Blindsided
A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Legal Abuse
by David Samarzia (with Carol Ann Tardiff)
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 21 Oct 2025 | Archive Date 21 Oct 2025
Talking about this book? Use #Blindsided #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Sometimes the legal process to pursue justice is even more traumatic than the original sins committed against you.
When David Samarzia informs leaders of Redeemer Lutheran Church that their pastor molested him in boyhood, he doesn’t ask them for a dime, or even an apology for the trouble the abuse caused in his life. He wants one thing only—that they call off a mission trip for kids who would be staying with the predatory minister. That’s all. He fully expects the church to take care of its own problem. But in a bewildering turn of events that makes national news, he becomes embroiled in a vicious legal battle that will challenge all he believes in.
Unfolding against the backdrop of Minnesota’s beautiful north country, David’s story exposes the dark underbelly of our justice system and the lawyers who perpetuate it. With unflinching honesty, he writes of other people’s failures, and his own. Yet Blindsided is no mere tell-all memoir. At its heart is a father–son story of family love, loyalty, and perseverance in the face of evil, even when it costs them everything.
A Note From the Publisher
David is a lifelong dog lover who credits his canine companions for helping him survive the unthinkable. Find him online at www.davidsamarzia.net.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798888248225 |
| PRICE | US$18.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 248 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 6 members
Featured Reviews
I wish there was a better word to use for "loved this book" as its hard to accept loving a book aboust child and sexual abuse.
Wow, what courage to first survive this horror show to beeing determined to get through this, while helping as many people as he can as he goes.
I admit, some of this is reaoly hard to read, which is a testament to how good a writer the author (s) is. - i felt every feeling, which obviously I cannot, but I found myself putting the book down several times - just to take a breathe.
I read through this book inb a few days. Excellent writing, excellent pace and excellent inspiration,
Mike M, Media/Journalist
I was never abused (at least not sexually), but this person's experiences made me want to cry. I have never felt the need to pray for someone whose book I was reading until I read this one. I have also known several people who were abused and struggled with alcohol (including a family member it later killed). This author evoked so many feelings I have never experienced before. If you know anyone who struggles with these issues, I would urge them to read this book. It will change their life. Totally powerful, honest, and helpful. If I could give this one more than 5 stars, I would do it. I would also like to string up that pastor.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Jeff Fulmer
General Fiction (Adult), Politics & Current Affairs, Religion & Spirituality
Aram Yardumian
Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction (Adult), Religion & Spirituality
Michelle Johnston, Marshall Goldsmith
Business, Leadership, Finance, Nonfiction (Adult), Self-Help
Sandra Wagner-Wright
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction