Be Informed Survivor Creations Books & Memoirs We love being able to share books and memoirs written by survivors for survivors. We do this in the hope that their stories are heard by as many as possible and inspire healing, recovery and strength. If you would like to feature a book or memoir you have written on this page, please get in touch via email at [email protected]! We are not able to read all of the books sent to us and so this listing is only for reference and does not serve as an endorsement of these authors. Confessions of a Bl8cksheep: Conversations With My Mother by Shavon Smith "How do you continue your healing journey after suffering the most devastating loss of your life? Childhood trauma is one of the leading causes of PTSD. At 40 years old, just as a mental breakdown forced Shavon to get on the road to healing, her mother unexpectedly died. Consumed with overwhelming grief she struggled to overcome her painful past of incest and sexual abuse while facing a future without the one person who loved her throughout her life unconditionally. Shavon found the courage and strength to heal by writing her memoirs, a series of conversations she wanted to but never got to have with her mother." Shavon Smith was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio where she currently still resides. She has worked in the finance/collections industry for more than 17 years. She has a BFA in Creative Writing in Entertainment. This is her 5th published work to date. Julie's Journey by Julie Mulholland "I’m Julie. I’m a mother, and a grandmother, working hard at my job as a care support worker, a job I love, living in a house in County Durham. I love every day of my lovely beautiful life, a life built out of the ashes of an absolute Hell of child abuse. I have been trying to write my story for nearly a quarter of a century but the memories were so awful, the anger and pain so bad, that no matter how far I’d get, I’d tear up the hand-written notes, or delete those on the computer. I’ve had nightmares, depression, been suicidal, nearly been sectioned, and all because of years of abuse at the hands of an evil man, my stepfather. Writing this has been so emotional, and I’ve still had to cut parts out. Some parts I can’t remember; other parts, like social services’ records, were destroyed. But my story shows how people can suffer horrific abuse as a child, and not only survive, but flourish, and have a happy life, filled with the joys of kids, grandkids, friends and a safe home." Re-Humanize by Marlee Liss Re-Humanize is a movement offering heart-softening remembrance of what it means to be human, built upon liberating expectations of connection and love. With healing words born from the depths of the author’s pain, this vulnerable narrative offers a window into sexual assault and the messy path of survival. With poems that began forming just hours after being raped, Marlee shares her journey alongside facilitated discussion questions that inspire personal and collective healing. Throughout her process, the writing expands to touch on various connecting issues, which speak to objectification and general feelings of “not enough-ness”. Re-Humanize will take all readers on a journey, gently challenging individuals to deconstruct sources of suffering, combat shame, and challenge silence around painful life experience. Each page serves as a reminder that your resilience alone makes you a warrior, that together we can find healing in solidarity, and that all beings are worthy of transformative reclamation. One Small Word: Surviving Childhood Abuse by Gloria F Eveleigh This memoir-based novel reveals the lengthy and difficult experience of abuse within the home. It provides a bright glimmer of hope for victims who have not yet started on their road to recovery. Readers share the life of Frankie, a 50-year-old social work student, and her dramatic memories of physical and sexual abuse at the hand of her father. Frankie journeys from despair to recovery, transforming into a strong woman who is able to turn the negativity of her life into positive help for others. You will experience her emotions at the time of the abuse, gain insight into how this affected her adult behaviour, and share her victory as she learned to overcome. "I would thoroughly recommend this book as a source of hope and inspiration to all those who have been affected by the impact of child abuse on their lives, and those who work with survivors. It demonstrates the importance of seeking help and support from others and breaking the silence that surrounds abuse. The book inspires the reader never to give up hope ..." Geri Burnikell, Co-ordinator of SupportLine It's No secret: Thriving After Surviving by Danielle Downey Danielle knew early on that she was not like most children at her school. With a chaotic home life riddled with violence, neglect, abuse and poverty she learned early on how to survive and adapt. Every challenge taught her a valuable lesson about resilience and self-motivation allowing her to develop an unshakable positive mindset, along with a sense of humour. This book takes the reader on a journey detailing the life-changing events which tested Danielle’s resilience and willpower. She bravely shares the difficult choices she was forced to make in order to safeguard her precious family as long-forgotten secrets are revealed. This uplifting, shocking and empowering book chronicles Danielle's story and her determination to never let her past define her future. It promises to inspire the reader that change and choice are absolutely possible and that nothing is ever insurmountable. A Sparrow Stirs its Wings by Rachel Finch Finch is the powerhouse behind the Bruised But Not Broken community on Facebook, which provides support and healing for trauma survivors. She is a symbol of hope and light throughout the world. “Every now and then, when the world seems to be rocked in chaos and people are screaming without listening - vile words and cries for help climbing on top of and over each other - a single voice stands out, and that voice is pure in its truth and stunning in its wisdom. Rachel Finch, and her debut book, A Sparrow Stirs its Wings, is that voice right now. Turning her heartbreaking abuse into heart wrenching prose, Finch writes her truth and gives her strength to every unnamed victim turned survivor.” The Little Orange Book: Learning about abuse from the voice of the child by Jessica Eaton What can we learn from this unique example of writing from a child experiencing severe abuse, rape and daily violence? What can we learn about how she coped with and understood what was happening to her? Jessica Eaton and Claire Paterson-Young work through the poems, performing thematic analysis and grounding the voice of the child in empirical literature to inform our understanding and to improve the way we support children during and after abuse. A must-read for parents and professionals alike. Coming Out Of The Dark: A memoir of DID, self-acceptance, and healing by Pat Suzie Tennent A powerful memoir of ongoing recovery from catastrophic abuse. Pat's book details her life with trauma-induced Dissociative Identity Disorder, and the incredible love which is helping her to heal from her past. As a child, Pat was subject to horrendous abuse by those who should have protected her. As a powerful defence against this, her mind split into differing personalities, which served to shield her from her worst memories. As her life has progressed, Pat has worked with great courage to heal from past traumas, and develop communication between her personalities. Along the way, her own fortitude and the love of some wonderful women have been integral to her healing process.This is not the story of how a child was abused - it is the story of how an adult can come to terms with a past literally too dreadful to contemplate, and how love and compassion can work recovery miracles. Doctored: The True Story of Abuse and Survival by Polly A. Magena This is a true account about a woman surviving life-long abuse, eventually leading to the kidnap of her two small children by their father. They never came home. Her former partner launched a terrible campaign of revenge, isolating her with no family support and a damaged reputation.Despite her ex partner's cruel tactics to destroy the relationship with her children, she survived, kept her faith, started singing and finally reclaimed the once lost role of mother. Today, Polly is a proud grandmother of several beautiful children: the buds in the rose garden over the wall. Silhouette of a Songbird by Elizabeth Shane Elizabeth is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. The traumatic effects of this left many emotional scars as well as complex PTSD, in a life often hidden by silence. Throughout different stages of her recovery, Silhouette of a Songbird witnesses Elizabeth's personal struggle on her journey to unlock the pain of reclaiming her voice through the power of poetry. By sharing her own experience, she hopes this will provide support and strength to others who have suffered similar childhood trauma, with the knowledge that they are understood and not walking through the storm alone. Stevie - Behind the mask by Stevie Worrell This book tells the harrowing true story of how one sick paedophile's depraved act destroyed the next 35 years of a fun-loving and happy 6 year old boy's life and forced him to question everything he knew and trusted in life. He kept this secret for many years and it shows the devastating impact it had on his life and those around him. It’s a no holds barred, honest account of how much a childhood trauma can affect the choices you make in life. It covers his struggles with mental health, drug addiction and alcohol abuse and the desperate need to get justice. He has spent his life under a cloud of darkness, hiding behind a mask as a way of self preservation but you will learn that facing reality and your demons was the only way to stop a path of self-destruction. ‘I still remember this day over 30 years later. The pain and darkness still lives in me and there is not a day that goes by that it doesn’t enter my mind at some point in the day. No one should have to suffer such trauma at such a young age which is why sometimes in life justice needs to happen one way or another.’ Fear is a Liar by Anna Grace Du Noyer 3 life-affirming chapters of poetry and prose. Fear is a Liar is a collection telling a story of loss, survival, abuse, resilience, love and hope. Best known for her poetry journals of major life and world events, Du Noyer's writing ranges from stark and moving elegies to abstract free verse, providing a poem for every emotion experienced during prolonged periods of crisis, such as violet relationships, sexual abuse, sexual violence, greif, or surviving the isolation of a global pandemic - all serving as the major themes throughout this anthology. Life After Sexual Abuse: A Practical Healing Toolkit to Reconnect Mind, Body & Soul by Stacie Glass What if I told you it is possible to have a life after sexual abuse? That you are already worthy of a life that you deserve? Healing after any type of sexual trauma is a process of reclaiming the pieces of yourself, reclaiming parts of yourself that were wrongly taken. Life after Sexual Abuse: A Practical Healing Toolkit to Reconnect Mind, Body and Soul is the book that Stacie wished she had access to over a decade ago. It combines personal experience with trauma theory, writing therapy and suggested practical healing tools to heal mind, body and soul. This is an invitation to explore what will help you to heal – because you deserve to. By the end of this book, you will feel empowered to take inspired steps towards the way you want to feel and the life you deserve. This book is a nurturing invitation to explore what you need to heal, to feel safe enough in the present, and to self-love. Healing after sexual trauma is never out ‘there’ – it is within you. Let The More Loving One Be Me By Judy Foreman n this compelling tale, Judy Foreman reveals the terror she felt every night as a girl as she lay in bed frozen in dread, listening for her father’s footsteps coming down the hall. She recalls his mostly naked body, his stale smell, his silhouette in the bedroom doorway. Worse, in some ways, was her mother’s denial—her insistence that this man was wonderful, her refusal to acknowledge his drinking or his rage. It wasn’t until Foreman spent a high school summer as an exchange student with a Danish family that she began to see how unsafe her own family was; it wasn’t until she went to an all-women’s college that she realized that women had value. Ultimately, this book shows that with time and therapy, it is possible to heal from serious childhood trauma and lead a life of deep fulfilment, rewarding work and, most wonderfully, love. It is a book about the power of emotional courage to change one’s own inner and outer experience of the world, and about what matters most in life: cultivating healthy connections to other people. Behind The Mask By Elizabeth Shane In a modern world, stigma and silence still exists around sensitive subjects such as child sexual abuse, despite more awareness in today's society. The multi-faceted layers of childhood trauma, mental health difficulties and hidden disabilities are frequently misunderstood or dismissed. Elizabeth Shane explores the complexities of trauma from her own experience to break down barriers around difficult conversations using a unique grasp of emotional, visual and symbolic language to broaden the possibility of creating a beautiful understanding of ourselves.