In my book, The Baby Matrix, I talk about the many negative impacts we see from unfit parents. Melanie Davis of my book review team recently came to me with a book that deals with a particular type of abuse. It tells a disturbing tale about how the family law system assists the abuse of children when one parent uses them against another. Check out her review:

For the Love of Eryk: Surviving Divorce, Parental Alienation and Life After

by Rod McCall

After a long and brutal custody battle, the jury finally saw through the lies and abuses of Rod McCall’s ex-wife, Karen, and awarded him full custody of his son, Eryk. Upon hearing the verdict, Rod felt joy at the thought of finally being with his son again, after months and years of being almost completely denied time with his only son. Karen had used the family law system and Child Protective Services (CPS) to her advantage, as a tool to punish and alienate Rod, all while breaking the rules that require her cooperation to share custody, without any consequences. Rod had endured being arrested and losing his job when Karen falsely accused him of sexual molestation, but the worst was yet to come. Upon learning she had lost custody of Eryk, Karen drove straight home from the court to shoot their son, and then herself.

For the Love of Eryk: Surviving Divorce, Parental Alienation and Life After tells Rod’s story, showing the many ways parental alienation can occur, although he had no idea what was happening at the time.  After losing his son, Rod learned that this kind of abuse not only has a name to it, but is widespread and one of the most serious injustices our society faces, which is proliferated by the family law system and those who have the power, and motive, to keep parents fighting over their children.

In Part One of For the Love of Eryk, Rod’s gives his heart wrenching, yet captivating, story followed by Part Two, which tells the stories and experiences of many others, outlining the common challenges, prejudices and abuses faced by alienated parents. We learn the many ways children die at the hands of the alienating, abusive parents, and the system that empowers them, either through suicide or the death of their spirits as they endure brainwashing and emotional abuse, all while the alienated parent is made out to be the perpetrator.

Providing Answers & Solutions

In the process of researching and writing his book, Rod provides answers and solutions gathered from experts as well as those who are going through parental alienation, who are fighting for change. One such expert featured in Rod’s book is Ginger Gentile, a documentary filmmaker who began her campaign against parental alienation with her groundbreaking film, Erasing Dad, highlighting how fathers in Argentina are systematically prevented from being in their children’s lives.

Now she is working on a new film, Erasing Family, focusing on the international crisis of what she terms “Family Bond Obstruction.” Rod participated in her #Erased campaign by being photographed holding a sign that says #Erased Dad. There are many versions of this sign, held by alienated loved ones photographed from all corners of the globe such as: #Erased Grandparents, #Erased Siblings, #Erased Aunt, etc.

In the conclusion of his book, Rod explains why he wrote it and what he hopes to accomplish. He hopes For the Love of Eryk will be a great resource both for those who are experiencing a difficult divorce and alienation from their children as well as for professionals who work within family law and the system that has been perpetuating these conditions. Rod knows that a stronger, more unified movement for change needs to be initiated and intends for his book to be the resource from which many can be educated and brought together.  “For the Love of Eryk isn’t just about healing, it’s about saving lives! I don’t want to hear one more report of a child abused, kidnapped or killed by one of their own parents in the midst of a custody trial,” Rod says.

Reviewed by Melanie Davis, bestselling author of The Triumph Book: HEROES