Most of us have met a survivor of abuse at some point in our lives. Whether they were a stranger, neighbor, co-worker, or even someone we love, we are everywhere. We hide our fading bruises from the world, and often times even defend our attackers' actions. It's not that we are weak and the question "why don't they just leave" can only be answered by the individual victim. The answers are usually very complicated and personal. My secret world of abuse was harsh, lonely and humiliating. I was afraid of the ramifications connected to "telling all." Would I be believed? Will it even matter to anyone if they knew? I would have been severely punished by the abuser I exposed. That was my greatest fear. Six months after the sudden death of my mother I broke the silence of my past. In the late hours of another sleepless night the dynamics of abuse in the 1950's and 1960's is recalled and chronicled. With pen in hand, coffee cup at my side, memories and tears poured on to paper. By dawn the door was opened. Few were allowed to enter my childhood home. We wanted no witnesses. I was a good liar, and could hide the truth from everyone. Not anymore. I believe the courage to tell these stories came from a love that resonates even after death. With that love and a desire to offer a glimpse into the life of a survivor, I am opening the door to my childhood and inviting you to come into my secret world and be my witness.

Master golfer Ben Hogan (1912-1997) is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, most notably for his legendary ball-striking ability. There are numerous theories as to what made Hogan's swing so effective and in Power Golf, now available in a trade paperback format, he shares a lifetime of championship secrets for improving every phase of the game. Regardless of their level of golfing expertise, readers are guaranteed to see a difference the next time they pick up their club!

In this “seismically moving memoir” (The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice), one woman asks a seemingly impossible question in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide: How do you mourn a loved one as you repair the injuries they inflicted? “Laura Trujillo resurfaces from the dark ‘sub-basement’ of despair with assurances for us all: There is hope. There is healing. Always, there is love. This book will save lives.”—Connie Schultz, author of The Daughters of Erietown ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker Laura Trujillo had been close to her mother for most of her adult life, raising her four children within a few miles of their beloved grandmother’s Phoenix home. But just three months after moving her young family to Cincinnati for a new job, Laura receives shocking news: Her mother had taken her own life—by jumping off a ledge into the Grand Canyon, a place Laura knew her mother had always loved. Laura and her mother had shared a profound and special bond, yet each had also kept from the other the deepest truths about their lives. As an adult, Laura finally broke her silence about the sexual abuse she had suffered as a teenager at the hands of her stepfather—a secret Laura had buried to protect her mother. After her mother’s death, Laura embarks on an emotional odyssey, searching for clues that could explain the depression, intergenerational trauma, and shared heartbreaks in her family. When she returns to the Grand Canyon, it becomes an oasis that nurtures Laura’s search for redemption and peace. As Laura wrestles with her feelings, she forges a new path forward. Moving and intimate, powerfully told, Stepping Back from the Ledge is a remarkable exploration of the bond between a mother and daughter, and of the hope that can come from facing the truth.

Tired of living in their comfortable rut, Suzanne and Mitch Rutledge decided to quit their jobs in America and take their seven-year-old son with them on a journey around the world. For nine months, they traveled slowly and volunteered, homeschooled their second grader, and experienced what everyday life was like in new and different places.From the Rut to the Ledgeshares their highs and lows, but also provides practical travel tips for anyone who wants to see the world on a budget. Follow their adventures from an elephant sanctuary in Thailand to the pyramids of Egypt. From tiny villages in Cambodia to the bustling streets of Barcelona, the Rutledges went out on a ledge to experience authentic life around the world and hope to encourage and inspire other families to do the same.

A popular teen's perfect world is shattered by a tragic accident that puts her in a coma unable to speak, and unable to stop the doctors who want to transplant her brain into the body of an unpopular brain-dead classmate.

Realizing you’re in love with your best friend should probably happen before you set her up on a date with someone else. Melly Every few years I get an itch to travel. Living out of suitcases, I just zip them up and start over. After moving for so long, I didn't expect to find my forever home in my hometown. I got an amazing job, became best friends with my bosses, and my childhood crush moved next door. Just when it starts to feel like our spark is mutual, he sets me up on a date with his friend. Maybe moving is still in my future... Brandon Apparently I’m the last to realize how perfect Melly and I are together. I thought we were just friends. Really close friends. Best friends, even. Friends that start and end our days together. The kind that know how our food orders change with the weather, understand how a biracial upbringing adds up to less than you want, or how we’re the only ones in our group of friends to yearn for more than this small town has to offer. Shit. I’m in love with Melly, and about to crash her date with someone else. I hope I’m not too late… Welcome to the diverse small town of Jacaranda Bay, where the doors are always open, cinnamon rolls are spicy, and you'll always get your happily-ever-after in the end. This book can be read alone, and is a part of The Unbuttoned Alpha Male Series.

After two years, Shula still cant believe her husband, Seth, is gone. In an effort to live again and to feel again, she accepts an offer to counsel women about marriage, love and fulfillment at Namaans, a Christian spa and retreat center designed to meet the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs of women. It all begins with Shulas first week-long retreat, Naked and Unashamed, where she leads four women on a journey, exploring the ins and outs of the big S. Barbaras husband just retired and has finally joined her at home. Shes dreamed of this moment but so far nothings changed. Barb reasons there must be passion after sixty, and shes hoping shell discover ways to spice things up in more ways than adding cayenne pepper to her chicken tetrazzini. Lindsey hopes to boost her confidence as her wedding draws near. Shes done it rightvirgin til I doyet the man she loves took an alternate route. How will Lindsey measure up to Gabriela, the mother of her fiancs son, and how on earth will she fare as a stepmother and new wife? Then theres Savannah, who believes she has the perfect marriage. So why did her husband, Reed, suggest she attend this retreat? Savannahs hoping some new moves in the kitchen and bedroom will solve her problems. But Shulas hoping she can help Savannah uncover the root of her struggles and do what it takes to penetrate the wall that guards her heart. And finally theres Alex. Shes already determined divorce is the answer. She makes six figures, six figures more than her husband, and runs her home single handedly. Shes convinced she really has no need for a husband and wonders why she married him in the first place. This week is her last-ditch effort to salvage her marriage, or at least give the illusion that she gave it her all before giving the loafer the boot. These four very different women united by Shulas unusual therapeutic tactics as well as the amazing staff, services and food at Naamans, make unexpected discoveries about marriage, love, and more importantly, themselves. Surprising truths are revealed, past wounds are healed, and precious relationships are made, all while learning to live freefree of guilt, pain, fear, sorrow, shame, and the lies of the enemyfree to live naked and unashamed.

Powerful and dangerous highlander Dair Sinclair was once the favored son of his clan, The Sinclairs of Carraig Brigh. With Dair at the helm, Sinclair ships circled the globe bringing home incredible fortune. Until one deadly mission when Dair is captured, tortured and is unable to save his young cousin. He returns home breaking under the weight of his guilt and becomes known as the Madman of Carraig Brigh. When a pagan healer predicts that only a virgin bride can heal his son’s body and mind, Dair’s father sets off to find the perfect wife for his son. At the castle of the fearsome MacLeods, he meets lovely and kind Fia MacLeod. Although Dair does his best to frighten Fia, she sees the man underneath the damage and uses her charm and special gifts to heal his mind and heart. Will Dair let Fia love him or is he cursed with madness forever?

This eBook edition of "The Prince and the Pauper (Illustrated Children's Classic)" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Set in 1547, The Prince and the Pauper tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London, and Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII. Tom, the youngest boy in a poor family living in London, has always aspired to a better life, encouraged by the local priest. Loitering around the palace gates one day, he sees the Prince Edward of Wales. Tom is nearly caught and beaten by the Royal Guards, but Edward stops them and invites Tom into his palace chamber. There the two boys get to know one another, fascinated by each other's life and their uncanny resemblance. They decide to switch clothes "temporarily". The Prince momentarily goes outside, quickly hiding an article of national importance (the Great Seal of England), and eventually finding his way to the Canty home. Tom, posing as the prince, tries to cope with court customs and manners. His fellow nobles and palace staff think "the prince" has an illness which has caused memory loss and fear he will go mad. They repeatedly ask him about the missing "Great Seal", but he knows nothing about it. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He is best known for his two novels – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but his satirical stories and travel books are also widely popular. His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned him praise from critics and peers. He was lauded as the greatest American humorist of his age.

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc is a historical novel presented as a translation of memoirs by Louis de Conte, a fictionalized version of Louis de Contes, Joan of Arc's page. The story is divided into three sections according to Joan of Arc's development: a youth in Domrémy, a commander of the army of Charles VII of France, and a defendant at trial in Rouen. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He is best known for his two novels – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but his satirical stories and travel books are also widely popular. His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned him praise from critics and peers. He was lauded as the greatest American humorist of his age.