Eyes of a Child

Eyes of a Child. . . . is the grim story of Lena Smith, a seven-year-old girl hopelessly trapped in a waking nightmare, and Crystal Smith, a self-hating mother who torments her daughter to get even with her husband, Jim Smith, for a crime he never committed.

Set in a southwest Fort Lauderdale slum, Jim Smith is in a desperate race against time to take his daughter away from her mother, whose cruelty and cunning intensify with each passing day. A nasty custody battle ensues; acts of violence occur; adultery is perpetrated; along with physical and sexual abuse of the child.

And when it appears that Jim is in a winning position to gain full custody of Lena, Crystal's attorney, Anthony Russo, as cunning and ruthless as his client, plots with guardian ad litem Gary Pudaloff, to convince the judge to leave Lena in the hands of her mother and that Jim is the actual child abuser. Jim's attorney, Scott Armstrong, makes a lame attempt to help save Lena.

Jim then considers kidnaping Lena to save her from the wrath of her mother but Lena refuses to abandon the cherished mother she loves and hates. As the abuse intensifies, Lena becomes even more determined to stay by her mother's side. Lena is confused and is tormented with tangled family loyalties; and with time, Crystal reveals to Lena's disbelief sadness, her own childhood trauma of sexual abuse.