don’t, vulnerable people will continue to hide in shame through no fault of their own whilst the perpetrators walk free to continue their lives completely without remorse.
L.M
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'No Accountability, the follow-up to Keith Lawton’s debut book, No Photographs, offers further insight into his gripping life story. Featuring both tragedy and humour.
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