Showing titles in Dysfunctional Families

When Vicky was growing up she idolised her big brother David. Their mother worshipped the ground he walked on and as far as she was concerned, David could do no wrong. But then he betrayed little Vicky in the most shocking way imaginable. David began raping his sister. Vicky's happy home life was brutally twisted into a nightmare—he whispered threats into her ear over the kitchen table and she was crippled with fear about what he would do next. Then, at just twelve years old, Vicky discovered she was pregnant with her brother's baby.

Ever found yourself stuck in a conversation with someone who just won't listen, or worse, keeps twisting everything to suit their needs? Dealing with difficult people can feel like navigating a minefield, especially when you need to keep the peace without losing your mind. Whether it's a narcissist, a manipulator, or that one coworker who thinks they're always right, this guide is here to help you regain control.

For fans of Jeannette Walls, Jodi Picoult, and Alice Sebold, a heartening memoir about a girl who survives abuse and molestation to become a powerful advocate against gun violence in America. The inspiring memoir of a woman who overcomes the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of her early life to blossom into a gun violence prevention activist.

June Briand shot four bullets into her husband's head and was sentenced to 15 years to life. This is the shocking, true story of survival - and the intense bond June shared with her pathologically violent husband, a monster who physically and sexually tortured, degraded, and dominated her so relentlessly she refused to believe he was dead even after she killed him.

The best news on the planet is that your mother doesn't have to change in order for you to be happy. In fact, author Karen C.L. Anderson will take it a step further and say your mother doesn't have to change in order for you to be free, peaceful, contented, and joyful. You can emotionally separate without guilt: Inspired by her own journey, Anderson's Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters shows women how to emotionally separate from their mothers without guilt and anxiety so they can finally create a life based on their own values, desires, needs, and preferences.

Leslie Morgan Steiner met the love of her life at age 22, soon after graduating from Harvard and starting her first job at Seventeen magazine in New York. She fell for his self-deprecating wit and street smarts - and especially his unabashed worship of her. They married and spent four years together. At first Leslie felt like the woman of his dreams. Then she discovered her husband had been beaten as a child, taught by his parents that intimacy and rage danced together.

Often, we may encounter unpleasant relatives who drain our energy by bringing negativity and sabotage to our moments of joy, plans, or life perspective. But there is always a reason behind their attitudes which we will dig into here. Plus, you will understand how these relatives affect your life. As you go through this book, you will be able to wisely bring closure, not to those toxic relationships but to your frustration, and give yourself the space to love those family members from a fair distance without disrespect or harmful conflicts.

An ELLE Best Book of the Year Shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing “Incredible…riveting.” —Dax Shepard, Armchair Expert podcast For fans of The Glass Castle and The Liars’ Club, a tender, heartbreaking, and hilarious memoir chronicling the challenges of...

In this long-awaited book, Van Derbur, a former Miss America, tells the story of how she was sexually violated by her father from age 5 to age 18. She was 53 years old before she was able to speak the words in public: "I am an incest survivor." She opened the door for tens of thousands of sexual abuse survivors to speak the words, many for the first time, within their own families and communities.

Possibly one of the most excruciating things a human can experience is narcissistic abuse. It is not something to be taken lightly. By shedding light on the truth, you will finally be able to remove the shackles that have been binding you for years and take back your freedom.

Like millions of women, Eve Ensler has been waiting much of her lifetime for an apology. Sexually and physically abused by her father, Eve has struggled her whole life from this betrayal, longing for an honest reckoning from a man who is long dead. After years of work as an anti-violence activist, she decided she would wait no longer; an apology could be imagined, by her, for her, to her.

The essential guide to parenting adopted and foster kids--learn to create felt safety, heal attachment trauma, and navigate challenging behaviors and triggers Children who have been adopted and/or shuttled through the foster-care system experience trauma at a much higher rate than other kids...

Decreasing narcissism in people has been done countless times before and there is scientific evidence showing anyone who is willing to put in the work can create new healthy habits. Some of your past relationships may never be restored but your future relationships can absolutely go the way you want. While you may feel alone for having a narcissistic personality disorder or just narcissistic tendencies, about 1 in every 16 people (6.2%) of the population has it too.

Children of Coercive Control extends Evan Stark's path-breaking analysis of interpersonal violence to children, showing that coercive control is the most important cause and context of child abuse and child homicide outside a war zone, as well as of the sexual abuse, denigration, exploitation, isolation, and subordination of children. The book provides a working model of the coercive control of children and illustrates its dynamics and consequences with dramatic cases drawn from the headlines and Dr. Stark's forensic practice.

Dr. David Clarke, a licensed psychologist specializing in marital therapy for more than 30 years, wants to help you make the break from your abusive relationship. Whether or not divorce is on the horizon is beside the point. You need to get out, so you can sort it out. Dr. Clarke understands this journey won’t be easy. That’s why he provides a step-by-step plan that includes practical advice, as well as biblical guidance. Let this audiobook help you get away from your abuser, so you can give your marriage the best chance to succeed.

Brought to you by Penguin. An intimate and beguiling memoir about what we keep behind the doors of the past, how it haunts the present and what it takes to make sense of it all. Helen Longstreth’s chaotic childhood: the relentless cycle of her father’s alcoholic relapses, the six kids coming...

Do you feel trapped in patterns of manipulation, defensiveness, or emotional detachment? Are your relationships suffering because of it? Change is possible—without losing your confidence or identity. How to Stop Being a Narcissist gives you the tools to develop self-awareness, emotional balance, and deeper, more meaningful connections. Learn how to recognize harmful behaviors, manage emotional reactions, and embrace vulnerability to foster trust.

It was a day like any other, crystal blue sky and warm summer air, as young Nathan Spiteri walked into a change room at a familiar public swimming pool and would experience a turn of events that would change his innocent life forever. In this powerful, and vulnerable memoir, Spiteri writes about the trauma of being brutally abused, groomed and guided by the actions and lies of a vicious pedophile.

In this finale of the darkly gothic Mirror Sisters trilogy, one twin fears her reunion with sister dearest—from the legendary New York Times bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic and My Sweet Audrina (now Lifetime movies). For fans of Ruth Ware (The Woman in Cabin 10) and Liane Moriarty...

You are strong and resilient, and there’s a bright future ahead of you—all you need are the tools to believe in yourself again and a determination to thrive… You’ve finally broken free from a toxic relationship, but the scars run deep, and it is only as you begin to find your feet again that you realize just how much your relationship affected you. You may have been overtly dominated, or you may have been quietly manipulated—given the silent treatment, demeaned in public, made to question your own reality…