Child abuse Books
Ebury Publishing The Courage to Heal
Book SynopsisBased on the experiences of hundreds of child abuse survivors, The Courage to Heal profiles victims who share the challenges and triumphs of their personal healing processes. Inspiring and comprehensive, it offers mental, emotional and physical support to all people who are in the process of rebuilding their lives. The Courage to Heal offers hope, encouragement and practical advice to every woman who was sexually abused as a child and answers some vital questions, including:-How do I know if I was sexually abused?-Where does the decision to heal start?-How can I break the silence and who will listen?-How can I re-build my self-esteem, intimacy and capacity to love?-What therapy, support groups, self-help programmes or organisations are available?
£17.09
HarperCollins Publishers The Child Bride
Book SynopsisCathy Glass, international bestselling author, tells the shocking story of Zeena, a young Asian girl desperate to escape from her family.When 14 -year-old Zeena begs to be taken into care with a non-Asian family, she is clearly petrified. But of what?Placed in the home of experienced foster carer Cathy and her family, Zeena gradually settles into her new life, but misses her little brothers and sisters terribly. Prevented from having any contact with them by her family who insist she has brought shame and dishonour on the whole community, Zeena tries to see them at school. But when her father and uncle find out, they bundle her into a car and threaten to set fire to her if she makes anymore trouble. Zeena is too frightened to press charges against them despite being offered police protection in a safe house.Eventually, Cathy discovers the devastating truth from Zeena, and with devastation she believes there is little she can do to help her.Trade ReviewREVIEWS FOR DAMAGED: 'Cannot fail to move those who read it.'Adoption-net ‘Heartbreaking.'Mirror ‘A truly harrowing read that made me cry.’Sun 'A true tale of hope. ****.'OK! ‘Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass’s book should change all that.****’First magazine ‘A hugely touching and emotional true tale.’Star magazine
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group I Never Said I Loved You
Book Synopsis''I Never Said I Love You is one of the most electric, enchanting, engrossing and energising memoirs of self-harm, self-loathing, grief, eating disorders, suicide - and sex - that you will read.'' The Sunday Times''Indecently entertaining... one of the most uplifting and eccentric memoirs I have ever read.'' Observer''Brutally honest and relentlessly funny.'' Adam Kay, author of ''This is Going to Hurt''''A brilliant memoir full of gasp-inducing honesty about depression and family and taking control of your own pain. Funny, sad, hopeful, I Never Said I Loved You is an irresistible, strangely empowering read.'' Matt Haig''This mind-blowingly wonderful memoir had me convulsing with laughter even while my heart was breaking. It''s utterly effing BEAUTIFUL.'' Marian Keyes''I found myself blindsided by this extraordinary book ... I was deeply moved by its capacity both to depict paiTrade ReviewBoth funny and touching. * Telegraph *I Never Said I Love You is one of the most electric, enchanting, engrossing and energising memoirs of self-harm, self-loathing, grief, eating disorders, suicide - and sex - that you will read. * The Sunday Times *Indecently entertaining... one of the most uplifting and eccentric memoirs I have ever read. * Observer *This mind-blowingly wonderful memoir had me convulsing with laughter even while my heart was breaking. It's utterly effing BEAUTIFUL. * Marian Keyes *I found myself blindsided by this extraordinary book ... I was deeply moved by its capacity both to depict pain, and offer consolation. I loved it, and won't ever forget it. * Sarah Perry *Brutally honest and relentlessly funny. * Adam Kay *Both unputdownable and beautifully-written, bracing and consoling. A book that tackles mental health and the darkest things with razor-sharp wit and mordant laughs aplenty ... read this. * Sharlene Teo *Touching, funny, wildly readable ... Look out for it. * Sathnam Sanghera *No one writes better, or more sweetly, about how it feels to feel. Even the darkest times are shot through with glorious, bright beams of wit. * Janet Ellis *It's honest and funny (and beautifully painful and brutal at times), but also - oh goodness - it's so elegant. The writing is graceful and kind, even when it hurts a little to remember it's a memoir. * Joanna Cannon *Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. What an absolutely riveting read. * Nikita Gill *Heartbreaking, funny, raw, brave and - yes! - even better than the egg thing. * Erin Kelly *I have always loved Rhik Samadder's writing. And now there's a whole book! * Jessie Burton *A stunning memoir about grief and love, about vulnerability and the strength required to embrace it... this book will have its hooks in me for a long time yet. -- Leaf Arbuthnot * The Times *completely charming and genuinely funny * Grazia *Roars with humour * inews *A feel good mental health memoir... both touching and funny * Daily Telegraph Magazine *A brave blaze of a book... Samadder is a stubborn talent and a gifted storyteller. * The Sunday Times *eloquent, funny, and moving... truly beautiful * Culturefly *A memoir that'll break - then make - your heart... speaking on mental health, grief, disorders and more with frank honesty, Rhik creates a powerful read worth everyone's time. * Topman Blog *
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Damaged
Book SynopsisThe No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller.At just eight years old, Jodie is violent, aggressive and extremely challenging. Five carers in four months have been unable to cope, but there is one last hope: Cathy GlassAs Jodie begins to trust Cathy and make progress, shocking details about her past come to light. No one had noticed the glaring signs of abuse by those who were supposed to love her most.One of Cathy's earliest and bestselling memoirs, Damaged is a heartbreaking story that proves just how valuable foster carers are for society's most vulnerable children.Trade Review'Cannot fail to move those who read it.' Adoption-net ‘Heartbreaking.' The Mirror ‘A truly harrowing read that made me cry.’ The Sun 'A true tale of hope. ****.' OK! ‘Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass’s book should change all that.****’ First Magazine ‘A hugely touching and emotional true tale.’ Star Magazine
£9.49
John Blake Publishing Ltd Who Will Believe You?: My story of survival, and
Book SynopsisKim Chown was just 11 when her father Bernard Beaumont took her from her mother to Kenya. There, he tormented Kim with extreme sexual and emotional abuse, safe in the knowledge that as a pillar of the expat community his word would be believed over hers.Aged 20, Kim returned to England permanently, where she built a new life and a new family. However, she could not escape her father's influence, and eventually descended into alcoholism. But, after almost losing her life, Kim fought back. With the support of her husband and adult children, she finally faced her father in court and won justice for his shocking crimes.This is one woman's inspiring true story of overcoming horrific abuse to build a happy life - against the odds.
£8.54
Mirror Books The Asylum
Book SynopsisFor 46 years, Carol Minto has quietly gone about her life, carrying with her the most extraordinary and heartbreaking secrets. Born into poverty and with mostly absent parents, Carol helped to raise her nine siblings. But when she was just 11 years old, her older brother began to sexually abuse her. After four years, Carol managed to escape - and ran away from home. Picked up by social services they place her at Aston Hall in Derby; a psychiatric hospital now infamous for the ghoulish 'truth serum' experiments it carried out on children. Over three years, Carol was stripped, sedated, assaulted and raped by Kenneth Milner, the doctor in charge. Eventually she is released back into the community, aged 18, and has a daughter. But the baby is taken away for adoption and Carol's trauma intensifies.In 2010 Carol finally plucked up the courage to speak out about the abuse she suffered - and received justice, at last. In The Asylum, Carol tells the full story of how she overcame unimaginable suffering, to find the happiness and solace she has today as a mother and grandmother.
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers A Babys Cry
Book SynopsisWhat could cause a mother to believe that giving away her newborn baby is her only option? Cathy Glass is about to find out. From author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Damaged comes a harrowing and moving memoir about tiny Harrison, left in Cathy's care, and the potentially fatal family secret of his beginnings.When Cathy is first asked to foster one-day old Harrison her only concern is if she will remember how to look after a baby. But upon collecting Harrison from the hospital, Cathy realises she has more to worry than she thought when she discovers that his background is shrouded in secrecy.She isn't told why Harrison is in foster care and his social worker says only a few are aware of his very existence, and if his whereabouts became known his life, and that of his parents, could be in danger. Cathy tries to put her worries aside as she looks after Harrison, a beautiful baby, who is alert and engaging. Cathy and her children quickly bond with Harrison although they know that, inevitably, he will eventually be adopted.But when a woman Cathy doesn't know starts appearing in the street outside her house acting suspiciously, Cathy fears for her own family's safety and demands some answers from Harrison's social worker. The social worker tells Cathy a little but what she says is very disturbing . How is this woman connected to Harrison and can she answer the questions that will affect Harrison's whole life?
£8.54
Penguin Random House Australia The Empty Honour Board
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Groomed to be a Bride
Book SynopsisA heartbreaking, powerful true story from Britain''s most-loved foster carer, perfect for fans of Cathy Glass and Casey Watson.When a terrified young girl is discovered hiding in the back of a lorry, she is quickly taken into the care of social services. Arriving on the doorstep of foster carer Maggie Hartley, she is painfully thin, bruised and unable to speak a word of English. What atrocities has she escaped to bring her here? Woken each night by the screams of Halima''s nightmares, Maggie is desperate to reach this damaged young girl. But without a shared language, she fears that she may never uncover the truth behind her terror.Can Maggie help Halima recover from the horrors she has endured, and help her build a new life for herself? Or will Halima forever be haunted by the ghosts of her past?
£11.07
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Cupboard Under the Stairs: A Boy Trapped in
Book SynopsisPaul Mason’s father was a policeman. He was also a member of a sadistic paedophile ring. He would keep Paul locked up and naked in a tiny cupboard under the stairs of their home before sexually abusing him. This cycle of abuse continued for several years and also affected his brother. The cupboard became a horrific prison where fear and terror filled his every moment.The Cupboard Under the Stairs is a story of abuse at the mercy of adults whom Paul should have been able to trust. There followed a life almost destroyed by their actions. It is the harrowing story of one man’s fight for justice and an end to the horrific memories that still haunt him daily.
£10.44
Mirror Books The Convent: A shocking true story of surviving
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWhen a fancy car pulls up outside six-year-old Marie's home in Oldham, in 1959, she is told she is going on holiday...In fact, she is taken to live in a convent, overseen by a cruel and sadistic nun.There, a horrific ritual of physical, sexual and mental abuse begins.Marie feels unable to share details of her suffering with anyone. Until years later, when a police investigation is launched, and she realises that the time has finally come to tell the truth...
£7.59
St. Martin's Publishing Group The Mother Next Door
Book SynopsisA groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that investigates Munchausen by Proxy from the host and creator of the award-winning true crime podcast Nobody Should Believe Me.
£22.50
Orion Publishing Co My Brothers Secret
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£9.49
Indiana University Press The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literatur
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewJoseph Valente and Margot Gayle Backus's The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literature: Writing the Unspeakable digs fearlessly into a centurylong literary canon of abused Irish children, unmasking and unmaking the psychological operations that have allowed such abuse, as Fintan O'Toole writes in the book's preface, to long be Ireland's shameful "unknown known" (xiii). -- Renee Fox * Irish Literary Supplement *The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literature is a beautifully written and intellectually stimulating book that casts much needed light on the representation of the child sexual scandal in modern Irish literature. For anyone with the slightest interest in the intersection between literature, psychology, cultural theory and sociology and the light they can cast on Irish society, this book is a must read, provided that one understands that it is a highly academic study not intended for a general audience. It shows how in many respects the trauma associated with child abuse in Ireland is still at an early stage, and that healing will only come slowly. -- Eamon Maher * Criminal Law & Criminal Justice Review *Through intricate and rigorous close readings of literature, ranging from James Joyce to Anne Enright, and nuanced applications of psychoanalytic theory, Valente and Backus outline the way that Irish literature engages modern social and cultural discourse, as well as silence and abstraction, to identify sexual trauma in Ireland since the late nineteenth century. Just as they consistently suggest that intracommunity recognition of child sex scandal in Ireland is essential to recovering the social repression of trauma, they also offer academics a reminder of how we might save the Humanities from dissolution and despair: write, think, and witness together. . . . Put simply: we need more books like this in Irish Studies. -- Ellen Scheible * New Hibernia Review *The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literature should be required reading for students of Irish literature and history. . . . I would also recommend that The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literature: Writing the Unspeakable, be recommended reading for psychiatrists, therapists and counselors working with victims of child sex abuse and institutional abuse. As is often the case, writers can illuminate the path forward in understanding. -- Adrienne Leavy * Reading Ireland *Table of ContentsForewordIntroduction: The Enigmatic History of Imperiled Innocence1. "An Iridescence Difficult to Account for": Sexual Initiation in Joyce's Fiction of Development2. Between (Open) Secret and Enigma: Kate O'Brien, The Land of Spices, and the Stylistic Invention of Lesbian (In)visibility3. Country Girl: Groomed, Seduced, and Abandoned4. From the Pits and Ditches Where People Have Fallen: Sex Scandal and the Reinvention of the Irish Public Sphere in Keith Ridgway's The Long Falling5. Retrofitting Ireland's Architecture of Containment in Tana French's In the Woods6. "Roaring Inside Me": The Enigma of Sexual Violence in The GatheringEpilogue: What About Brendan?Bibliography of ImagesWorks CitedIndex
£19.79
HarperCollins Publishers The Boy No One Loved A Heartbreaking True Story
Book SynopsisSunday Times bestselling author and foster carer Casey Watson's first heartbreaking memoir.Justin was five years old; his brothers two and three. Their mother, a heroin addict, had left them alone again. Later that day, after trying to burn down the family home, Justin was taken into care.Justin was taken into care at the age of five after deliberately burning down his family home. Six years on, after 20 failed placements, Justin arrives at Casey's home. Casey and her husband Mike are specialist foster carers. They practice a new style of foster care that focuses on modifying the behaviour of profoundly damaged children. They are Justin's last hope, and it quickly becomes clear that they are facing a big challenge.Try as they might to make him welcome, he seems determined to strip his life of all the comforts they bring him, violently lashing out at schoolmates and family and throwing any affection they offer him back in their faces. After a childhood filled with hurt and rejection, Ju
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Will You Love Me
Book SynopsisThe eleventh memoir and latest title from the internationally bestselling author and foster carer Cathy Glass. This book tells the true story of Cathy's adopted daughter Lucy.Lucy was born to a single mother who had been abused and neglected for most of her own childhood. Right from the beginning Lucy's mother couldn't cope, but it wasn't until Lucy reached eight years old that she was finally taken into permanent foster care.By the time Lucy is brought to live with Cathy she is eleven years old and severely distressed after being moved from one foster home to another. Withdrawn, refusing to eat and three years behind in her schooling, it is thought that the damage Lucy has suffered is irreversible.But Cathy and her two children bond with Lucy quickly, and break through to Lucy in a way no-one else has been able to, finally showing her the loving home she never believed existed. Cathy and Lucy believe they were always destined to be mother and daughter it just took them a little whileTrade ReviewREVIEWS FOR DAMAGED: 'Cannot fail to move those who read it.'Adoption-net ‘Heartbreaking.'Mirror ‘A truly harrowing read that made me cry.’Sun 'A true tale of hope. ****.'OK! ‘Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass’s book should change all that.****’First magazine ‘A hugely touching and emotional true tale.’Star magazine
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers A Boy Without Hope The Heartbreaking True Story
Book SynopsisA BOY WITHOUT HOPE is the heart-breaking story of a boy who didn't know the meaning of love. A history of abuse and neglect has left Miller destined for life's scrap heap. But in this turbulent story of conflict and struggle, Casey Watson is determined to help Miller overcome his demons, show him love and give him hope.Casey Watson is back, doing the job she does best rolling up her sleeves and fostering the children who, on first meeting, seem like hopeless cases. But when she meets Miller and discovers the truth about his disturbing childhood, even Casey begins to doubt if this child will ever be able to accept love.Found naked and alone on a railway track, Miller was just five when he was first admitted into the care system. Emotionally tormented by his biological parents, Miller has never understood how to establish meaningful relationships, and his destructive past, and over 20 failed placements, is sealing his fate in society's social scrap heap.After a torrent of violent behavi
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd Tainted Love
Book SynopsisPowerful true-life stories of children who were saved by the British care system
£8.54
John Blake Publishing Ltd Why, Father?: From the No.1 bestselling author, a
Book SynopsisFrom No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of abuse and survival. Gerry was only a young girl when she was first abused by her father. His evil acts were followed by abuse from her local priest, arranged by her father. After her mother found out about the abuse, and believing there was nothing she could do to help her child, she committed suicide. Gerry and her siblings were split up and placed in different foster homes, all knowing they were unlikely to see each other ever again. Told that her mother had committed a grave sin, her foster parents were far from kind to her. She experienced years of loneliness, feeling completely abandoned. The abuse Gerry experienced was so extensive it led to her needing an operation to repair the damage her body went through. When asked who or what had been responsible, she responded 'the priest'. But she was not believed in her small northern town in the 60s, where everyone believed a priest took his orders directly from God. After finally meeting her kind and caring husband a few years ago, and after celebrating her 60th birthday, Gerry decided it was time for her story to be told. This is her true story of survival.
£8.54
Bonnier Books Ltd Damaged: Heartbreaking stories of the kids
Book Synopsis'We were just sacks of flesh existing as punchbags for their rage, or toys for their entertainment'Chris Wild lost his dad aged 11, leaving him to grow up in the care system. There, he witnessed the incessant physical and sexual abuse of children, with the only escape leading to the streets. So many others like him, failed by the systems put in place to protect them, ended up with nothing but drink, drugs, prostitution and crime as their normality.Later, working in a care home himself became the only way Chris could help, but he was shocked to discover little had changed and vulnerable children were still being failed. In Damaged, he shares heartbreaking memories of the care system along with the stories of all the boys, girls, men and women he met along the way - exposing why we must take action now to protect all of Britain's forgotten children.Trade ReviewA powerful book that pulls on your heartstrings * Denise Welch *Chris Wild's searing exposé of life in and around the children's care system in the early 1990s... this no-holds-barred, often distressingly graphic depiction of young lives lost to neglect and abuse in the north of England. The reader is at once moved, outraged and ashamed. Moved, because you would need a granite heart not to weep at the brutal destruction of innocence; outraged at how the perpetrators could get away with so much for so long, and how the system's indifference facilitated such horrors, and ashamed because chances are that you and I have, at some point, walked past and ignored these lost souls on the high street or in our local park...Read the book, get angry, and do anything and everything to ensure that, even in times of austerity and budget cuts, that those charged with caring for our nation's children remain scrutinised and accountable to the public. * outnewsglobal.com *
£9.49
Scribe Publications Made In China: a memoir of love and labour
Book SynopsisA young Chinese girl forced to work in a New York sweatshop calls child services on her mother in this powerful memoir about labour and self-worth, economic revolution and cultural dislocation. As a teen, Anna Qu is sent by her mother to work in her family’s garment factory in Queens. At home, she is treated as a maid and suffers punishment for doing her homework at night. Her mother wants to teach her a lesson: she is Chinese, not American, and such is their tough path in their new country. But instead of acquiescing, Qu alerts the Office of Children and Family Services, an act with consequences that impact the rest of her life. Nearly twenty years later, estranged from her mother and working at a Manhattan start-up, Qu requests her social services report. When it arrives, key details are wrong. Faced with this false narrative, and on the brink of losing her job as the once-shiny start-up collapses, Qu looks once more at her life’s truths, from abandonment to an abusive family to seeking meaning in work. Travelling from Wenzhou to Xi'an to New York, Made in China is a fierce memoir unafraid to ask thorny questions about trauma and survival, capitalism, and the struggle for individual dignity.Trade Review‘Made in China capture[s] the confusion and wonder of lives spent looking … Qu’s narrative is laced with bitterness and aching … The struggle … seems to be holding all of these conflicting emotions at once … Qu honour[s] these complexities, tell us we were not meant to swallow our pain and survive in this world without support systems.’ -- Chanel Miller * New York Times Book Review *‘Qu’s debut memoir untangles the knots of her complicated, traumatic past as she learns the truth about her own history and reckons with the hopes and constraints of the immigrant experience.’ * Time *‘With quick, vibrant prose, Qu’s memoir is absorbing and disturbing in equal measure.’ -- Christiana Bishop * New Statesman *‘Qu writes with clarity and restraint about her Cinderella-terrible childhood … Qu’s indelible account of her lonesome childhood should gain her everything she lacked then — confidants, witnesses, and fans — who will cheer when she finally reconnects with a long-lost beloved.’ -- Jenny Shank * Star Tribune *‘Anna Qu has written a thoroughly engrossing and nuanced memoir about triumph over trauma and the meaning of home. Made in China brings the immigrant experience to life and makes you root for Anna. A must read.’ -- Sopan Deb, author of Missed Translations‘Made in China is an important story told with intelligence and heart, and a study of discipline as a form of devotion — devotion to a mother, to a legacy, to our own dreams and to those of others, to being good. So much of American rhetoric is about what we are owed. This graceful memoir is about the much trickier problem of what we deserve. Which is, in the end, brightest love.’ -- Lacy Crawford, author of Notes on a Silencing‘Anna masterfully evokes her childhood with a power and grace that speak of an experience that no one should ever have to endure. This moving and unforgettable memoir needs to be read by everyone.’ -- Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Patsy‘Made in China is a sympathetic, brave portrayal of the confusions, difficulties, and hurts that come with growing up between worlds. Anna Qu’s writing about her journey as an immigrant deftly shows how our origins — of economic status, of country — have lasting effects on the ways we approach family, work, and self. I was captivated and moved by her story.’ -- Alexandra Chang, author of Days of Distraction‘Qu rewrites the bootstrap narrative of immigrants building a better life for their children in her grim and entrancing debut. Her “path to the American dream” amounts to a devastating story of abuse and abandonment … Even in revisiting her harrowing memories, Qu writes from a place of empathy, transcending pain to embrace hope … This marks the arrival of a promising new voice.’ * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘A nuanced examination of complicated ripple effects of intergenerational emigration. A powerful memoir of finding self-worth.’ * Library Journal *‘A grim yet gripping memoir of an unhappy, nearly loveless childhood and the author’s determined escape to a better adulthood … Well written … Brilliantly insightful … A simultaneously powerful and depressing latter-day Dickensian story sure to elicit sympathy from readers.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Poignant … Vividly narrated and psychologically perceptive, Qu’s story uses family trauma to find perspective on immigration and perhaps even America itself.’ * Booklist *‘What will haunt readers are the indelible feelings — of loss, fear, anger, and devastation, but, by book’s end, somehow, she has love … Anna Qu’s unflinching memoir recalls the love of her earliest years and the labour she endured to survive into adulthood.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘Lively … Qu presents her recollections in a precise, distressing chronology that sheds light on both the strictures of her Chinese cultural heritage and the sometimes arbitrary carelessness of the American social system meant to protect youngsters from neglect and mistreatment … Qu writes with great fluidity, giving her memoir a novelistic reach that speaks of a new career path in the realm of words and their truest meanings. Her mastery of English and her memory of several Chinese dialects will give her gritty memories a special punch for those trapped in similar circumstances, whether as immigrants, sweatshop workers, survivors of childhood abuse, or simply strong young women overcoming the odds to gain the best that life has to offer.’ -- Barbara Bamberger Scott * bookreporter *‘Made in China is a fierce, provocative look at the sacrifices made by immigrants in a new country, and the sacrifices they pass down to the next generation. It’s a story of family and trauma, resilience and collapse, and Qu is dazzling as she dismantles the mythologies surrounding the immigrant work ethic, making clear that a person’s humanity should never be connected with how “productive” they are.’ -- Kristin Iversen * Refinery29 *‘A heartbreaking reflection of the ripple effects of immigration.’ -- Katherine Ouellette * WBUR *‘A harrowing memoir about the indifference we show toward children, especially those who emigrate to the United States.’ -- Evette Dionne * Bitch *‘A deeply honest rendering of domestic conflict … Made in China is dynamic, a subversive and yet inherently personal piece of work … In this memoir, Qu doesn’t conform to labels. She rips off the tags others have created for her and creates her own.’ -- Valerie Wu * Asia Pacific Arts *‘Anna’s story shares a similar arc to the likes of Educated and The Glass Castle — memoirs with heroines who overcome seemingly insurmountable disadvantages through education and sheer will.’ -- Yoojin Na * BOMB *‘Unravels larger assumptions about immigration, labour, and trauma at both the personal and collective level, demonstrating how many seemingly disparate elements of our lives are deeply connected … It is a clear-eyed look at a reality that many in the United States would otherwise look away from … Remarkable.’ -- Julia Shiota * Ploughshares *‘Anna Qu has a tough story to tell, and she tells it with graceful candour … Made in China isn’t always an easy read, but it will make you examine the intricacies of mother-daughter love and the indelible influence of intergenerational trauma.’ -- Megan Vered * The Rumpus *‘A skillful and emotive excavation of a traumatic childhood split between China and the United States.’ -- Jonathan Chatwin * South China Morning Post *‘There are no easy answers here, and that’s what makes this memoir so absorbing.’ -- Elayna Trucker * Napa Valley Register *‘This candid, heartbreaking story centres on an uncommon immigrant narrative featuring a complicated mother-daughter relationship intermingled with the dark side of the pursuit of opportunity in America.’ * Oprah Daily *‘An emotionally-charged memoir about migration, belonging, and family-based abuse, Made In China is a confronting read. Ultimately, though, readers are left with a profoundly enlightening experience, owing to the skill that Qu applies when unpacking the various details of her experience. A profound story whose impact can be felt on a personal and societal level.’ * Happy Mag *‘[Made in China] vividly and poignantly documents [Anna Qu's] childhood, the darkness, occasional glimmers of light and, eventually, coming through.’ * The Sydney Morning Herald *
£13.49
Reach plc Undefeated
Book SynopsisSamantha was abused all her life, but never gave up hope. Devastated at the failures in the judicial system, Sam launched: 'You have not defeated me', a campaign which demanded support and understanding for grooming victims. This is her full story, for the first time.
£9.49
Cornerstone The Slave Across the Street
Book SynopsisHeart-rending, shocking and totally gripping, The Slave Across the Street is the incredible true story of how an ordinary girl was lured into the sinister world of human trafficking - and how she eventually escaped and rebuilt her life.''Flores puts a different face on human trafficking''-- Guardian''An absolute must read...written by a true warrior'' -- ***** Reader review''A gripping and shocking story'' -- ***** Reader review''A compulsive read'' -- ***** Reader review''Absolutely brilliant book - couldn''t put it down. Well worth reading'' -- ***** Reader review''This story truly rocks your foundations to the core'' -- ***** Reader review*******************************************************************************IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU. IT HAPPENED TO THE GIRL NEXT DOOR...When Theresa was 15 she moved to a new school and fell for an older pupil, Daniel. Theresa was thrilled when one afternoon he asked if he could drive her home. But this simple decision would result in her being forced to work as a sex slave for two long years.Daniel was part of a criminal ring that bribed and trafficked Theresa whilst she was still living in her own house, unknown to her parents. Theresa would go to school alongside these boys in the day and be called into service at night...This is the shocking tale of how easily these things can happen. This is the story of her journey from victim to survivor...Trade ReviewFlores puts a different face on human trafficking...She is white, middle class and blond...She grew up in a wealthy suburb and did well at school. Yet Flores tells a nightmarish story. * Guardian *
£10.44
Simon & Schuster Ltd Cut One Womans Fight Against FGM in Britain Today
Book SynopsisImagine for a moment that you are 6-years-old and you are woken in the early hours, bathed and then dressed in rags before being led down to an ominous looking tent at the end of your garden. And there, you are subjected to the cruellest cut, ordered by your own mother. Forced down on a bed, her legs held apart, Hibo Warderewas made to undergo female genital cutting, a process so brutal, she nearly died. As a teenager she moved to London in the shadow of the Somalian Civil War where she quickly learnt the procedure she had undergone in her home country was not 'normal' in the west. She embarked on a journey to understand FGM and its roots, whilst raising her own family and dealing with the devastating consequences of the cutting in her own life. Today Hibo finds herself working in London as an FGM campaigner, helping young girls whose families plan to take them abroad for the procedure. She has vowed to devote herself to the campaign against FGM. Eloquent and
£11.69
Jessica Kingsley Publishers Counselling Skills for Working with Trauma:
Book SynopsisCounselling Skills for Working with Trauma is a practical, introductory guide to counselling survivors of child abuse, neglect, rape, sexual violence, sexual trafficking, religious sexual abuse, and domestic abuse. Written in an accessible style, it provides a comprehensive introduction to complex trauma accompanied by advice on how to create a safe environment in which survivors can learn the skills to restore control over trauma symptoms, to aid healing and post traumatic growth. The book covers all of the key principles including: understanding the role of dissociation in complex trauma; the role of attachment; managing flashbacks, panic attacks, nightmares and dissociation; responding to shame and guilt; managing relationships; and the impact of working with complex trauma. It explores how practitioners can work more effectively with trauma, and offers techniques and skills which can easily be integrated into different therapeutic models.Featuring highlighted top tips, common pitfalls and a range of exercises, this is an essential guide for all professionals working with child and adult survivors of trauma.Trade ReviewThis book is fabulous... the absolute best I have ever read on the trauma associated with sex abuse. Written in clear language, it takes the understanding of the problem and the path to recovery to a new level, revealing the devastating nature of traumatic effects of abuse, but also providing a source of concrete hope through a realistic and attainable treatment and recovery program. The section on understanding complex trauma is a major gem in itself, and should be required reading for anyone involved in sex abuse at any level. -- Thomas Doyle, J.C.D., C.A.D.C, a Canon lawyer and outspoken advocate for clergy-abuse victims, USAThis book has a great deal to offer to all counsellors and psychotherapists, as well as other practitioners who work with people who have experienced trauma within the context of close relationships. The great strength of this book is that it considers all aspects of this area of therapy in an informed, accessible, caring and comprehensive manner. It represents an exceptional contribution to the literature and will become essential reading for both trainees and experienced practitioners. A welcome example of how knowledge and skills from a range of medical, social and psychotherapeutic approaches can be integrated into a coherent model of practice. -- John McLeod, Emeritus Professor of Counselling, University of Abertay, UK; Professor of Psychology, University of Oslo, NorwayTable of ContentsPart I: Understanding Complex Trauma. 1. Understanding Trauma and Complex Trauma. 2. Understanding Trauma Symptoms. 3. Understanding the Role of Dissociation. 4. Understanding the Role of Attachment. Part II: Working with Complex Trauma. 5. Safe Trauma Therapy. 6. Therapeutic Challenges. 7. Building and Maintaining the Therapeutic Relationship. 8. The Process of Recovery and Healing. Part III: Skills to Manage Complex Trauma Symptoms. 9. Establishing Safety and Control. 10. Skills to Improve Daily Life. 11. Managing Sensations, Feelings and Grounding Skills. 12. Managing Flashbacks, Panic Attacks, Nightmares and Dissociation. 13. Managing Negative Thoughts and Beliefs. 14. Managing Memories. 15. Managing Shame and Guilt. 16. Managing Self-Harm. 17. Managing Boundaries. 18. Managing Relationships. 19. Managing Sexuality. 20. Managing Loss and Mourning. Part IV: Post Traumatic Growth. 21. Restoring Reality and Expressing Needs. 22. Relapse Prevention. 23. Reconnecting to Self and Post traumatic Growth. Part V: Professional Issues. 24. Practitioner Self Care. Appendices.Trauma Assessment Scales. Resources and Trauma Assessment. Organisations. References. Index.
£24.99
HarperCollins Publishers A Stolen Childhood
Book SynopsisBestselling author and teacher Casey Watson shares the horrifying true story of Kiera Bentley, a 12-year-old girl with a deeply shocking secret she's too young to even understand.When Casey first meets Kiera, a small slight girl who's just lashed out at a fellow pupil in assembly, she immediately senses something's wrong. Something in Kiera's eyes alerts Casey that this is an old head on young shoulders, and with Kiera's constant tiredness and self-soothing habit of pulling her hair out, she follows her instinct and takes Kiera under her wing.At first the answer seems simple enough; Kiera's parents aren't together and they don't get on, which makes life hard for Kiera as she's so close to her dad. But as the weeks roll on, Casey begins to understand that there's something much darker going on behind closed doors. And when she finally learns the truth, she's terrified she won't be able to save Kiera from it.
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Trafficked Girl Abused. Abandoned. Exploited.
Book SynopsisWhen Zoe was taken into care at the age of 13, she thought she was finally going to escape from the cruel abuse she had suffered throughout her childhood. Then social services placed her in a residential unit known to be ''a target for prostitution'', and suddenly Zoe''s life was worse than it had ever been before.Abused and ostracized by her mother, humiliated by her father's sexual innuendos, physically assaulted and bullied by her eldest brother, even as a young child Zoe thought she deserved the desperately unhappy life she was living.I've sharpened a knife for you,' her mother told her the first time she noticed angry red wounds on her daughter's arms. And when Zoe didn't kill herself, her mother gave her whisky, which she drank in the hope that it would dull the miserable, aching loneliness of her life.One day at school Zoe showed her teacher the livid bruises that were the result of her mother's latest physical assault and within days she was taken into care.Zoe had been at Denv
£7.59
Ebury Publishing Girl for Sale
Book SynopsisFollowing Lara's horrifying ordeal, she found the strength to become a key witness in the trial of Britain's most evil sex ring and has since rebuilt her life with her son and adoptive mother.
£11.69
Ebury Publishing Tortured
Book SynopsisAs a child, Victoria Spry was brutally beaten, neglected and starved by the woman she called Mummy.To the outside world Eunice Spry was a devoted parent, but behind closed doors she was an evil tyrant. Instead of protecting, loving and caring for Victoria, she forced bleach and urine down her throat, knocked out her teeth, tied her up naked and made her live in squalor. It took eighteen years of heartache and despair before she found the courage to expose her mum.Tortured is Victoria's gripping story of survival.
£12.34
Cornerstone Mixed Blessings
Book SynopsisDiane has used her psychic ability to help the police, Air and Coastguard rescue as well as using it for historical research. She gives consultations to the public and celebrities and also works as a healer. In 2006, she was crowned Britain's Best Psychic in the Channel 5 programme Britain's Psychic Challenge. Diane lives with her husband and two children in Wales.Trade ReviewFrom the outset it's both gripping and shocking ... this book is a detailed insight into the life of a psychic medium as well as Diane's personal story ... extremely well written * Vision *
£10.44
Pan Macmillan The Power of Parting
Book SynopsisEamon Dolan has worked as an editor at HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Penguin Press. He is currently Vice President & Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster. He's also a professional photographer whose work has been shown at the International Center of Photography and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co The Way We Survive
Book SynopsisA searing and powerfully written exploration of rape culture and surviving sexual violence, written by Catriona Morton, host of award-winning BBC Sounds podcast, After.Trade ReviewHonest and unapologetic, Catriona Morton's book brings nuance and poignant personal insight to a topic which is more than just 'timely' -- sexual violence is a lived a reality for many of us in society, and has always been. In so doing, she offers a guiding hand for any victim or survivor out there who has felt lost, isolated, or misunderstood. A book that builds community and understanding. * Winnie M Li, author of Complicit *A luminous, empathetic, inclusive and urgent book. This book taught me so much about trauma and survival, about the world, and about myself. Catriona's voice is clear and lucid and it is a lifeline to survivors everywhere and those who love them. I am so grateful for this book and I will return to it again and again. Everyone should read it. * Lucia Osborne-Crowley, author of My Body Keeps Your Secrets *Through intimate, sensitive, and nuanced writing, Catriona Morton builds community with survivors across the world, and offers solidarity and illumination for those who may be stumbling through the darkness. Catriona's writing wraps the soul up in the warmest, most comforting of blankets, offers it a warm cup of tea, and listens without judgement and with a deep-rooted empathy that helps you feel incredibly seen. A truly beautiful book - one everyone should read. * Prishita Maheshwari-Aplin, the Politics Editor at BRICKS *One of the most important, impressive and compassionate books I've read on surviving sexual violence. The Way We Survive perfectly blends the personal with the political to create a series of raw, honest, moving and well-researched essays. This book helped me enormously in understanding my own CPTSD. I'm so glad I found it. * Katy Wix, author of Delicacy *Morton's own story is so inspiring - and provocative - and her honesty deeply uplifting. The conversations contained are generous, varied, exquisitely realised and profoundly nuanced. Morton provides a valuable resource to readers who carry forward difficult histories, and the result is beautiful. * Jessica Cornwell, author of The Serpent Papers and Birth Notes *
£9.49
Bristol University Press The Story of Baby P
Book SynopsisThis book is the first to tell what happened to 'Baby P', how the story was told by the media and its considerable impact on the child protection system in England. It makes a crucial contribution to the topic.Trade Review"This book demonstrates the very rare combination of policy, practice and academic experience which Ray Jones brings. It deserves to be read by anyone with an interest in contemporary social welfare and its future." Mark Drakeford, Minister of Health and Social Services at the Welsh Government and Professor of Social Policy and Applied Social Sciences at Cardiff University"A thoughtful and though provoking book...a riveting 'must read' for any professional working in Children's Services, and also for those working in partner agencies." Research, policy and planning"Its biggest contribution is the insight into how the powerful - including David Cameron - were able to ride rough-shod over a profession with little regard for the consequences." Shahid Naqvi, Editor, Professional Social Work"An important and incisive study." Critical and Radical Social Work"This book...challenged my beliefs, my opinions and the systems within which I live and work, and caused me to examine my professional practice. Well worth the read!" Child Abuse Review“Ray Jones' important book shows how the powerful work against social work and the vulnerable” Harry Ferguson, Professor of Social Work, University of Nottingham"An important tale of the troubling intersections between the media and political interests that converge in the highly volatile field of child protection." Australian Review of Public Affairs"Ray Jones has written an engaging and important book. He provides a detailed critical analysis of the case of 'Baby P' and its impact and the key role of the media in this." Professor Nigel Parton, University of Huddersfield"Ray Jones’ book expertly retells the now familiar story of Baby Peter to present a balanced account that is both believable and challenging...it is something that will resonate with everyone in the health and social care field." Child Abuse Review"A remarkable book that brings balance and clarity to the murky interrelated world of press, politics and the police which the `hacking’ trials and the Levenson Inquiry have been to forced to confront." British Journal of Social Work"Convincingly and bravely, Jones corrects the tabloid version of the Baby P story…this book is one more piece of evidence that austerity kills." Counterfire"Ray Jones is a courageous - and all too lonely - voice taking on the tabloids' distortions of child protection services. His forensic indictment of media coverage of the Baby P case reinforces the need for a robust and independent press regulator." Malcolm Dean, former Social Policy Editor of The Guardian and author of 'Democracy Under Attack: How the media distort policy and politics'."This book provides an excellent and clear commentary. It forms the basis for the reader to analyse the social work and wider decision-making process. It illustrates the complexity and uncertainty that informs practice." Jameel Hadi, University of Suffolk."A very interesting read that dispells much of the myths and media hype." Jane Laing, University of Sheffield, Textbook Adopter" A probing exposé to be lauded" Sean FerrerTable of ContentsForeword ~ Patrick Butler; The life and death of Peter Connelly; The 'Baby P story' takes hold; The frenzied media backlash; The influence of reviews and reports; The story's damaging Impact; The continuing legacy of the 'Baby P story'.
£15.99
Orion Publishing Co Stiff Upper Lip
Book Synopsis''A brave and necessary book'' GUARDIAN''Shocking, gripping and sobering'' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHNo other society sends its young boys and girls away to school to prepare them for a role in the ruling class.Beating, bullying, fagging, cold baths, vile food and paedophile teachers are just some of the features of this elite education, and, while some children loved boarding school, others now admit to suffering life-altering psychological damage. Stiff Upper Lip exposes the hypocrisy, cronyism and conspiracy that are key to understanding the scandals over abuse and neglect in institutions all over the world.Award-winning investigative journalist Alex Renton went to three traditional boarding schools. Drawing on those experiences, and the vivid testimony of hundreds of former pupils, he has put together a compelling history, important to anyone wondering what shaped the people who run Britain in the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewAt last, a scrupulously honest insight into private boarding education in Britain - ranging from the abuse to which it subjects the child, and the family, to the abuse of Britain's social order in laying the foundation to buying your child's way to the top -- Jon SnowRenton mixes memoir and anecdote with deeply researched history... this is a brave and necessary book -- Sam Leith * GUARDIAN *A thoughtful and sensitive indictment of one of the cornerstones of the British establishment -- Andrew Anthony * OBSERVER *Gruelling and gripping -- William Moore * EVENING STANDARD *Renton has the thirst for truth, and for exposing depravity, of a Gitta Sereny -- Ysenda Maxtone-Graham * THE TIMES *[A] masterful expose of private school perversion -- Sam Kiley * SKY NEWS *Stiff Upper Lip is shocking, gripping and sobering -- Rupert Christiansen * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Enormously valuable -- John Preston * DAILY MAIL *Stiff Upper Lip kept me absolutely enthralled ... Even if you never went near a public school, the book is a phenomenal read: it kept me up all night -- George Hook * NEWSTALK *Impressive in its breadth and depth -- Harry Hodges * DAILY EXPRESS *Stiff Upper Lip is a furious, closely researched polemic against boarding school -- James Fergusson * COUNTRY LIFE *Quite breathtaking ... If you want to understand anything about institutional abuse it is required reading -- James O’Brien * LBC *Grimly absorbing * NEW STATESMAN *This is a fascinating book -- Ian Irvine * PROSPECT *Personal revelations are expertly woven into interview material, social history and theorising by psychologists and other writers ... Renton deserves praise and attention for disturbing our equanimity about this tradition -- Miranda Green * FINANCIAL TIMES *This is a well-researched study, which draws on a variety of historical sources in addition to some searing near-contemporary accounts of childhood unhappiness and its long-lasting effects -- Nicholas Tucker * THE TABLET *Brilliantly deconstructs the myth of the British stiff upper lip -- Rod Liddle
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton Tell Me Who I Am: The Story Behind the Netflix
Book SynopsisThe story behind the hit Netflix documentary: The bestselling account of the bond between brothers and the shocking legacy of a dangerous mother.Imagine waking up one day to discover that you have forgotten everything about your life. Your only link with the past, your only hope for the future, is your identical twin.Now imagine, years later, discovering that your twin had not told you the whole truth about your childhood, your family, and the forces that had shaped you. Why the secrets? Why the silences? You have no choice but to begin again.This has been Alex's reality: a world where memories are just the stories people tell you, where fact and fiction are impossible to distinguish. With dogged courage he has spent years hunting for the truth about his hidden past and his remarkable family. His quest to understand his true identity has revealed shocking betrayals and a secret tragedy, extraordinary triumph over crippling adversity and, above all, redemption founded on brotherly love.Marcus his twin brother has sometimes been a reluctant companion on this journey, but for him too it has led to staggering revelations and ultimately the shedding of impossible burdens. Their story spans continents and eras, from 1950s debutantes and high society in the Home Counties to a remote island in the Pacific and 90s raves. Disturbing, funny, heart-breaking and affirming, Alex and Marcus's determination to rebuild their lives makes us look afresh at how we choose to tell our stories.Trade ReviewA relevatory memoir http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/31/tell-me-who-am-lewis-review * Guardian *'Beautifully written, it poses key questions about selfhood and honesty'. * Daily Express *
£10.44
Little, Brown & Company Stolen: An Adolescence Lost to the Troubled Teen
Book SynopsisA gripping chronicle of psychological manipulation and abuse at a "therapeutic" boarding school for troubled teens, and how one young woman fought to heal in the aftermath.At fifteen, Elizabeth Gilpin was an honor student, a state-ranked swimmer and a rising soccer star, but behind closed doors her undiagnosed depression was wreaking havoc on her life. Growing angrier by the day, she began skipping practices and drinking to excess. At a loss, her parents turned to an educational consultant who suggested Elizabeth be enrolled in a behavioral modification program. That recommendation would change her life forever.The nightmare began when she was abducted from her bed in the middle of the night by hired professionals and dropped off deep in the woods of Appalachia. Living with no real shelter was only the beginning of her ordeal: she was strip-searched, force-fed, her name was changed to a number and every moment was a test of physical survival. After three brutal months, Elizabeth was transferred to a boarding school in Southern Virginia that in reality functioned more like a prison. Its curriculum revolved around a perverse form of group therapy where students were psychologically abused and humiliated. Finally, at seventeen, Elizabeth convinced them she was rehabilitated enough to "graduate" and was released.In this eye-opening and unflinching book, Elizabeth recalls the horrors she endured, the friends she lost to suicide and addiction, and-years later-how she was finally able to pick up the pieces of her life and reclaim her identity.
£13.49
She Writes Press This or Something Better: A Memoir of Resilience
Book SynopsisWhen the Sonoma Complex fire came to Elisa Stancil Levine’s California doorstep in 2017, her world changed overnight. The devastating fire torched thousands of acres, but for Elisa, a world-class decorative artist, it was her reaction that night that cracked her wide open. A loving wife, mother, and grandmother, Elisa thought she had reckoned with her early childhood trauma. But when she fled the midnight firestorm without alerting a single neighbor, she had to ask herself: Who does that?In This or Something Better, Elisa revisits her past and the one force in which she has always found true kinship: the wild river. Nature, her lifelong ally, gave solace. Through teen pregnancy, her baby’s stillbirth, and a mystical near-death experience at eighteen, nature shaped her character, and it later informed her wildly successful career. But was there an unintended consequence?The fresh trauma of the firestorm sparked a quest: what treasure awaited if Elisa learned to trust human nature? Vivid, poetic, and intimate, This or Something Better reveals how true healing of deep wounds happens one exquisite layer at a time—and invites us each to consider and embrace our own path toward wholeness and authenticity. Trade Review“This riveting story of the ‘making of a maker’ is more than a memoir, it is a testament to nature’s role in creativity. The author’s persistence and intuitive spirit come through in every chapter, inviting readers to embrace their own path toward wholeness and authenticity. Moving, illuminating and inspiring.” —Heidi Gerpheide, publisher of California Homes Magazine“Levine’s story of resilience is framed by an account of a fire in California that threatened her home, her horses, and human life. . . . Her prose dazzles. . . . Driven by new experiences and personal revelations, the fascinating, creative memoir This or Something Better is a story about remaking a life.” —Foreword Reviews“In this beautifully written memoir, Elisa Stancil Levine takes the reader on a wild ride through her extraordinary life journey. Through it all she explores the combination of surrender and decisive action, trust and wariness, solitude and human connection, intuition and painstaking self-inquiry, and grace and sheer hard labor that lie at the heart of the great mystery of human resilience.” —Noelle Oxenhandler, author of The Wishing Year“Elisa Stancil Levine . . . is too much of everything—too loud, too passionate, too smart, too ambitious. Her only solace is her bond with nature. When her trust is violated she takes refuge in nature, yet keeps trying to find the relationships she wants and needs. Elisa’s story is essentially a spiritual quest. Readers will feel confident that she at last discovers what it really means to be human.” —Susan Speranza, author of Ice Out and The Tale of Lucia Grandi, the Early Years “Elisa Stancil Levine's memoir embarks on a rich journey to earlier times in the rural foothills of California—and sweeps up to date to firsthand accounts of wildfire and drought in today’s Sonoma County. Her stories of growing up in a world full of both wonder and danger are unique—told with frank detail, coming to conclusions about curiosities she encounters with both balance and generosity. She fills every page with beauty and learning.” —Rebecca Lawton, author of Swimming Grand Canyon and Other Poems
£11.04
Orion Publishing Co Love as Always, Mum xxx: The true and terrible
Book Synopsis'A CHILLING new memoir by the daughter of mass murderer Fred West and his wife Rose describes the savage cruelty of her upbringing in 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester' DAILY MAIL'Mae, I mean this ... I'm not a good person and I let all you children down ...' Rose West, HM PRISON DURHAM It has taken over 20 years for Mae West to find the perspective and strength to tell her remarkable story: one of an abusive, violent childhood, of her serial killer parents and how she has rebuilt her life in the shadow of their terrible crimes. Through her own memories, research and the letters her mother wrote to her from prison, Mae shares her emotionally powerful account of her life as a West. From a toddler locked in the deathly basement to a teen fighting off the sexual advances of her father, Mae's story is one of survival. It also answers the questions: how do you come to terms with knowing your childhood bedroom was a graveyard? How do you accept the fact your parents sexually tortured, murdered and dismembered young women? How do you become a mother yourself when you're haunted by the knowledge that your own mother was a monster? Why were you spared and how do you escape the nightmare?
£8.54
Jessica Kingsley Publishers A Practitioners' Tool for Child Protection and
Book SynopsisA practical tool for the assessment of children and their families, this guide enables professionals to make informed decisions about child protection issues. Firmly rooted in current practice, it draws on the expertise of a practising consultant and experienced qualified social worker Jeff Fowler, whose work has already formed the basis of guidance reports for child protection agencies and court proceedings.Providing detailed checklists for collecting and interpreting information vital to a best practice assessment, it also includes practical sections that focus on assessing attachment issues, childhood experiences, alcohol and drug abuse, and parenting skills and abilities. It presents a central case study leading to an assessment report which can be used for case conferences, as a core assessment in care proceedings, or for statements in public and private law matters.This is a helpful tool for anyone undertaking assessments but also for others who may be involved in aspects of child protection work such as social workers, health professionals, teachers, and legal and criminal justice professionals.Trade ReviewA clearly written and informative text. -- Journal of Social WorkThis excellent book provides experienced practitioners or those working with close supervision from both health and social services with additional strategies to assess parents of children in need... The tool is designed to be used alongside the Framework for the Assessment of Children in need and their Families and is both child centred and family focused. This book would be equally useful to health visitors, school health nurses and social workers involved in the detailed assessment of family functioning. The checklists are not tick box tools but rather aide memoirs to lead discussion with parents to identify their strengths and weaknesses and to assess risk. It is to be recommended for staff who wish to enhance their level of practice. -- Community PractitionerBecause of the time restrictions that are vital in child protection, the book would be helpful for the assessment of parents. It is crisp and to the point and could usefully be discussed in training sessions or team meetings. Experienced workers may find this a useful addition to their toolbox. -- Community CareTable of ContentsIntroduction. 1. Starting Assessment: Beginning the Assessment; The Risk Indicator Checklist; The Core Assessment; The Assessment Plan; Introducing the Case Study; The Assessment Agreement; The Assessment Interviews; The First Assessment Session; Assessing the Parents. 2. Collecting Data for Assessment: The Family Structure; Chronology; Experiences from Childhood; Education, Employment; Perception of Self, Ideal Self; Self-Esteem; Exploring if People are Organised or Disorganised, Rigid or Flexible; Exploring Dominant and Submissive Behaviour; Alcohol Abuse; Drug Abuse; Anger and Violence; Schedule 1 Offences; Criminal History; Health; Previous Relationships; Present Relationship; Parenting Skills and Abilities; Perception of Children; Perception of Being a Parent; Parenting and Stress; Parenting and the Needs of Children; The Child; Attachment; Home Environment; Finances; Child Protection Concerns; Evaluating the Information. 3. Assessment: The Case Study: The Case Study Assessment; Positive Outcomes from the Assessment; Conclusion. Appendices: Exercises. References. Index.
£24.99
Bonnier Books Ltd The Baby Snatchers: A mother's shocking true
Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times and Irish Times bestseller, as featured in the Sunday Independent'You're all fallen women. You've sowed the seed of Satan. You are nothing.'Mary Creighton was just 15 when she found herself pregnant out of wedlock, in 1960s Ireland. She dreamed of a happy life with her child, but that was shattered when she was sent away to Castlepollard - a home for mothers and their unborn babies.Stripped of their clothes and forced into gruelling work whilst pregnant, those who survived childbirth were made to force-feed their children for adoption into wealthy families. Babies were ripped out of their mother's hands, but Mary refused to let that happen to her. She managed to escape only to later lose her beautiful daughter to social services and the Sacred Heart nuns, who always managed to catch up with her. After spending time in an infamous Magdalene Laundry, and having another two children snatched away, Mary sought to find her lost children, and demand answers for the atrocities committed supposedly in God's name.This is a haunting account of a mother's worst nightmare, as Mary continues to fight for justice for the mothers who suffered and the babies of Castlepollard: hundreds of which died and are still buried in the grounds today.
£8.54
Critical Publishing Ltd Safeguarding Children and Witchcraft Labelling in
Book SynopsisAn unique resource for all professionals who wish to understand witchcraft branding as a contemporary form of child abuse.
£22.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Forgotten Child The powerful true story of a
Book SynopsisBased on a true story, The Forgotten Child is a heart-breaking memoir of an abandoned newborn baby left to die, his tempestuous upbringing, and how he came through the other side.It's a freezing winter's night in 1954. A baby boy, a few hours old, is left by his mother, wrapped in nothing but two sheets of newspaper and hidden amongst the undergrowth by a canal bank. An hour later, a late-shift postman is walking wearily home when he hears a faint cry. He finds the newspaper parcel and discovers the newborn, white-cold and whimpering, inside.After being rushed to hospital and against all odds, the baby survives. He's baptised by the hospital chaplain as Richard.Everything feels as though it's looking up; Richard is put into local authority care and regains his health. However, after nearly five blissful years in a rural care home filled with loving friends, it soon unfolds that his turbulent start in life is only the beginningBased on a devastating true story, this inspirational memoirTrade Review‘An incredible story of survival.’ The Sun
£9.49
Bonnier Books Ltd The Hospital: How I survived the secret child
Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times top ten bestseller...'Nobody knew what was going on behind those doors. We were human toys. Just a piece of meat for someone to play with.'Barbara O'Hare was just 12 when she was admitted to the psychiatric hospital, Aston Hall, in 1971. From a troubled home, she'd hoped she would find sanctuary there. But within hours, Barbara was tied down, drugged with sodium amytal - a truth-telling drug - and then abused by its head physician, Dr Kenneth Milner.The terrifying drug experimentation and relentless abuse that lasted throughout her stay damaged her for life. But somehow, Barbara clung on to her inner strength and eventually found herself leading a campaign to demand answers for potentially hundreds of victims.A shocking account of how vulnerable children were preyed upon by the doctor entrusted with their care, and why it must never happen again.
£8.54
Jessica Kingsley Publishers Making Connections with Vulnerable Children and
Book SynopsisMaking Connections with Vulnerable Children and Families is the practical go-to resource for practitioners looking to build effective relationships and engage meaningfully with vulnerable children and their families.Compiled by Jan Horwath, lead editor of the bestselling child protection handbook The Child''s World, the text features a wealth of clear, user-friendly, creative materials. The tools draw on evidence-based research and have been developed and tested by frontline practitioners from a range of disciplines working in Rochdale. Each tool includes a practice example as well as detail about aims, method, things to think about and possible adaptations. The tools can be used in a variety of work settings and the downloadable, versatile resources are all designed to support a relational approach to practice.These tools will help you establish relationships with both children and their primary carers, understand their lived experience and the impact of this on the health and well-being of the child or adolescent. Additional tools are included for use with parents and primary carers to explore parenting capacity and the socio-economic factors that influence family life.
£28.49
Jessica Kingsley Publishers Working with Survivors of Sibling Sexual Abuse: A
Book SynopsisSibling sexual abuse is considered to be one of the most common forms of child sexual abuse within the family setting, yet it is often ignored, downplayed or denied in spite the impact on survivors. Shining a spotlight on the hidden phenomenon, Christiane Sanderson provides a rigorous account of the nature and dynamics of sibling sexual abuse. She provides a clear explanation of the difference between developmentally appropriate, consensual sexual exploration and developmentally inappropriate, non-consensual sexual behaviour. The focus is on how these behaviours impact the sibling being harmed, the sibling who is harming, the wider family and adult survivors. This book is essential reading for anyone involved in assessing, supporting, safeguarding or treating individuals or families impacted by sibling sexual abuse and all those working with adult survivors.Trade ReviewResearch on sibling sexual abuse is limited, and its impact can be overlooked or marginalised. In this important new book, Christiane Sanderson-a world-leading expert on counselling with trauma -lifts the lid on sibling sexual abuse, providing an original, practical, and insightful guide to therapeutic understandings and practices in this area. -- Mick Cooper, Professor of Counselling Psychology, University of RoehamptonChristiane Sanderson, writes with clarity about a complex topic, carefully presenting the evidence and writing sensitively, empathically, and practically about what can be done to address sibling sexual abuse. The book is remarkable in its ability to speak to survivors, professionals, and parents alike. -- Simon Hackett, Professor of Child Abuse and Neglect, Durham University
£27.99
Jessica Kingsley Publishers Counselling Skills for Working with Shame
Book SynopsisCounselling Skills for Working with Shame helps professionals to understand and identify shame and to build shame resilience in both the client and themselves.Shame is ubiquitous in counselling where there is an increased vulnerability and risk of exposure to shame. While many clients experience feelings of shame, it is often overlooked in the therapeutic process and as a result can be left untreated. It is particularly pertinent when working with clients who have experienced trauma, domestic or complex abuse, or who struggle with addiction, compulsion and sexual behaviours. Written in an accessible style, this is a hands-on, skills-based guide which helps practitioners to identify what elicits, evokes or triggers shame. It gives a general introduction to the nature of shame in both client and counsellor and how these become entwined in the therapeutic relationship. It focuses on increasing awareness of shame and how to release it in order to build shame resilience. With points for reflection, helpful exercises, top tips, reminders and suggestions for how to work with clients, this is a highly practical guide for counsellors, therapists, mental health practitioners, nurses, social workers, educators, human resources, trainee counsellors and students.Trade ReviewWorking through chronic shame, while intense and uncomfortable, can be incredibly worthwhile for people, and their counsellors. Sanderson has used extensive reading and clinical experience to develop a resource that will help counsellors, and I suspect their clients, to work with shame, rather than avoiding it. This book will also help well-intentioned but unaware counsellors prevent the loss of clients through inadvertently re-shaming them. Sanderson provides a myriad of tips to help us all navigate the mortifying and isolating effects of toxic shame. And in doing so, will help us move towards a more compassionate way of being, both to ourselves, and to others. -- Dr Rebecca Gray, University of New South Wales, AustraliaJung said 'Shame is a soul eating emotion'. Sanderson through this publication deconstructs shame and its crippling implications. She gives purpose to shame itself, providing food for thought and practical hints, tips and exercises to use for those brave enough to look into their own souls and those with whom they share a journey. This book is a must-have for all professionals and anyone who has ever felt shamed. -- Linda Dominguez, Director of One in FourCounselling Skills for Working with Shame provides a comprehensive understanding of shame as encountered in the clinical setting. It is theoretically sound, well researched, up to date, and brimming with creative suggestions for therapeutic intervention. The book also skilfully prompts the reader to engage in self-reflection. The author is to be commended for her endeavours to translate shame theory into sound therapeutic application across a broad sweep of clinical manifestations. This book stands out from most other shame texts in its deeply considered application to the clinical situation, including supervision. It would be a valuable addition to the bookshelf of every counsellor, psychologist and psychotherapist engaged in clinical work. -- Maggie Down, Psychoanalytic PsychotherapistThis book is a significant contribution not only to the literature on shame but how those working with clients and others can harness this powerful emotion to facilitate recovery. Christiane Sanderson's thought provoking book enables practitioners to understand shame and how this can be distinguished from other social emotions. This is not an easy task and Christiane has drawn on her considerable knowledge and skill as an academic and practitioner to provide a book that not only contributes to the debate 'what is shame and how can it be distinguished from other social emotions' but also how to work, across a wide range of clinical spheres, into utilizing such an emotion to the good. We are privileged to have Christiane working in our department. -- Dr Diane Bray, Head of Department, Department of Psychology, University of RoehamptonTable of ContentsIntroduction. 1. The Language of Shame. 2. The Nature of Shame. 3. Sources of Shame. 4. The Impact of Shame. 5. Defences Against Shame . 6. Shame in Sex and Sexuality. 7. Shame, Addictions and Compulsion. 8. Shame, Violence and Abuse. 9. Shame in Therapy. 10. Skills for Working with Shame. 11. Counsellor Shame. 12. Skills for Building Shame Resilience. Appendices. References. Index.
£24.99
HarperCollins Publishers Mummy Told Me Not to Tell The true story of a
Book SynopsisWhen Reece arrives at Cathy''s door aged 7 years old, he has already passed through the hands of four different carers in four weeks. As the details of his short life emerge, it becomes clear that to help him, Cathy will face her biggest challenge yet.The latest title from the author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Damaged.Reece is the last of six siblings to be fostered. Having been in care for four months his aggressive and disruptive behaviour has seen him passed from carer to carer. Although only 7, he has been excluded from school, and bites people so often that his mother calls him ''Sharky''.Cathy wants to find the answers for Reece's distressing behaviour, but he has been sworn to secrecy by his mother, and will not tell them anything. As the social worker prepares for the final hearing, he finds five different files on Reece's family, and is incredulous that he had not been removed from them as a baby. When the darkest of family secrets is revealed to Cathy, ReecTrade ReviewREVIEWS FOR DAMAGED: 'Cannot fail to move those who read it.'Adoption-net ‘Heartbreaking.'Mirror ‘A truly harrowing read that made me cry.’Sun 'A true tale of hope. ****.'OK! ‘Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass’s book should change all that.****’First magazine ‘A hugely touching and emotional true tale.’Star magazine
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Too Hurt to Stay The True Story of a Troubled
Book SynopsisThe fourth title from Sunday Times bestselling author Casey Watson.Eight-year-old Spencer takes himself to social services and demands to be taken into care. It's a desperate act, a cry for help, but his parent's reaction good riddance speaks volumes. Casey's hackles are immediately up for this poor child.Spencer is the middle child of four siblings. His parents claim all their other kids are normal' and that Spencer was born vicious and evil'. Casey and her family are disgusted kids aren't born evil, they get damaged. Although when vigilante neighbours start to take action and their landlord threatens eviction, Casey is stretched to the limits, trying desperately to hold on to this boy who causes so much pain and destruction.Casey is determined to try and understand what Spencer is going through and help him find the loving home he is so desperately searching for. But it's only when Spencer's mother gets in touch with social services for the first time that gradually everything sta
£8.99
