True stories of survival of abuse and injustice Books

Book SynopsisThree-year-old Lexie, five-year-old Amelie and thirteen-year-old Leo come to Maggie after Leo confesses to a teacher that his mother''s addiction problems and her latest violent relationship has left him as the sole carer to his younger sisters. Maggie welcomes the three children into her home, and is touched by the gentle care Leo shows to the two little girls. It is clear that Lexie and Amelie adore their big brother, and rely on him for comfort and reassurance. But Leo has experienced the neglect and abuse of his mother and her partner for far longer than his sisters, and is struggling with an eating disorder and showing signs of OCD.When Social Services begin to look at adoptive families for the children, Maggie is horrified when they suggest that the two angelic little girls will have a much better chance of being adopted without their damaged older brother. Knowing the impact that losing his sisters forever will have on vulnerable Leo, they face the ultimate di

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Book SynopsisA heartbreaking and moving true story of two sisters separated at birth, and their journey towards finding each other, celebrating the true meaning of family.Helen Edwards grew up in a pit village in Tyneside in the post-war years, with her gran, aunties and uncles living nearby. She felt safe with them, but they could not protect her from her neglectful mother and violent father. Behind closed doors, she suffered years of abuse. Sometimes she talked to an imaginary sister, the only one who understood her pain. Jenny was adopted at six weeks and grew up in Newcastle. An only child, she knew she was loved, and with the support of her parents she went on to become a golfing champion, but still she felt that something was missing. . . Neither woman knew of the other's existence until, in her fifties, Jenny went looking for her birth family and found her sister Helen. Together they searched for the truth about Jenny's birth - and uncovered a legacy

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Book SynopsisFew know that the president’s desk in the Oval Office plays a part in one of the world’s most extraordinary sagas; in Resolute, noted historian Martin Sandler brings the story to light.   After Sir John Franklin and his ships disappeared in the Arctic while seeking the Northwest Passage, 39 rescue missions were launched, including one by the Resolute, the Royal Navy’s finest vessel. In 1854, it became locked in the ice and was abandoned. A year later, a Connecticut whaling ship discovered it drifting 1,200 miles away, a 600-ton ghost ship. The whalers boarded the Resolute and steered it through a ferocious hurricane back to Connecticut. The US government re-outfitted the ship and returned it to Queen Victoria, who, in 1879, had its best timbers made into a desk for President Rutherford B. Hayes—a desk still in use today. Rare photographs, paintings, engravings, and maps illustrate the book throughout. This edition is updated with a new chapter on the discovery of Franklin’s ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror, in 2014 and 2016 in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.  This legendary maritime epic is perfect for fans of David Grann’s The Wager and Hampton Sides’s The Wide Wide Sea.

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Book SynopsisLiving alone in the forest of Jämtland, northern Sweden, Markus Torgeby found silence, stillness and the sense of self he'd been searching for. This beautifully illustrated book is the story of his time living wild in the woods, how he discovered an inner peace and the healing power of nature.

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Book Synopsis''Raw, unflinching, incredibly brave'' - BBC Woman''s Hour''Visceral and gripping'' Amy Liptrot, author of The OutrunComing Clean is a searingly honest memoir of loving an alcoholic both through the heaviest drinking years and into recovery. When Liz Fraser''s partner fell into a catastrophic vortex of depression and alcoholism, Liz found herself in a relentless hailstorm of lies, loneliness and fear, looking after their young child on her own, heartbroken, mentally shattered and with no idea what was happening or what to do.As she and her family moved between Cambridge, Venice and Oxford, she kept the often shocking truth entirely to herself for a long time, trying in vain to help her partner find a path to sobriety, until she herself finally broke from the trauma and started to speak out only to find she was one of hundreds experiencing similar things, also living in silence and fear. Part diary, part travel journal and part love letter, Coming CleTrade ReviewVisceral and gripping. -- Amy Liptrot * author of The Outrun *Raw, unflinching, incredibly brave -- Anita Rani * BBC Woman's Hour *An extraordinary book – deeply painful and loving. -- Adam Kay[Coming Clean] sheds light on the reverberating effects of addiction and sobriety in this glowing memoir that unravels her experience falling in – and at times, out of – love with an alcoholic ... Fraser illuminates the complexities of loving an addict and why she 'didn’t run a mile' when his illness became apparent ... In the end, her wry prose, sharp self-reflection, and affinity for the uncertain reshapes her fraught experience into a nuanced story of resilience. This will be a beacon of hope for those whose lives have been touched by addiction. * Publishers Weekly *A remarkably frank, emotionally charged foray into one woman’s battle to come to terms with her partner’s alcoholism; a desperate fight to protect herself and her child, and to create a world where they could be enough for one another. -- Charlotte PhilbyA blistering account of damaged love, that will console anyone who lives with an addict. It's heartbreaking, eloquent and blackly funny. A book in search of the limits of compassion, finding none. An extraordinary achievement. -- Rhik Samadder * author of I Never Said I Loved You *Liz Fraser’s memoir will break your heart into a million pieces and then gently squeeze it back together. Heart-rending and sad. A wonderful book. -- Charlie CondouTable of ContentsPrologue Introduction Part One: Cambridge Part Two: Venice Part Three: Madness Part Four: Scandinavia Part Five: Shutting the Door Part Six: The Eternal Chaos of the Broken Mind Part Seven: Rock Bottom Part Eight: Sobriety Part Nine: Lockdown and Breakdown Part Ten: Recovery Epilogue Resources

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the 2020 William Hill Sports Book of the Year''A gripping history'' THE ECONOMIST ''The World Beneath Their Feet contains plenty of rollicking stories'' THE TIMES''Gripping'' THE SUNDAY TIMES''So far as adventure stories go, this book is tops.'' Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump''[Ellsworth] recasts the era as a great Himalayan race...[and] it works brilliantly...his account of the 1953 ascent of Everest...feels unusually fresh'' THE SUNDAY TIMES ''Like if Jon Krakauer''s Into Thin Air met Lauren Hillenbrand''s Unbroken ... an inviting and engrossing read'' SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDOne of the most compelling international dramas of the 20th century and an unforgettable saga of survival, technological innovation, and breathtaking human physical achievement-all seTrade Review[Ellsworth] recasts the era as a great Himalayan race ... [and] it works brilliantly ... his account of the 1953 ascent of Everest ... feels unusually fresh * Sunday Times *Like if Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air met Lauren Hillenbrand's Unbroken, it's an inviting and engrossing read * Sports Illustrated *The dramatic saga of the race between nations to climb the planet's highest mountains...In vivid, novelistic prose, the author describes the significant expeditions and delivers engaging portraits of climbers from many different countries and their invaluable Sherpas * Kirkus *Gripping * Sunday Times *An exceptional account of trailblazing mountaineers who persevered during a turbulent time in history * Booklist *Plenty of rollicking stories * The Times *

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Book SynopsisDo bear attacks touch people in the far-back recesses of their psyches? Reach latent ancestral memories of cave days when humans were potential prey? Indeed, there are those who say their nightmares involved bears before they ever saw one, either in the flesh or in the movies. Unfortunately, these nightmares all too often come true. People perform almost superhuman feats in their fight to survive bear attacks. In bear attacks, the human survival instinct is extraordinary, says a doctor who sees the terrible punishment victims of bear attacks live through. And equally amazing are the heroics and seemingly superhuman efforts of those around the victims. Bear Attacks of the Century gathers stories of courage,chronicling the most horrific encounters between bears and people. With expert advice on avoiding attacks and information that may help both species leave an encounter unscathed, this book is required reading for hikers, hunters, campers, or anyone visiting bear country, and

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Book Synopsis'Compelling' The Daily Mail'So many gripping moments... a real cracker' The Evening StandardThe jaw-dropping and inspiring story of accidental queer icon Norman Scott (the hero of TV drama A Very English Scandal) and the part he played in one of the greatest political scandals of the 20th century.In October 1975 an assassin tried to murder Norman Scott on Exmoor but the trigger failed and he only succeeded in shooting Scott's beloved dog, Rinka. Scott subsequently found himself at the centre of a major political scandal and became an unlikely queer icon. But this was never his intention... He was born in 1940 into a poor, dysfunctional and abusive family. Aged sixteen he began an equestrian career, animals having been the one source of comfort in his childhood. By the age of twenty he had run into debts and had suffered a nervous breakdown. In 1960 Scott began a sexual affair with Jeremy Thorpe. By the time of the attempted assassination of Scott, Thorpe was married, leader of the Liberal Party and a figure at the heart of the establishment. He was embarrassed by their former relationship and wanted to cover it up. But he failed. The assassination attempt culminated in a sensational trial in 1979, where Thorpe was tried for conspiracy to murder. The press labelled Scott a madman and the establishment protected Thorpe, who was acquitted. Only recently has Scott's version of events been vindicated. An Accidental Icon tells a story that is inspiring and jaw droppingly unbelievable: it is the tale of the courage and survival of one man who took on the establishmentTrade ReviewCompelling * The Daily Mail *So many gripping moments... a real cracker * Evening Standard *Gripping... a romp * The Times *Sincere, convincing, appealing... a brisk reminder of the callousness of English people in the late 20th Century * Literary Review *He is to be applauded...for having the last word. He deserves a medal for his resilience -- Roger Lewis * The Spectator *Charming... he certainly is a survivor -- Lynn Barber * The Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis'Trust me, this is a great true story' - Ken Follett 'This is an unbelievable story that is all completely true. The life described is astonishing. John Carr has done an extraordinary and riveting job uncovering the real father behind the dad he thought he knew.' - Lord Tony Hall 'Utterly compelling. It is an extraordinary tale, brilliantly written' - Alastair Stewart 'Extraordinary. An adventure story in the most terrible circumstances, a kid facing the most desperate dangers but taking fantastic risks with great boldness' - Fiona MacTaggart 'The remarkable story of a Jewish boy who killed a Nazi guard and escaped the Holocaust aged 13' - The Times ~~~~~In early 1940 Chaim Herzsman was locked in to the Lódz Ghetto in Poland. Hungry, fearless and determined, he goes on scavenging missions outside the wire limits, until he is forced to kill a Nazi guard. That moment changes the course of his life, and sets him on an unbelievable adventure across enemy lines.Escape from the Ghetto is about a normal boy who faced extermination by the Nazis in the ghetto or a Nazi deathcamp, and the extraordinary life he led in avoiding that fate. It's a bittersweet story about epic hope, beauty amidst horror, and the triumph of the human spirit. John Carr is Henry Carr's eldest son, and in Escape From the Ghetto he has recreated his father's incredible adventure, through recordings and transcribed conversations in later life. For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Saboteur of Auschwitz and The Volunteer, this is the incredible true story of escape from the Nazis during World War II.Trade ReviewTrust me, this is a great true story * Ken Follett *This is an unbelievable story that is all completely true. The life described is astonishing. John Carr has done an extraordinary and riveting job uncovering the real father behind the dad he thought he knew * Lord Tony Hall *Utterly Compelling. It is an extraordinary tale, brilliantly written * Alastair Stewart *Extraordinary. An adventure story in the most terrible circumstances, a kid facing the most desperate dangers but taking fantastic risks with great boldness * Fiona MacTaggart *The remarkable story of a Jewish boy who killed a Nazi guard and escaped the Holocaust aged 13 * The Times *Unputdownable. A gripping, life affirming story of survival against seemingly impossible odds -- Deborah Cadbury, author of Princes at WarThis is a book you cannot put down. A quite extraordinary story of courage and cunning, dissembling and dishonesty, help from unlikely quarters and hindrance from cousins, and a fierce desire for survival, at whatever cost. John Carr's telling of his father's story is done sensitively and with pride, and leads to a form of familial reconciliation that is beyond moving. Passionate and spellbinding, and an absolute must read.An eloquent tribute to courage and resourcefulness, Escape from the Ghetto, is a gripping page turner. * Esther Safran Foer *John Carr deserves our gratitude for rescuing this World War Two story, among the most dramatic and vivid I've read. He has created it from conversations with his father, and the voice sounds truly authentic; it really does take us back to that period, when so many ordinary people lived extraordinary lives. It is a great adventure story, but it also prompts deeper questions about identity and truth. * Edward Stourton, author of Cruel Crossing *Deserves to be ranked among the great survival stories of the Second World War. * The Jewish Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisArnold Dix became an unlikely hero when he promised to save forty-one men trapped after a tunnel collapse in the Himalayas. This is his unforgettable story. In rural Victoria, Arnold Dix is known to locals as a farmer and a part-time truck driver. But his name reached global recognition when he played a pivotal role in rescuing forty-one Indian workers trapped after a deadly tunnel collapse. What many don’t know is that Arnold is also a barrister, scientist, engineer – a ‘quirky’ Aussie bloke who proves that extraordinary courage can come from the most unexpected places. In vivid detail, Arnold recounts the unlikely rescue that transformed him into a global hero. He reflects on the extraordinary challenges he faced, culminating in his unwavering promise: `Forty-one men are coming home alive.’ But his incredible story goes far beyond this one remarkable event. Arnold’s compassion also led him to assist thousands of migrant workers in Qatar, and his journey took him from surviving politically motivated assassination attempts in Albania to working in the tunnels of Ground Zero after 9/11. His story is one of steadfast courage, filled with themes of adventure, sacrifice and selflessness. It’s a tale that explores what it truly means to defy the odds and challenge the status quo in pursuit of the impossible.  

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Book Synopsis‘What I wanted was for Malachy Finegan to be exposed. I felt that the wee boy I had been might be stepping from the darkness, and I needed him to be heard and to be believed.’ When he was twelve and in first year at St Colman’s College in Newry, Gerard Gorman was abused by paedophile priest Father Malachy Finegan. Gerard was so traumatised that for many years he was unable to talk about what had happened to him. So Young is Gerard’s powerful and courageous account of how he finally found a voice to tell his story. In this memoir – with the help of his brother, the poet Damian Gorman - he talks openly about the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life and on the lives of those around him. He describes too his role in exposing Finegan and his long and painful battle with the Catholic Church – in and out of the civil courts – to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan’s abuse. Brave, moving and open-hearted, So Young is a powerful account of surviving abuse and a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims.Trade Review‘an ordinary life was stolen from a young boy but he is still here, strong and unafraid to tell his story’ -- George Larmour * Amazon *‘Gerard…had begun to find his voice, with all the stress, pain, emotional vulnerability that process brought with it’ -- Eamon Baker * Derry Now *‘Courageous, unflinching, dignified - words cannot do Gorman justice’ -- NJ McGarrigle * Irish Times *So Young is Gerard's powerful and courageous account of how he finally found a voice to tell his story. In this memoir - with the help of his brother, the poet Damian Gorman - he talks openly about the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life and on the lives of those around him. He describes too his role in exposing Finegan and his long and painful battle with the Catholic Church - in and out of the civil courts - to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan's abuse. Brave, moving and open-hearted, so Young is a powerful account of surviving abuse and a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims. I cannot remember ever if, after reading a book, I cried. But, after reading So Young, I shed a few tears. It is so moving to read Gerard Gorman's story of how, at twelve-years-old, he was raped and sexually abused repeatedly by a Catholic priest, Father Malachy Finegan. His story of carrying around his "secret" for decades, not telling a soul, even his loving, caring mother, is heartbreaking. Gerard relates his rollercoaster life story with unharnessed candour - from the terrible, wicked abuse he suffered, to the challenges of his family life including living with an erratic-tempered father, to his experiences in The Troubles, to married life, his relationships with his wife and children, and all the time carrying the heavy burden of what happened to him back in St Colman's College with that despicable priest who, it must be emphasised, was protected by Catholic authorities until his death. But, once Gerard started receiving treatment for mental health issues, he gradually found a way to open up and eventually he told his doctor about Finegan and what he had done. Having finally found a way to utter the words he had suppressed for forty years and more, a door opened that eventually led him out onto a long journey through the courts to fight for justice. It may sound bizarre, but this is a beautiful book borne out of terrible circumstances, events that Gerard will never forget, but at least he received a kind of justice and added his voice to those other victims crying out to be believed against the might of a powerful religious institution. And what made me shed a few tears? Apart from being angry, upset and sad at various times, the chapter containing the emotional "impact statements" of Gerard's wife and children, and Gerard's closing words as he thanked those who helped and supported him through the dark years: "And finally I want to thank a twelve-year-old boy. A small boy I initially hated but grew to love." Gerard Gorman and his brother Damian have done a remarkable job with this book. Highly recommended. -- Joe Cushnan * Dropped the Moon blog *

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Not the Booker Prize 2019Longlisted for The Desmond Elliott Prize 2019Observer: Fiction to look out for in 2019The i Paper’s 30 of the best new debut novels to read in 2019Scottish Review of Books: 2019 in ProspectAs featured on BBC Woman’s Hour, Sky Sunrise and London Live‘Filled with cerebral intensity and scintillating dialogue’ —The Desmond Elliott PrizeExploring themes of ownership and abandonment, Eleanor Anstruther’s bestselling debut is a fictionalised account of the true story of Enid Campbell (1892–1964), granddaughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll. Interweaving one significant day in 1964 with a decade during the interwar period, A Perfect Explanation gets to the heart of what it is to be bound by gender, heritage and tradition, to fight, to lose, to fight again. In a world of privilege, truth remains the same; there are no heroes and villains, only people misunderstood. Here, in the pages of this extraordinary book where the unspoken is conveyed with vivid simplicity, lies a story that will leave you reeling.Trade ReviewEleanor Anstruther’s superb debut, A Perfect Explanation (Salt, March), the fictionalised story of the granddaughter of the eighth Duke of Argyll, who sold her son to her sister for £500. -- Alex Preston * The Observer *I have read many stories of minor historical figures and the troubles they encounter despite their privileged existences. This tale offers much more depth and nuance than is typical. The writing pulls the reader under the skin of each character from where they may view the pain of selfish frustrations. There are truly shocking moments yet they are never sensationalised. Rather there is a balance in the telling that allows the reader to form their own opinions. The complexities of family relationships and the pressures these create offer much to consider. A riveting tale of grown children damaged by the relentless actions of their entitled parents. Well paced and skilfully written, this is a haunting, recommended read. -- Jackie Law * neverimitate *A Perfect Explanation is an extremely engaging story of the bizarre culture of the aristocracy, where love is secondary to money, and the cycle of maternal deprivation across generations is difficult to escape. * Annecdotal *The book is both a revelation but also deeply poignant as mental illness estranges Enid and her options narrow … Using letters and archival evidence, and acknowledging her debt to her father 'for giving me this story in the first place', Eleanor Anstruther has explored her subject with objectivity laced with compassion. It's hard not to feel desperate sorrow for Enid, and for a family floundering in the face of something they couldn't bring themselves to accept nor understand. -- Lynne Hatwell * dovegreyreader *Eleanor has cherished her role as the family’s retrospective therapist. In her head she listened to the voices of all her relatives; she tried to understand the culture that surrounded them, and she feels she’s finally put their pain and agonies to rest. -- Joanna Moorhead * You Magazine *Gripping, insightful and written with a breathtaking elegance and eloquence that makes this first novel doubly impressive, Anstruther’s beautifully crafted story sets out to examine and understand how the intolerable weight of expectation and responsibility can damage and destroy lives. -- Pam Norfolk * Lancashire post *Based on the true story of Enid Campbell, a duke’s granddaughter whose battles with mental illness cost her custody of her children, Anstruther’s debut novel follows a desperate Enid as she offers to give her son to her sister for £500. With a narrative that moves fluidly between time periods, this is a historical read that really resonates. * Woman Magazine *Eleanor Anstruther has written an astounding debut novel that bravely and completely brings to life a difficult family history. It also deftly holds up a mirror to our own world and asks us who are we to judge, when behind closed doors our family may not be as perfect as we like to show to the outside world either. I loved it. * Years of Reading Selfishly *You can’t fail but be touched by A Perfect Explanation and the tragedy of a family torn apart by abandonment, lack of communication and understanding, anger and jealousy. There are no winners in this story, which is the saddest part of it. * Over 40 and a Mum to One *This is just superb. Elegant, intense, completely bewitching. -- Xan BrooksI was gripped by A Perfect Explanation, and found it to be a compelling and fascinating debut which explores the extraordinary story behind Enid Campbell, and how a woman coming from a seemingly privileged world is impacted so heavily by the pressures and traditions that surround her. * The Owl on the Bookshelf *This is a story of family ties and allegiances, deeply buried secrets, status and wealth. It also looks unflinchingly at the struggles of motherhood and mental health. If you’re a fan of family drama’s spanning over a number of years then I would recommend this book, the fact that it’s based on real life events gives it that extra fascinating gravitas. * Bookish Chat *This is an outstanding family history put together in a way that tells of paths that were demanded to be followed through tradition, heart breaking that children could be used as a means to an end or sadly hidden away. In the epilogue the author describes how the writing of this book came about, Finetta the only one, besides her father that she ever knew. The feelings have been put together as how she believes they would have occurred and this worked perfectly for me. This has to be one of my favourite reads of this year. Just outstanding! -- Susan Hampson * Books from Dusk Till Dawn *This is as much a story of emotional deprivation as of entitlement or riches, and one which underlines that no group has a monopoly on humanity, fragility or fallibility – these are universal and so is this devastating and exquisitely written novel; we are all just people, in the end. -- Isabel Costello * The Literary Sofa *Throughout the book Anstruther perfectly combines human drama and emotion with evocative settings and haunting description. Each individual comes alike thanks to the writer’s skilful descriptions and human-focused narrative, which hones in on each member of the family and brings them to vivid life. * Dorset Book Detective *This is a fascinating and heartbreaking read. I often find that the books I enjoy the most, are ones with flawed characters who frustrate the life out of me. A Perfect Explanation did that – I really wanted to reach into the story and bang some heads together; and when I didn’t feel like doing that, I wanted to mother the children who were denied the love and care they needed … It’s a fabulous book which deserves a very wide audience. * Emma’s Book Blog *Writing this, I find myself less concerned with the story – although it’s undeniably riveting – & more enamoured of the storytelling. With the way the author lays her words on the page. This book unfolds in layers of exquisitely fierce prose. The dialogue scalds – characters show scant compassion for Enid & her situation. They are often horribly, crushingly cruel. She was clearly a deeply flawed woman but obviously ill & a victim of the mores of the time. -- Carol Lovekin★★★★★ It’s a quirk of fiction that the most extraordinary stories are those that have their origins in real human affairs and this is a prefect example of truth proving stranger than fiction. In lesser hands this story could come across as a curio or an idiosyncratic tale but Anstruther has taken something that might appear marginal and imbued it with psychological depth and great emotional understanding. A Perfect Explanation will brings it home to everyone just how connected we all are, how common our unhappinesses and joys can be. -- Paul Burke * NB Magazine *★★★★★ A moving exploration of a life plagued by mental illness, A Perfect Explanation is a tale of historical fiction told through modern eyes – sympathetic, studied, and beautifully written. -- Luke Marlowe * The Bookbag *A Perfect Explanation, is a fictionalised account of how her father, Ian, came to be sold to her great aunt Joan for £500. It’s a sombre, anguished tale of tradition, motherhood and inheritance within an appallingly dysfunctional clan where “heritage dictates and heritage always wins”. -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * Observer *Eleanor Anstruther never met this troubled woman, but she recreates her with empathy and compassion in this novel, which has been longlisted for the Desmond Elliott prize for debut fiction. Anstruther’s writing is elegant and intelligent, and the closest possible thing to a perfect explanation. -- Kate Saunders * The Times *Almost all the protagonists were dead by the time Miss Anstruther was born, but, armed with the facts revealed to her by her father before he died, as well as family archives, she has used her imagination to bring her family vividly back to life through a novel that is both beautifully written and transfixing. -- Richenda Miers * Country Life *

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Book SynopsisOn Thursday 9th October 1986, Michelle Hadaway's worst fears came true. After watching her daughter Karen playing in the neighbour's garden with her best friend Nicola, Michelle returned to cook dinner for her family. Unbeknownst to her, this would be the last time she would ever see Karen alive.In the following days and months, shocking details would come to light about the nature of Karen and Nicola's murders, and the case which had come to be known as 'the Babes in the Wood murders' would lead to one of the most infamous and cruellest miscarriages of justice in British history.For decades, Michelle fought tirelessly to bring justice to her daughter's murder, shining light on countless police failings and media manipulations in the process. Finally, in 2018 after 32 years of suffering, Russell Bishop, the man Michelle had long known to be guilty, was sentenced in court.This is the story of two stolen lives, of the long road to justice, but most of all the story of a mother's love and determination.

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Book SynopsisPraise for Luke and Ryan Hart's memoir:'A powerful, searing account from incredible brothers and an important contribution to our understanding of domestic abuse' Victoria Derbyshire'... a courageous account of domestic abuse and the devasting impact it has on families' Jeremy Corbyn MP'Relevant and inspiring' Chris Green, White Ribbon UKOn 19 July 2016, Claire and Charlotte Hart were murdered, in broad daylight, by the family's father. He shot his wife and daughter with a sawn-off shotgun before committing suicide.REMEMBERED FOREVER is the shocking story of what led to this terrible crime. Luke and Ryan Hart, the family's two surviving sons, lived under the terror of coercive control. Their father believed that his family members were simply possessions, never referring to them by their names ... just as Woman, Boy, Girl. Written by the boys, but laced with the voices of Claire and Charlotte, this gripping and moving account brings deeper understanding to the shocking crime of domestic abuse and homicide.Luke and Ryan Hart have become spokespeople for the victims who are so often silenced but must never be forgotten.Trade ReviewIn the words of the great Angela Davis, "I'm no longer accepting the things I cannot change, I'm changing the things I cannot accept", and it is with this boldness that Luke and Ryan have used their own experience of domestic abuse to help others. - Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of Labour PartyA powerful, searing account from incredible brothers and an important contribution to our understanding of domestic abuse. - BBCA determination to create light from darkness. - Suzanne Jacob OBE, Chief Executive SafeLivesI have been working at Refuge for 35 years, yet I am humbled by the sheer courage and sense of righteousness Luke and Ryan have shown since their mother and sister were brutally killed at the hands of their father. - Sandra Horley CBE, Chief Executive RefugeWhat Luke and Ryan have achieved by writing their memoir is to give their mother and sister a voice. Luke and Ryan Hart become the lighthouse in this book, courageously sending out their warning signal about the danger of coercive control and why it must always be taken seriously. - Katie Ghose, Chief Executive Women's AidI knew that their story was one which millions should hear. It is the most relevant and inspiring account that I have heard in the 15 years I have been active in challenging men's abuse and violence towards women and girls. - Chris Green OBE, Founder White Ribbon UK

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Book Synopsis'My heart felt heavy with sadness for these two little girls.'Foster carer Maggie Hartley is used to all manner of children arriving on her doorstep, but nothing can prepare her for sisters Billy and Bo when they arrive at her home. It is clear from the moment she sets eyes on them four-year-old Bo and seven-year-old Billy have clearly been subjected to unimaginable neglect, and it takes all of Maggie's skills as a foster carer to try to connect with the volatile little girls, who seem far younger than their years. Over time, the little girls slowly emerge from their shells, and Maggie begins the difficult task of trying to gain their trust. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that there is something much darker going on, something that will call into question everything Maggie has ever learned in all her years as a foster carer...A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.'A story that breaks your heart' 5* Amazon reader review

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Book SynopsisA treasure trove of the most exciting tales of adventure afloat: from mountainous seas to a tropical paradise; from the majestic square rigger to the humble homemade yacht. The exploits of sailing's greatest names are recounted, along with an eclectic mix of voyages that never made the headlines yet make compelling reading. Now back in hardback.

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Book SynopsisA compelling true story of one woman’s battle with the aftermath of childhood trauma, which gives a gripping account of the often controversial and misunderstood condition of dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder (MPD). This emotional but ultimately uplifting journey details the unforeseen twists and turns of the effects of therapy and how it can help in coming to terms with the past and its unsettling echoes in the present. Heartwarming and lucid, it’s an inspiring tale for all to read. Through its clinical rigour, professional therapists will also gain insight into the various treatment options for DID, including the innovative use of energy therapy. The book contains 32 colour illustrations, including 24 drawings by The Girls. The star of this book is an extraordinary, bright-spirited, and entertaining six-year-old girl, called Little Vivvi, who experienced shocking abuse from members of her family. Yet Little Vivvi lives within Vivian, a middle-aged woman who has struggled with DID for many years. The challenging process of psychotherapy is laid bare, as Little Vivvi wrestles with overwhelming memories of childhood abuse. Alongside talking therapy, energy treatment, which she calls Wooshing, is utilised to astonishing effect, becoming the enigmatic ingredient that finally enables Little Vivvi to find relief from the distress and fear that had dominated her existence. As therapy seems to draw to a close, Izzy appears. A very sensitive, thoughtful and mature eight-year-old, Izzy too needs love, support and treatment to speak about her trauma. After overcoming her understandable distrust, Izzy enables an exceptional ending to the therapeutic journey, far beyond anything Vivian and her therapist, Gill, could have dreamed. Little Vivvi and Izzy will make you want to laugh out loud as well as cry. Their story teaches so much about suffering, dissociation and survival. Their aim is to enlighten, inspire and offer hope to others through reading their incredible tales, which reveal the astonishing power of The Girls within.Trade ReviewWritten by counsellor, psychotherapist and clinical tutor Gill Frost, The Girls Within relates the moving case study of Vivian, a woman struggling with the impact of extreme childhood trauma. The tough subject is handled with extraordinary compassion, and written in a compellingly clear, warm style that will engage laypeople and psychotherapy professionals alike. While Vivian’s childhood experiences and resulting adulthood disorders are affectingly harrowing, the restorative twelve-year relationship between patient and therapist brings waves of joy. ‘After a horrific childhood, Vivian went on to a nursing career with no signs of trauma until she and her husband began couple therapy. It was then Vivian first spoke of the emotional, physical and sexual abuse she suffered as a child, and began to experience flashbacks, seizures and dissociative identity disorder (DID). As the author explains, “Dissociating is something we all do at times when we are feeling uncomfortable or in pain, either physically or emotionally… in order to relieve the discomfort we would otherwise experience”, but in extreme cases like Vivian’s, “dissociation can evolve into dissociative identity disorder (DID).” ‘This tells the story of two girls living within Vivian: six-year-old Little Vivvi (whose drawings are featured in the book) and teenage Izzy, and of the innovative therapies that spoke to Vivian during therapy, most notably Advanced Integrative Therapy, a form of “energy psychology” that holistically links body and mind, and draws on traditional knowledge like chakras. The twelve-year connection between patient and therapist recounted here is a complex, looping, juddering rollercoaster ride; a journey readers will feel deeply invested in, and much compassion for. -- Joanne Owen, LoveReading.co.ukIt takes a unique kind of courage to go to deep places with a client who becomes a constellation of clients. Gill Frost has that courage, allied to the bravery of Vivian, Little Vivvi, Izzy, and others. The result is a compelling account of therapy that touches the soul. -- Alistair Ross, Associate Professor – Psychotherapy, Oxford UniversityThis book is a gift to people living and working with dissociative identity disorder. Thank you to Vivian and all her internal family for allowing Gill to share their incredible journey. The genuineness and power of this story captures the innate drive to survive a childhood that is beyond horrendous. ‘Gill’s honesty with her own challenging journey, which runs parallel to that of Vivian and her internal family, allows the reader to share her roller coaster of emotions: elation, confusion, total despair, sadness, frustration, and, at times, peace and joy. ‘Clinicians reading this book will welcome how Gill continually emphasises the importance of the therapeutic relationship with all the parts and how, when this is firmly established and in partnership with Vivian, she introduces advanced integrative therapy (AIT), “Wooshing” to little Vivvi and “Calming Therapy” to Izzy. This offers a unique insight into how other therapies can support the core therapy when the conditions are right. Gill’s respectful curiosity and loving approach at all times is validating for each part, enabling trust to be experienced for the first time in their lives. Her firm and consistent boundaries, which are at the heart of the healing process, provide the bedrock on which this amazing journey unfolds. Making the links to difficulties in adult Vivian’s life helps us all to understand the impact of unresolved childhood abuse that continues to have an impact on every hour of every day. ‘This book has captured the way different personalities have developed, how important each role was in survival, and how logical they are within the context of Vivian’s childhood. The beauty of this story is tangible on every page and I want to thank Vivian, Little Vivvi, Izzy, and the other parts for allowing us to hear and share their story. I also want to thank the whole team because this book will offer hope and insight to survivors, therapists, and many others. Through the humane storytelling, we can all, whatever depths we plunge to, know things can change and to always hold onto this. ‘“Tough emotions are our contact with life,” says Susan David, psychologist – be mindful of this when reading this book. -- Melanie Goodwin, co-founder and chair of First Person PluralGill Frost, with her client Vivian and internal family, have written a remarkable book – a full and detailed account of a successful but lengthy psychotherapy of dissociative identity disorder (DID), resulting in a harmonious association of previously dissociated personality parts. This engaging narrative describes the inevitable challenges to the therapist’s assumptions, theoretical framework, and technique presented by DID – and the need to adapt and respond to the particular traumas, roles and functions, and age-specific cognitions of different dissociative alters. A crucial component was the use of an energy psychology modality, known as AIT but internally called ‘Whooshing’. The resulting text is a very significant contribution to the literature in the three areas of trauma, DID, and energy psychotherapy. -- Phil Mollon, PhD, psychoanalyst and energy psychotherapist. author of ‘Multiple Selves, Multiple Voices’This is an inspirational book which tells gripping, interweaving real-life stories. First, it is about the respectful relationship between a thoughtful therapist and a courageous patient (and parts of a patient) with dissociative identity disorder. Second, with the subject hardly included in UK trainings, it helpfully shows Gill Frost’s responsible and reflective ways of making sense of what is happening, the hopes and hurdles. Third, we witness the hard work and integrity of all “the girls within” as they dare to tell their stories and offer their pieces of the jigsaw. At times harrowing, although never gratuitously, and ultimately hopeful, the unfolding account of “the girls within” will help professionals and survivors alike. -- Dr Valerie Sinason 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award ISSTDTable of ContentsIntroduction: Distant memories – devastated lives Part I: The comings and goings of Little Vivvi 1. First meeting 2. New room 3. Trauma treatment 4. Telephone talks 5. Greek tragedy 6. The aftermath 7. The problem with being a girl 8. Dark nights 9. Christmas 2013 10. Cabin fever 11. Preparing ground 12. Breaking news 13. The fallout 14. The three faces of Vivian 15. Just Angry 16. New boundaries 17. Increasing integration 18. The book 19. An exorcism 20. The fear of being alone 21. Role reversal 22. Mothers and daughters 23. Team work 24. Talk! Talk! Part II: And then there was Izzy 25. Black shadows of the night 26. Striking a deal 27. Out of hiding 28. Belief after betrayal 29. Poor Baby 30. A slipped disc 31. Internal family systems 32. The joy of being inside out 33. Night terrors 34. A burning rage 35. Down to the wire 36. Beyond the chequered flag Postscript Epilogue by Vivian The last word from Little Vivvi Family trees Acknowledgements About the author References Glossary Resources

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Book SynopsisOn Valentine’s Day in 1981, a fire in the Stardust nightclub in Dublin killed 48 young people, and left behind one orphan, Lisa Lawlor. Now, on the 40th anniversary, Lisa tells her story of the tragic events of that evening and how they have shaped her life.She was just seventeen months old when the Stardust nightclub went up in flames. Her parents, Francis and Maureen Lawlor, were a young couple very much in love. Since Lisa’s birth, they rarely went out at night, but this time they allowed a friend to persuade them to go for a few drinks at the Stardust. They never came home. In the wake of the disaster, Lisa’s paternal grandparents stepped in and took care of her. Throughout her childhood, they tried to fill the gaping hole in her life with gifts, but nothing really helped — and inevitably resentment started to simmer in the extended family. As several members of her family succumbed to addiction and crime, she suffered abuse and struggled to find her own path. Stardust Baby is the heart-breaking story of a woman whose every waking moment has taken place in the shadow of those awful flames and of an extended family that toppled into dysfunction in the overwhelming face of tragedy. It is also an uplifting story of resilience, hope, love and determination — as, despite it all, Lisa found the strength to carry on, for herself and her children. A percentage of the royalties from sales of the book will be donated to the Stardust campaign.

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Book Synopsis'Interesting. Fascinating. I wanted to hold Michelle's hand and say “We can do this"' - Louise Allen In 1972, Michelle Pearson gave up her son for adoption. As ‘one of those girls’, she was expected to hide her shame with secrecy. No one should ever find out she’d had a child. But she never forgot the son who was taken from her. In the years that followed she struggled with PTSD, traumatic memory loss, agoraphobia and anxiety – impacting every area of her life. This is Michelle’s story of love, loss and hope; of how over 50 years she has managed the consequences of living with her secret, survived the emotional pain, and finally, after being reunited with her son, the journey to rebuild their lives together.Trade Review'Michelle's story is powerful, deeply moving and the tip of the iceberg as far as the national scandal of forced adoption in Britain is concerned.' * Dr Michael Lambert *'Interesting. Fascinating. I wanted to hold Michelle's hand and say “We can do this"' * Louise Allen, author *

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Book Synopsis"It was like going through a door which had been locked all my life. I had walked past it every single day, afraid to even rattle the handle. Now I was smashing the locks, I was wrenching it from the hinges, and I was marching through. Here I am!" A woman whose mother twice tried to kill her as a child has won a ground-breaking battle in the supreme courts for the right to claim compensation. Monica Allan’s legal victory set a precedent and has opened the floodgates for others to claim in her wake. Thanks to her 12-year legal fight, other victims now have hope. Other victims now have a voice. In her memoir, Monica, 54, tells the story of her childhood, when her mother, Betty Mount, forced her head under running bathroom taps and tried to strangle her. She had previously tried to kill Monica as a baby. Monica was taken into foster care, where her new parents ran a brutal regime. To the outside world, the family was devoutly religious and respectable, but behind closed doors, Monica was physically and sexually abused. Failed by a second mother figure, she moved into her own home aged 18 and went on to have four children. Monica loved her children but battled constantly with the demons from her past. She carried her dark secrets around with her for 40 years until in 2010, haunted by her trauma, she finally decided to seek justice. She was told she could not seek compensation because of the ‘same roof’ rule, meaning victims who lived with their attackers up to 1979 were ineligible for pay-outs. For the past 12 years Monica has been fighting her case through the Supreme Courts and was recently awarded compensation from CICA in respect of the sexual abuse she suffered in foster care. She is awaiting a second settlement for the attacks by her mother.

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Book SynopsisInspirational tale of how Hope Daniels overcame her demons and rebuilt her life, winning justice after years of childhood abuse. Written by Hope Daniels, bestselling author of Hackney Child, and co-written by Sunday Times bestselling author Ann Cusack.

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Book SynopsisThese are the real life stories of women rescued from Brazil's 'child prostitution corridor in a fast-paced and gripping story, full of drama, corruption, tragedy, setbacks and victories. An incredibly moving and powerful journey that defies all odds.

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Book SynopsisMy mother was a prostitute. My grandmother and great-grandmother were prostitutes.Maybe I should have given the family business a chance...BBC RADIO 4 PICK OF THE WEEK, Katie Puckrik'Eliska's story is an extraordinary and powerful read. It's the ultimate book about survival and an against-all-odds fight to make it in life. Highly recommend.' Clover Stroud'A scintillating, devastating memoir, and a fiercely witty and unabashed tribute to the toughness of the human spirit.' Damian Le Bas__________________________________________________To westerners, being Gypsy means being wild, romantic and free.To Eliska Tanzer, it means being rented out to dance for older men. It means living without running water. It means not being allowed a job or an education. It means being stuffed into a bare room with all your aunts and cousins, fighting over the thin, stained blanket the way you fight over the last piece of half-mouldy bread.It means joining the family prostitution ring when you're still a child.But Eliska was given a way out. Slung out of Hoe School and shipped to England in a washing machine box, she thought she had made it. But her dream soon turned into a nightmare.A moving and timely memoir from a powerful new voice in literature.Trade Review'A remarkable book about the hardest of beginnings written in a voice that is vibrant, sparkling, full of irrepressible humour, compassionate intelligence and ultimately forgiveness' Catherine Simpson -- Catherine Simpson'A scintillating, devastating memoir, and a fiercely witty and unabashed tribute to the toughness of the human spirit.' Damian Le Bas'Eliska's story is an extraordinary and powerful read. It's the ultimate book about survival and an against-all-odds fight to make it in life. Highly recommend.' Clover Stroud

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Book Synopsis"This standout survivor’s account will move and inform even those well versed in the inhumanity of the Shoah." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)Ita Dimant’s gripping diary is a detailed account of her experiences during the Holocaust. She describes the chaotic living conditions in the Warsaw ghetto and her dramatic escape to the ‘Aryan’ side. She wrestles repeatedly with the burden of losing close friends and family, revealing her emotional responses to the unfolding tragedy. As one ghetto after another is liquidated, she becomes a courier carrying vital information and supplies between Polish cities. Ita must rely on her wits, skillful deception, and a few trusted friends, as she seeks to evade the noose closing around her. Trade Review“In this posthumous soul-wrenching memoir, Dimant… reconstructs and expands a diary she’d kept during the Nazi occupation of the Warsaw Ghetto… There’s a palpable urgency to Dimant’s writing, which is haunted by the specter of almost unbearable regret… This standout survivor’s account will move and inform even those well versed in the inhumanity of the Shoah.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Archiv­ing the vast, diverse expe­ri­ences of Jews dur­ing the Holo­caust is an impor­tant his­tor­i­cal task — and Sur­vival is a wel­come addi­tion to the canon. … [T]he memoir’s com­bi­na­tion of eye­wit­ness tes­ti­mo­ny and trea­sure-trove pho­tographs makes Ita’s sto­ry come to life. Those who are inter­est­ed in Jew­ish-led resis­tance move­ments, as well as women’s roles with­in them, will find this book par­tic­u­lar­ly compelling.”— Leah Grisham, Jewish Book Council“Ita Dimant's diary is an extraordinary and harrowing account of bravery, resilience, and loss. Translated by Teresa Pollin and edited by Martin Dean, with an introduction by the author's son, Jacob Dimant, this new volume will serve as a valuable and compelling resource for researchers, educators, and general readers, detailing one woman's story of courage and survival, amidst the destruction of a people. This is a fascinating account written and re-written three times over during the course of the war, a testament to Ita’s determination not only to survive, but to bear witness to the tragic scenes she endured in the ghettos of Warsaw, Częstochowa, and elsewhere in Poland through her work as an underground courier, as well as in slave labor in Germany. Ita's survival was a product of remarkable courage, determination, profound resilience, occasional acts of kindness, and no small measure of luck.”— Avinoam J. Patt, Doris and Simon Konover Chair of Judaic Studies, University of Connecticut; author of The Jewish Heroes of Warsaw: The Afterlife of the Revolt“When I first read the manuscript of Ita Dimant’s diary, I was very touched by the author’s personality, her literary talent, her detailed description of everyday life in the Warsaw and Częstochowa ghettos, and by the power of Ita’s spiritual resistance. This extraordinary testimony of the Holocaust should be read by as many people as possible.When I met Ita Dimant in person, she was full of warmth and had a great sense of humor. For me, she will always remain a heroine of everyday life, despite the hunger and suffering, covering the table in the ghetto with a white tablecloth. Her moving diary describes with compassion and accuracy the struggles Jews endured in German-occupied Poland, both inside and outside the ghetto.”— Barbara Engelking, Founder and Director of the Polish Center for Holocaust Research“What makes this diary stand out from other diaries of women Holocaust survivors is not only the multi-layered and readable character at the heart of its narrative, but the fact that we are able to follow the story of a woman who did not consider herself special or brave but had no other choice but to become so as she fought to survive. During this process, she learned a lot about how easy it would be to forget how important doing good in the face of evil could be. Always keeping a good pair of shoes nearby, she never allowed herself the luxury of not remaining vigilant or preparing her loved ones for possible flight. With the help of an excellent translator and editor, her diary shares the moving story of becoming a survivor against all odds.”— Andrea Peto, Professor, Central European University, ViennaTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: A Story of Courage and Survival by Jacob DimantPrologue by Ita Dimant (published originally with the 1993 English and Hebrew editions)The DiaryThe Warsaw Ghetto YearsThe Częstochowa YearLeaving for GermanyFreedom Epilogue by Jacob Dimant Courage and Survival—Symcha Dymant by Jacob DimantAppendix 1: The Brust Notebook DiaryAppendix 2: A Diary in Note FormAppendix 3: Documents, Photographs, and Artifacts Donated to the USHMM by the Dimant FamilyAppendix 4: Miodownik Family TreeList of Illustrations

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Book SynopsisIn this incredible and moving memoir, a mother tells of her fight for justice to convict her daughter’s murderer for a crime that he thought could never be punished.Trade Review'It is one of those tales about how life can turn on a sixpence: one minute everything is dandy, the next all is darkness.' - Joe Joseph, The Times

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Book Synopsis"He had raped me, had me beaten up, drained me of every last shred of self-respect. Surely he would leave me alone now? But that evening, as I was eating with my parents, the phone rang. My blood ran cold…" Christina O’Connor is the main prosecution witness from the Huddersfield Grooming scandal which saw 11 men convicted of a staggering 43 offences against her, including 22 counts of rape. Christina will describe how, from being an innocent child in a normal family, she fell into the clutches of a grooming gang whose abuse of children earned them a total of 257 years in prison. Christina’s helpless parents tried desperately to save their 13 year old daughter as she began playing truant, and was lured into sexual activities with complete strangers, in exchange for pizza, vodka and cannabis. After five years of almost daily rape, Christina committed robberies under duress from the grooming gang and was jailed. She made a complaint to police about the abuse, but no action was taken. She sees the prison term as her salvation; from this moment she turned her life around. Two years after her release, her police statement was found at the back of a filing cabinet, and Operation Tendersea, the investigation into the grooming gang was launched. This is the first time Christina has spoken out. She has waived her right to anonymity and wants the world to hear her voice.

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Book Synopsis''Based on eye-witness accounts, Robert Pike's moving book vividly depicts the lives of the villagers who were caught up in the tragedy of Oradour-sur-Glane and brings their experiences to our attention for the first time.'' - Hanna Diamond, author of Fleeing HitlerOn 10 June 1944, four days after Allied forces landed in Normandy, the picturesque village of Oradour-sur-Glane in the rural heart of France was destroyed by an armoured SS Panzer division. Six hundred and forty-three men, women and children were murdered in the nation's worst wartime atrocity.Today, Oradour is remembered as a martyred village' and its ruins are preserved, but the stories of its inhabitants lie buried under the rubble of the intervening decades.Silent Village gathers the powerful testimonies of survivors in the first account of Oradour as it was both before the tragedy and in its aftermath. A lost way of life is vividly recollected i

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Book SynopsisIn the much-anticipated follow-up to Sunday Times bestseller Trapped, foster carer Rosie Lewis tells the heartbreaking true story of 13-year-old Zadie. When the young teenage girl runs away from home and is discovered hiding on the city streets by the police, it is clear that all is not as it should be.

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Book SynopsisA heartbreaking true story of a broken family and the foster carer who wants to keep them togetherThe Watsons are no strangers to sibling placements but when Casey takes the call from her supervising social worker one frosty January morning, she can instantly tell from the tone of her colleague's voice that there's a complicated case ahead.And she's right. A four-day-old baby boy called Tommy born in prison plus his four-year-old half-brother, the lively Seth. A month later, the very moment she gets out of prison, the boys' mother a 19-year-old called Jenna also follows.For Casey, it would it be a difficult scenario on several levels. Caring for a new born in her fifties with a pre-schooler who has spent most of his young life without boundaries tearing around her ankles, while also looking out for his drug-addicted mum who is ill-equipped to parent.It's an unusual situation but one that has arisen in a bid to keep the family together. Can Casey find the energy and strength needed

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Book SynopsisA shocking true story that reveals how one woman was tormented to the very depths of despair by her husband through coercive control and continual physical and sexual abuse.When Hannah Morgan first met Matt, she was completely swept off her feet. He offered her the love and security she'd always craved, but once they'd married, Matt's behaviour suddenly changed. His aggression escalated and before long Hannah was living under his complete control.Cut off from her friends and family, she was subjected to a torrent of mental, physical and sexual abuse from which there was no escape.When Hannah was forced to sell her body, she clung to the final fragment of strength she had left until a chance of escape presented itself but was it worth the risk?Nowhere to Hide is the shocking true story of how one woman lost everything but defied the odds to survive.

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Book SynopsisA 5-year-old boy, Ethan, is brought to Casey in the middle of the night after the sudden death of his young mother after a drug overdose.Estranged from her parents, Ethan's mum had been abused by her ex-partner, and began taking drugs to cope. Ethan is obviously lost and bewildered, and regularly wakes up screaming for his mum in the night. He begins to lash out at other kids at school and his behaviour becomes more volatile. When arrangements are made for Ethan to see his dad in prison, Casey recognises the name and face It turns out she's far more familiar with this case than first imagined.

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Book SynopsisIn 1992, an Indian climber was left to die on the South Col of Mount Everest by other climbers who watched his feebly waving hand from their tent. He was filmed in his last hours for a television feature. Why did onlookers not hold the dying man''s hand and comfort him? The answer appals Joe Simpson, who was himself left for dead in a cervasse in Peru in 1985 - ''because it might compromise their summit bid''. It is an ethical question that Joe is forced to confront as he climbs a hazardous route on Pumori. Now that Everest has become the playground of the rich, where commercial operators offer guided tours to the top, camping admist the detritus and unburied corpses of previous less fortunate climbers, Joe wonders if the noble instincts that once characterised mountaineering have been irrevocably displaced - as in politics, in business, in the media and in other facets of society.Trade ReviewSimpson writes better on the darker side of mountaineering than any man alive -- Paul Johnson * The Times *His concern is that the strong ethics and selfless instincts that have characterised mountaineering in the past are being eroded by modern-day ambition, selfishness and greed -- Audrey Salkeld * Sunday Times *Simpson is an elegant stylist and as usual his prose is laced with humour * Daily Telegraph *An astonishing first chapter describes thoughts and feeling of a mountaineer slowly dying on Everest, while other climbers relax in a tent a few feet away. They know he is dying but ignore his feeble wave. Simpson is horrified that such selfishness should gradually invade the mountaineering fantasy -- Brian Masters * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisSets out the genetics, diet and exercise that enable humans to perform at their peak. The author analyses individual feats of survival and athletic prowess that illustrate the way the body functions at its best. He gives some tips on how to stay fit for life for those of us who find walking the dog an endurance challenge...Trade ReviewIlluminating... Mike Stroud, an Arctic explorer, medic and marathon-runner, explains how modern life-styles and diet have made us prone to a new array of diseases unknown until the industrial revolution. Demonstrating why it is essential for us to exercise, he also provides useful guidelines for changing our culturally-moulded bad habits' * Mail on Sunday *The ultimate sporting diet documented in mouth-watering detail * The Times *

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Book SynopsisGabriel Garcia Marquez, winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature and author of One Hundred Years of Solitude, started his literary career with the publication of The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor . . . ''On February 22 we were told that we would be returning to Columbia''In 1955 eight crew members of Caldas, a Colombian destroyer, were swept overboard. Velasco alone survived, drifting on a raft for ten days without food or water. Marquez retells the survivor''s amazing tale of endurance, from his loneliness and thirst to his determination to survive. The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor was Marquez''s first major work, published in a Colombian newspaper, El Espectador, in 1955 and then in book form in 1970.''The story of Velasco on his raft, his battle with sharks over a succulent fish, his hallucinations, his capture of a seagull which he was unable to eat, his subsequent droll rescue, has all the grip of archetypal mythTrade ReviewThe story of Velasco on his raft, his battle with sharks over a succulent fish, his hallucinations, his capture of a seagull which he was unable to eat, his subsequent droll rescue, has all the grip of archetypal myth. Reads like an epic. * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in weekly instalments, Nine Suitcases is the Hungarian writer Béla Zsolt''s harrowing memoir of his experiences in the ghetto of Nagyvarad and as a forced labourer in the Ukraine. Written with exceptional freshness and a devastating blend of angry despair and cool detachment, Zsolt - one of the earliest writers on the Holocaust - provides not only a rare insight into Hungarian fascism, but a shocking exposure of the cruelty, indifference, selfishness, cowardice and betrayal of which human beings - the victims no less than the perpetrators - are capable in extreme circumstances. Interspersed with moments of grotesque farce, grim irony and occasional memories of human kindness, Zsolt''s nightmarish but meticulously realistic chronicle of smaller and larger crimes against humanity is as riveting as it is horrifying.Trade Review[A] heartbreaking memoir... Unbearably immediate -- Laurence Phelan * Independent on Sunday *A sombre yet strangely beautiful account, devoid of sentimentality...the recent publication of his work in English is long overdue -- Phil Baker * Sunday Times *Remarkable...exceptional -- Caroline Moorehead * Times Literary Supplement *This is by far the best book I've come across on the subject of the extermination of Hungary's Jews -- Tibor Fischer * Guardian *Very, very rarely you read something that knocks the breath out of you... This masterpiece does -- Carole Angier * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisWhen Ernest Shackleton resolved to cross Antarctica in 1915, he knew the task would require two parties of men. Shackleton and his crew aimed to cross the continent - but were to meet with disaster when their ship, the Endurance, was frozen into the ice of the Weddell Sea. Meanwhile a smaller group - the Ross Sea party, led by the impetuous one-eyed captain Aeneas Mackintosh and the hard-headed Ernest Joyce - went before them and landed on the opposite side of the continent. Their mission was to haul sledges almost 2,000 miles across the harsh interior in order to set up a lifeline of depots for the coming Shackleton party. However, like the men of the Endurance, this group also lost their ship, the Aurora - along with their supplies - when a ferocious polar gale ripped it from its moorings. But Mackintosh and his men, who knew that their failure would doom Shackleton''s party to starvation, refused to give up. They scavenged supplies from an earlier expeditionTrade ReviewThis journey is without parallel in the annals of polar exploration...a task almost beyond human endurance -- Ernest Mills JoyceNo more remarkable story of human endeavour has been revealed than the tale of that long march -- Sir Earnest Shackleton

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Book SynopsisAisling Creegan's childhood was dominated by an abusive, alcoholic mother, who tortured her at every turn. From insults through beatings and being threatened with a butcher's knife, Aisling endured unthinkable suffering at the hands of the woman who should have loved her unconditionally. Yet in the midst of this trauma, Aisling was able to rely on the one person she knew she could trust herself.Possessed of an incredible imagination and remarkable resilience, Aisling found escape in the little things in life: lying in a field on a sunny day; drawing; Matchbox cars; and her teddy bear, Panda. Aisling's power to imagine an alternative world enabled her to hold on and make it to adolescence and the freedom she had longed for since childhood.But the scars of the past take time to heal, and when Aisling suffered a breakdown it took her on a surprising path to freedom and forgiveness. I Am Someone is an extraordinary memoir about female cruelty, and ultimat

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Book Synopsis An abused little girl desperate for someone to love her, and the foster carer who refused to give up on her. A heartbreaking true story by Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley. Perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, Casey Watson, Angela Hart and Rosie Lewis. *****Abused, starved and neglected. Ruth was a little ghost of a girl when she arrived into foster mother Maggie Hartley''s care. As soon as Ruth arrived on her doorstep, it was clear to foster carer Maggie Hartley that Ruth had seen and experienced things that no 11-year-old should have to. Pale, frail and withdrawn, Ruth had been conditioned to ''see no evil, speak no evil''. Raised by a cruel stepmother and father, Ruth had been abused, underfed and ignored, while her half-siblings lived a life of luxury. Ruth is in desperate need of help, but can Maggie get through to her and unlock the harrowing secret she carries? With no one left in the

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Book SynopsisPeter Clutterbuck recounts his lifelong experience and love of adventure as he crosses oceans, mountain ranges and continents. This is an astonishing story of risk, jeopardy, achievement and wonder.

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Book SynopsisMaike Mullenders was just twenty-one when police broke the devastating news her father had taken his own life. Not only that, but he also left behind a handwritten confession suggesting that he had been ‘physically inappropriate with my daughter’. Maike was painfully aware of her father’s troubled life, but this came as a complete shock – she loved him and had no conscious memory of any sexual abuse. Thrown into personal turmoil, and questioning her identity and place in the world, she spent the next twenty years trying to uncover the truth. Had he broken her trust in the worst way imaginable? Was it a symptom of his mental anguish? Or had he constructed a story to make her hate him so her loss might be more manageable? Through deeply personal counselling sessions, extensive research, yoga and meditation she explored the darkest reaches of her subconscious and unearthed ‘memories’ long buried, yet emerged with an ‘answer’ that enabled her to live again, free from the agonising burden of The Confession. This is Maike’s remarkable journey to hope and peace after her father’s chilling final message pushed her to the brink of insanity.

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Book SynopsisIn Storms of Silence Joe Simpson recalls the severe snowstorm which put an end to an attempt with four others on Gangchempo and the infection which forced him to abandon the climb on Cho Oyu in tibet. During that expedition he has a disturbing encounter with a party of political refugees and a 4-year-old boy fleeing across the Tibetan border. He becomes obsessed with stories of Chinese brutality in the old world Tibet they overran by force 40 years ago. He also begins to question the ethic of playing rich men''s games in Third World countries, contributing little to the local people who endure a fearful struggle to survive. Oppression abroad makes him see mindless violence in his home town of Sheffield in a new light. The books ends with his first trip to the Andes in Peru since Touching the Void.Trade ReviewExcellent...Simpson is a born writer * The Times *'To mix a metaphor, Joe Simpson is a streetwise mountaineer...He takes you close to the nitty-gritty, the nuts and bolts of professional climbing in the 1990's. He is used to dealing with totalitarian policemen. He is passionate and moving on the subject of Tibet and the agonies inflicted on it by the cruel Chinese occupation...Above all, Simpson is a born writer' -- Paul Johnson * The Times *'The book's major theme is the nature of aggression. A skinhead in a Sheffield bar sets the reader up for the genocide that is modern Tibetan history...What makes Joe Simpson stand out is his belief that there is more to life than a crampon, and his dogged refusal to leave the highest mental peaks unclimbed' -- Sara Wheeler * Daily Telegraph *'THis immensely accessible book offers a unique re-interpretation of masculinity...In doing so, it offers a ray of hope to an increasingly bleak and vicious society' -- Martin Booth * Independent *

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Book Synopsis

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