Two teenagers, two tales interwoven by a shared intrigue. Their distinct temperaments guide them along separate paths through a demanding chapter of youthful existence. As they confront adversities both solo and side by side, the longing for independence dances a delicate duet with the need for connection. The Scars We Bear delves into the tumultuous journey of adolescence, exploring what it truly demands not merely to navigate through it, but to flourish with resilience and newfound wisdom. Through trials and triumphs, our young protagonists unveil the essence of camaraderie and the indomitable spirit of youth in facing life’s early storms.

A tortured man finds love in this emotional second-chance romance. My life was adrift... Until I found her. Shattered and lost after an accident that nearly claimed my life, Cora was the nurse who cared for me. She attended not only to my physical injuries, but for a brief moment, I believed she could mend my broken heart as well. But, our lives were headed in two opposite directions and I never thought I’d see her again. Three years later when she moves to my small town, I can’t help but wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something. Now a single mother, Cora is looking for a fresh start. For years, I’ve been wandering the streets of this town, searching for something too. Perhaps it’s been her all along.

Meet people who have had a profound impact on our world while bearing the physical and emotional scars born out of struggles and suffering, transforming their stories from pain to power in this inspirational middle grade nonfiction book about overcoming challenges. Magazine spreads and Hollywood hits showcase stars with perfect skin, perfect faces, perfect hair, perfect lives, perfect everything. But what if this absence of scars—the hidden and physical—is really a lie? And what if, underneath all that perfection, something far more powerful and authentic is waiting to be seen, shown, and heard? In Braver Than I Thought, kids discover the true stories of remarkable people whose scars have been a part of their journey, who have helped them become the world-shakers and game-changers that they are! The engaging and high-interest stories include Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman, war veteran and now-senator Tammy Duckworth, and beyond-belief rock climber extraordinaire Aron Ralston, who all endured intense trauma that led to pronounced scars, but also helped them forge purposeful identities as they came to peace with their bodies. Readers will find that whatever the physical, mental, or emotional challenges that we face, it is not the end of a story, but rather the beginning of a new one.

A Fresh Vision of Spirit-Empowered Masculinity As genders, marriages, and families come under attack, global men's movement leader Jake Hamilton reveals what true biblical masculinity is--and why our world desperately needs it right now. In this book, Jake challenges and emboldens men to be who God created them to be. Diving into Scripture, ancient traditions, and the mythological story of Parzival, he uncovers twelve time-tested pathways God uses to train you to · own the radical responsibility He's placed on men--no matter the cost · use your unique perspectives and personality to fight the evil around you · hold your ground with confidence, courage, and conviction · no longer be sidelined by shame, addiction, depression, and disconnection · live with purpose, clarity, integrity, and boldness It's time for men of conviction and character to rise up, stand with humble strength, and learn to fight for your identity, marriage, children, and the Kingdom. "This book offers a vital, holistic journey, redefining manhood away from toxic stereotypes, and guiding men through their God-intended, heroic paths in family and society."--Bishop Mark J. Chironna "A book filled with wit, wisdom, and invitation. Hamilton offers a robust path to a deeper life, and he does so with great gusto."--Dr. Martin Shaw "You will be infused with the courage to pursue your own journey and reap the benefits for years to come!"--Kris Vallotton

In The Scars We Carve: Bodies and Wounds in Civil War Print Culture, Allison M. Johnson considers the ubiquitous images of bodies—white and black, male and female, soldier and civilian—that appear throughout newspapers, lithographs, poems, and other texts circulated during and in the decades immediately following the Civil War. Rather than dwelling on the work of well-known authors, The Scars We Carve uncovers a powerful archive of Civil War–era print culture in which the individual body and its component parts, marked by violence or imbued with rhetorical power, testify to the horrors of war and the lasting impact of the internecine conflict. The Civil War brought about vast changes to the nation’s political, social, racial, and gender identities, and Johnson argues that print culture conveyed these changes to readers through depictions of nonnormative bodies. She focuses on images portrayed in the pages of newspapers and journals, in the left-handed writing of recent amputees who participated in penmanship contests, and in the accounts of anonymous poets and storytellers. Johnson reveals how allegories of the feminine body as a representation of liberty and the nation carved out a place for women in public and political realms, while depictions of slaves and black soldiers justified black manhood and citizenship in the midst of sectional crisis. By highlighting the extent to which the violence of the conflict marked the physical experience of American citizens, as well as the geographic and symbolic bodies of the republic, The Scars We Carve diverges from narratives of the Civil War that stress ideological abstraction, showing instead that the era’s print culture contains a literary and visual record of the war that is embodied and individualized.

In 1930s Antwerp, having fled a pre war Poland with her family, Zoshia, a young Jewish girl, battles to survive intense persecution from the Nazis and bravely endangers her own life in order to help save others. During the war years, Grace, a young teenager, suffers severe personal abuse at the hands of her family in Lyme Regis, England and courageously tries to overcome the repercussions. As adults, both Zoshia and Grace face personal struggles as they try to recover from their traumatic experiences. This unique and exquisite tale of two women from different backgrounds, juxtaposes both their lives as they each journey through the decades, over coming tragedy and anguish from World War II onwards. This gripping narrative chronicles the injurious plight of women in an age of gender inequality, demonstrates the disastrous effects of war, human cruelty and exploitation, and dynamically showcases the power of female friendship.

In 1930s Antwerp, having fled a pre war Poland with her family, Zoshia, a young Jewish girl, battles to survive intense persecution from the Nazis and bravely endangers her own life in order to help save others.

A natural history and celebration of the famous bears and salmon of Brooks River. On the Alaska Peninsula, where exceptional landscapes are commonplace, a small river attracts attention far beyond its scale. Each year, from summer to early fall, brown bears and salmon gather at Brooks River to create one of North America’s greatest wildlife spectacles. As the salmon leap from the cascade, dozens of bears are there to catch them (with as many as forty-three bears sighted in a single day), and thousands of people come to watch in person or on the National Park Service’s popular Brooks Falls Bearcam. The Bears of Brooks Falls tells the story of this region and the bears that made it famous in three parts. The first forms an ecological history of the region, from its dormancy 30,000 years ago to the volcanic events that transformed it into the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The central and longest section is a deep dive into the lives of the wildlife along the Brooks River, especially the bears and salmon. Readers will learn about the bears’ winter hibernation, mating season, hunting rituals, migration patterns, and their relationship with Alaska’s changing environment. Finally, the book explores the human impact, both positive and negative, on this special region and its wild population.

For anyone who feels less-than about your work, your worth, your body, or the life you're building, find here an incredible hope: you don't have to have it all together to "qualify" for your life's calling. Just ask Caitlin Crosby, the former Hollywood talent who didn't finish college, never got an MBA, and wasn't supposed to become a CEO--yet that's exactly what she did. Caitlin's passion for people led her to launch The Giving Keys, a give-back jewelry brand with the mission of helping its employees transition out of homelessness. Each of their one million keys sold represents a person who wore it and shared it with someone else, in a unique pay-it-forward model. In You Are the Key, Caitlin opens up about her own secret "flaw" that rocked her sense of self-worth for the better part of two decades and her private battle to believe that our scars are not sources of shame but proof of courage and prompts toward purpose. Through Caitlin's all-too-real stories, sparkling with warmth and humor, you'll find the encouragement you need to: Be brave enough to let yourself fail Reframe your imperfections as signposts guiding you toward your greatest purpose Move forward from past mistakes and build something beautiful As you learn more about Caitlin and her journey, you'll learn that your own path to discovering and developing your purpose won't be a straight line. You'll fall down, and you'll get back up again. But Caitlin's story will remind you that your own imperfections can lead to your greatest purpose--and it all starts today. Praise for You Are the Key: "I've admired Caitlin's generosity and her work with The Giving Keys for years. I'm grateful to know her story. It's a reminder to never allow fear or setbacks to keep us from stepping out into the unknown. Caitlin has shown us that it's often in quiet moments of courage that we discover the things we're passionate about and realize more of who we're meant to be." --Joanna Gaines, cofounder of Magnolia "Caitlin's work in bringing purpose back to the lives of so many speaks for itself. With her as your guide, you will unlock purpose, confidence, and joy beyond what you could ever imagine." --Sarah Jakes Roberts, pastor, bestselling author, and founder of Woman Evolve "Equal parts powerful and personable, You Are the Key tells the story of what is possible when you follow big dreams with big heart." --Maria Shriver, journalist and New York Times bestselling author

God's people are meant to be a blessing to others. Yet in the Scriptures, throughout history, and in our own times we too often see the people of God causing harm to people on the margins. Rather than caring for the widowed and the orphaned or loving the sojourner, too often we see abuse of power that breaks spirits and inflicts lasting harm. For anyone who has felt left out or pushed out of the church, Othered is your invitation to find spiritual rest and belonging in a God who loves, restores, and blesses the outcast and the marginalized. Jenai Auman draws on her experience growing up as a biracial kid in the American South as well as working within toxic ministry environments to reveal a hopeful, trauma-informed way forward. This book illuminates how hurt and betrayal in the church are longstanding problems that God neither sanctions nor tolerates. It offers holistic responses to the grief, anger, and trauma that come with being ostracized or oppressed by the church. And it shows how God provides shelter and provision in the midst of the wilderness. Because God sees, hears, and loves you--even if the church has failed you.