True stories of survival of abuse and injustice Books

Book SynopsisThe small ship making the Liverpool-to-New York trip in the early months of 1856 carried mail, crates of dry goods, and more than one hundred passengers, mostly Irish emigrants. Suddenly an iceberg tore the ship asunder and five lifeboats were lowered. As four lifeboats drifted into the fog and icy water, never to be heard from again, the last boat wrenched away from the sinking ship with a few blankets, some water and biscuits, and thirteen souls. Only one would survive. This is his story.As they started their nine days adrift more than four hundred miles off Newfoundland, the castaways--an Irish couple and their two boys, an English woman and her daughter, newlyweds from Ireland, and several crewmen, including Thomas W. Nye from Bedford, Massachusetts--began fighting over food and water. One by one, though, day by day, they died. Some from exposure, others from madness and panic. In the end, only Nye and his journal survived.Using Nye''s journal and his later newsp

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Book SynopsisTwenty women share their incredible stories of surviving and thriving in the remote Australian ''Gulf Country'', near the Gulf of Carpentaria.Gulf women are self-sufficient, generous, and can cope with almost anything that life and the environment throws at them: floods, drought, sickness, emergencies. Whether they are graziers, fisherwomen, ringers, women in tourism, aviation and education, Indigenous women or descendants from early women settlers, this powerful book gives these women a voice to tell their own stories.There are stories of new mothers on properties isolated and inaccessible for months in the wet season; women giving birth at home with only neighbours to assist; reminiscences from last century and World War II, and accounts of fishing in the Gulf in sometimes unimaginable conditions.From the kids wanting a baby croc for a pet to the terror of a snake bite with a flooded airstrip and impassable roads, these women treat the extraor

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Book SynopsisWhen Samuel Johnson unicycled around Australia, he met some awesome people. And before we had to lock down, he and his other sister, Hilde, were travelling the country talking at schools, community groups and at the side of busy streets to spread their message about how to kick cancer in the face hole. But in the process they connected and listened as people shared their own stories - not just about how cancer impacted them, but about love, fighting fires, making families out of choice not blood, knitting, being there and being surprised by life and finding solace from strangers. They decided those stories should be shared and the idea for Heroes Next Door was born. The result is a moving, funny, irreverent, inspiring and big-hearted book that shows us all that resilience and kindness are what make the difference, and that you don''t have to travel far to find good people ... often they are right next door.

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Book SynopsisA collection of tragic and forgotten historic disasters around Britain, from the 1800s to the twenty-first century

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Book SynopsisBrought up in a violent Muslim household, where family honour is all, Saira is watched 24 hours a day. However, an innocent friendship with a boy is uncovered and Saira is sent to Pakistan, punished for dishonouring her family. There, the nightmare really begins. Forced to marry an older stranger who rapes her repeatedly and makes her his round-the-clock sex slave, she eventually plots her escape but, destitute, has to return to the family home in England. Once there, she discovers that one of her brothers has run up huge drug debts and Saira must earn money in the only way she can: by selling her body. Disgraced is the true story of an innocence ruined and a life shattered. But it is also a tale of survival told by a woman who has finally discovered her true voice.

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Book SynopsisThe Royal Navy''s dramatic race to save the crew of a trapped Russian submarine.5 August 2005. On a secret mission to an underwater military installation 30 miles off the coast of Kamchatka, Russian Navy submersible AS-28 ran into a web of cables and stuck fast. With 600 feet of freezing water above them, there was no escape for the seven crew. Trapped in a titanium tomb, all they could do was wait as their air supply slowly dwindled.For more than 24 hours the Russian Navy tried to reach them. Finally - still haunted by the loss of the nuclear submarine Kursk five years before - they requested international assistance. On the other side of the world Commander Ian Riches, leader of the Royal Navy''s Submarine Rescue Service, got the call: there was a sub down.With the expertise and specialist equipment available to him Riches knew his team had a chance to save the men, but Kamchatka was at the very limit of their range and time was running out. A

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Book SynopsisA moving, heart-warming and redemptive true story that celebrates the healing power of love between humans and animals.Trade ReviewA roller-coaster of emotions, this book is a real page turner. A must-read for any animal lover. * Dogs Monthly *

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING JULIETTE BINOCHE AND ANTONIO BANDERASTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALIST''Riveting ...The best book I''ve read all year.'' Ann Patchett''An astonishing tale of survival'' Spectator THE STORY THAT GRIPPED THE GLOBEAugust 2010: the San Jose mine in Chile collapses trapping 33 men half a mile underground for 69 days. Faced with the possibility of starvation and even death, the miners make a pact: if they survive, they will only share their story collectively, as ''the 33''.1 billion people watch the international rescue mission. Somehow, all 33 men make it out alive, in one of the most daring and dramatic rescue efforts even seen.Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Héctor Tobar is the man they choose to tell their story.'' An eloquent testamenTrade Review. . . an eloquent testament to the human spirit. * The Times *Riveting . . . The best book I've read all year. * Ann Patchett *Riveting... Tobar vividly narrates the miners' lives post-rescue as they come to terms with their life-changing experience and the media frenzy surrounding it. Rich in local color, this is a sensitive, suspenseful rendering of a legendary story. * Publishers Weekly, Most Anticipated Books of 2014 *..fascinating... (The ) narrative cracks along at a suitably breathless pace * Irish Mail *Héctor Tobar takes us so far down into the story and lives of the Chilean miners that his reconstruction of a workplace disaster becomes a riveting meditation on universal human themes.Deep Down Dark is an extraordinary piece of work. * George Packer *In this masterful dissection of the 2010's dramatic sixty-nine day ordeal by thirty-three trapped Chilean miners, Héctor Tobar weaves a suspenseful narrative that moves back and forth between the waking nightmares of the buried men, and those of their families on the earth's surface. In Deep Down Dark, Héctor Tobar takes us deftly to the very cliff-edge of human survival. * Jon Lee Anderson *It's almost hard to believe that Héctor Tobar wasn't himself one of the trapped Chilean miners, so vivid, immediate, terrifying, emotional, and convincing is his Homeric narration of this extraordinary incident. Deep Down Dark is a literary masterpiece of narrative journalism, surgical in its reconstruction, novelistic in its explorations of human personality and nuance. In a manner that feels spiritual, Tobar puts himself at the service of his story, and his fidelity to and unquenchable curiosity about every fact and detail generates unforgettable wonderment and awe. * Francisco Goldman *A gripping narrative, taut to the point of explosion . . . An electrifying, empathetic work of journalism that makes a four-year-old story feel fresh. * Kirkus *

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Book Synopsis''A kind, tough, brave, important little story ... it will be a godsend to so many people, grown, growing and very young'' - Joanna Lumley OBEI want to talk about the things that are happening to you... to us.As a little girl, Libby Moore was sexually abused by someone she should have been able to trust. Sadly, her experience is not uncommon. Many vulnerable children find themselves trapped in similarly devastating situations.Abuse leaves indelible marks; Libby lives with severe low self-esteem that has affected her relationships, career and choices into adulthood. She wishes that she could have supported and comforted her younger self, and explained that even when darkness seems all around light still exists. After... is Libby''s way of reaching out and reconnecting with her younger self - and to all other survivors of child abuse.Essential and heart-breaking, with powerful and expressive illustrations by acclaimed cartoonTrade Review'A kind, tough, brave, important little story, so beautifully illustrated by Tony Husband and so powerfully told by Libby Moore. It will be a godsend to so many people, grown, growing and very young. It will help people to understand the trauma and shame that settles on the abused, and it offers guidance and comfort' - Joanna Lumley OBE'Every survivor of childhood sexual abuse has his or her own journey to make in their recovery. I am sure that this great little book will help some begin that journey; for others it will become a thought-provoking companion for the steps along their way' - Donald Findlater, Director, Stop It Now! UK & Ireland'Libby's journey with her 'little me' is a touching and important illustration of how you can break the shackles of the past and move on with your life. Libby realises that she doesn't have to let the past dictate her future and with the help of her inner child she sets a new and positive course. Every survivor of childhood abuse should read this book. Its power is in its simplicity' - National Association for People Abused in Childhood'After... puts across the feelings of self-hatred and the negative thinking which can stay with someone when they've experienced traumatic events in their childhood. However, I love the fact that it has a positive message about moving forward and tackling those negative thoughts and feelings. Recovery is hard, and can take a long time, but the process is a vital one if people are to reclaim their lives after trauma. The book also touches a little on the feelings of guilt which are common and some of the hidden and uncomfortable feelings which abuse victims confront as part of their recovery. I think that someone who has suffered abuse would certainly identify with the character(s) in the book and feel understood' - Linda Wilson, General Manager/CEO, Moodswings, Manchester'Poignant, powerful and beautifully told with thoughtful and sensitive illustrations. I had goosebumps reading it' - Dr Fiona Wardell, Standards Lead, Healthcare Improvement Scotland'For many children who are currently or previously part of the care system, anything that supports them to move forward with their life and begin to recover from experiences in their early years is a significant and positive help. Congratulations to Libby for creating this powerful, brave story and to Tony for his sensitive illustrations. The combination is a very moving and impactful book which will undoubtedly be a huge help to many' - Anonymous adoptive parent

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