'Stella is just like a tiny bird. This is my first impression of her. A quiet little sparrow of a girl.' In her brand-new series 'Thrown Away Children', Louise Allen shares the harrowing stories she is exposed to as a foster mother. The first in the series, Stella's Story, tells the astonishing true story of a young girl scarred by an abusive past. Named after the lager that christened her at birth, Stella's life is characterised instability and neglect. Her teenage mother abandons her in the first few weeks of her life, and left in the 'care' of her father, she ends up lying deserted in a house with no food, no water, no clothes, and no warmth. She eventually lands in the care of foster carer Louise, who is determined to change her life for the better. Things seem to be going well - but when Stella has a startling response to having her photo taken, it becomes clear the scars of her abuse run deeper than anyone could have ever guessed.

Fifteen women. Fifteen inspirational stories. From highly influential individuals in politics, to award-winning leaders and inspirational philanthropists, to ordinary women who have embraced British life, a range of Punjabi women all share personal stories of racism, gender inequality and the partition of India and Pakistan. Together and alone they overcame adversity and dealt with the complexities of embracing dual identities and balancing a career with family life. Some even share their experiences of the partition of India in 1947 as well as the Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre, 1919. The first in a series of books, Voices from Punjab will resonate with readers as they accompany the women on their unique journeys. Different in many ways, ultimately each woman has a common background - coming from Punjab to celebrate their triumphs over cultural differences and gender stereotypes in the UK.

We have all felt fear, whether it's the sweaty palms and racing heart as we make a speech or the profound, all-encompassing awareness of our own mortality as we await medical results. Of course, the flip-side of fear is courage. The person who learns a new skill late in life despite fearing they're 'too old'. The quiet voice that speaks up when everyone else remains silent. As Nelson Mandela famously said, 'I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.' Collected from around the world, the twenty-five true stories showcased here capture the full range of the fear and courage experience. From the 65-year-old woman stepping outside her comfort zone to visit Antarctica, to the young social worker confronting an abusive father and husband; from a gay woman's experience of coming out, to a man confronting his claustrophobia to have an MRI, or a woman fighting to keep both herself and her unborn child alive in Hitler's Germany - these are stories of fear and courage in all their guises. At times humorous, often poignant, they will linger in your memory, shining a light on just what it means to be human. Interspersed between the stories are quotes about fear and courage by people as diverse as Eleanor Roosevelt, Paulo Coelho, Marcus Aurelius and Taylor Swift. The result is a book to be savoured and returned to again and again. The 'Timeless Wisdom' series of books showcases a diverse range of true stories collected from around the world, all contributed by mature writers as part of an international competition. Interspersed between the stories are memorable quotes touching on each book's theme. The resulting books are inspiring, surprising and profoundly enriching.