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Books > Fiction > True stories > General
Rosemarie Smith has written her autobiography in three parts;
Little Molly, Molly II: Am I who I should be? and Molly III: The
Untold Story. Having suffered, child abuse she reached a point
where she had totally given up on life and felt that the long hard
battle to survive just wasn't worth the pain anymore. In Molly III
she gives a true account of what it was like suffering severe
physical and mental abuse as a child and then to go on suffering
throughout most of her life. Just as she had given up on society
and every Government body, came a massive break-through and as a
result of that, on July 12th 2017, a judge ruled 'life in prison'
for her childhood abuser and said, "Rosemarie Smith's statement of
facts was `so compelling....' he believed abuser, John Wass had
committed every single sexual and indecent act that his victims had
given evidence on!
'We were just sacks of flesh existing as punchbags for their rage,
or toys for their entertainment' Chris Wild lost his dad aged 11,
leaving him to grow up in the care system. There, he witnessed the
incessant physical and sexual abuse of children, with the only
escape leading to the streets. So many others like him, failed by
the systems put in place to protect them, ended up with nothing but
drink, drugs, prostitution and crime as their normality. Later,
working in a care home himself became the only way Chris could
help, but he was shocked to discover little had changed and
vulnerable children were still being failed. In Damaged, he shares
heartbreaking memories of the care system along with the stories of
all the boys, girls, men and women he met along the way - exposing
why we must take action now to protect all of Britain's forgotten
children.
After leaving school at 15 in 1950, John Wells began an
apprenticeship with one of the country's leading pipe organ
builders. On completion of National Service he resumed his career
as an organ builder, which took him around the United Kingdom and
on several occasions across the Atlantic, allowing him the
priceless opportunity to meet and be reconciled with the mother who
had left home when he was just six years old. Ultimately John
joined the Civil Service, helping to maintain, repair and replace
the many organs and pianos in military establishments, prisons,
British schools and government offices at home and abroad. In the
decade since retirement he has become a specialist in American
'duck stamps' and conservation stamps, a subject in which he has
become an acknowledged expert. His first book was an authoritative
specialist publication, The History and Local Post of Rattlesnake
Island, Lake Erie. This, his life story, is his second.
Lisa Morgan didn't know how strong she was until she lost
everything. Following eight exhausting years working a Lisa was
burnt out and ready for a new chapter in her life-hopefully one
that involved a little romance. In her forties and doubtful of ever
finding true love, she meets an exotic African man who promises her
happiness and the life she dreams of. Little did Lisa know that
this decision would lead to heartache, a torturous legal battle and
near bankruptcy. They move to Uganda, but her dreams of a happy
marriage soon fade after he takes control of her life-and her life
savings. As she uncovers his cruelty, the relationship becomes
violent and she seeks help from the police. But not even they can
be trusted, and a corrupt legal system pushes her close to death.
Alone and penniless, she prepares to leave the country-but how? She
is destitute and her legal status is precarious and tied up in
bewildering red tape. Trapped in the terrifying depths of a lawless
country with court procedures and unruly lawyers to tackle, she
finds solace with unlikely strangers and is empowered by the
natural beauty of the country that had become a prison. But when
tragedy strikes a final blow, Lisa must break a few laws of her own
to break free.
"You're being ridiculous!" contains true stories of my experiences
at the mercy of my foster children. I have written about the trials
and tribulations of being a foster carer and the love and laughter
that this has brought to me over the last six years. The first to
arrive were Owen, aged seven and Neil, aged six. I write of the
events of their arrival, their likeness to a couple of lion cubs
and their irrational inability to agree on who went first or last
at anything. A shopping trip that resulted in unattended children
being returned to me like lost property. A freezer incident in a
supermarket that was nothing short of horrific with a child having
to be pulled from a chest freezer. A trip to a soft play centre
that can only make you recoil in embarrassment for me. Should I
mention the pee wars debacle, a six year olds explanation of mating
Turtles and an excruciating tea time conversations? Out of the
mouths of babes and you can join with me in my feelings of despair
of these moments while also hearing the ringing of the choral
tutters in my ears; my description of bystanders who tut their
disapproval as if their children would never behave in this way. I
continue with the antics of Josh (nine), William (eight), Max
(five), Tom (three), Brian (seven) and Kevin (seven). There are
stories of Josh's ability to fix my Wi-Fi, Williams comedic skills,
Max's desires to be a pirate and Tom's way of saying excuse me that
nearly drove me to distraction - Coomee! A painfully long weekend
with Brian who spoke as if he was fifty and thought I was obtuse.
Then there was Kevin who literally said Kevin-says-no to every
question whether his final answer was no or not. Finally, Jamie was
five when he came to me and his questions, often anatomical, always
posed in the most earnest of fashions but in the most awkward of
places and ones that I was always ill prepared for answering. His
torturous counting incorrectly to 100 on a car journey. His lack of
knowledge and shock at realising that girls don't have a penis and
the conversation that then ensued. His swimming pool changing room
observation of a furry lady and his earnest description announced
to everyone as to how he thought the daddy's seeds get into mummy's
tummy; they eat them apparently! Boys will be boys and I loved
everyone of them. Combined with these true tales, I have also
included the odd bit of slightly more serious text to remind the
reader that these children are vulnerable but were also fiercely
protected by me under any circumstances and regardless of the
volume of choral tutting! No one is left in any doubt about the
love, laughter and joy that being a foster carer has brought to me.
My joy at having been a part of their lives and my hope that one
day they may come back into my life with their own memories.
Sexual harassment at work, the real life story about unwelcome and unlawful behaviour in the workplace.
The intimidations of sexual harassment unwittingly pull you into a world of sadness and loneliness. This story gradually reveals how an apparently stray kiss leads to degrading harassment.
Not only has Glasgow produced some incredible personalities, it has
also been witness to some of the greatest happenings of our times.
These outstanding people and epoch-making events are featured in
Glasgow: Tales of the City. As a result of painstaking research,
some startling new facts have emerged about the life and times of
some of the city's most interesting characters. The many
individuals documented in this book include the world's greatest
pilot, whose many flying feats are still held in great awe today
and unlikely ever to be repeated. He was hailed as a hero in
America, they gave a him a ticker-tape reception in New York and
Hollywood begged him to be a star. More recently, Glasgow was
popularised by a TV programme about the city's tough police officer
Taggart. The role of the Glasgow detective made Mark McManus one of
Scotland's first international TV stars, and Mark's own life story
makes equally compelling reading. Before Billy Connolly, Glasgow's
greatest-ever comedian was Lex McLean. He smashed all the
box-office records in a Glasgow theatre and became a legend in his
own lifetime. His story has never before been told in such detail.
This is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating studies of
Scotland's largest city ever published.
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Dan Knew
(Paperback)
F J Curlew
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R473
R430
Discovery Miles 4 300
Save R43 (9%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Imagine yourself alone in the wilderness holding two lawbreaking
suspects at gunpoint. No onlookers, no backup. Just you in the
dark, in the middle of nowhere, with suspects who would cheerfully
kill you if they thought they could get away with it. Bob Lee takes
readers deep into the days and nights of Florida game wardens,
telling stories of officers who do much more than check licenses.
Shoot-outs. Survival. Rescue. Powerboat chases. Black-market gator
poaching. Jumping through truck windows to stop turkey poachers,
shredding boat propellers on underwater logs, trapping airboats in
wild hog muck, ferrying crates of baby sea turtles, hunting for
lost persons in remote areas, getting stuck under a 500-pound
all-terrain vehicle at the bottom of a sinkhole-these are just some
of the situations game wardens find themselves in. From Live Oak to
the Everglades, from the cattle ranches west of Lake Okeechobee to
the inshore fishing grounds of Pine Island, these adventures span
the state. Discover the excitement and danger that game wardens
face every day on the job.
"I was first drawn to working in oncology while I was a student
nurse at St Thomas' Hospital in London. There I met a woman who had
been diagnosed with breast cancer and showed such strength and
fortitude in the face of her diagnosis that it left a strong
impression on me."She said that, despite all the information that
had been provided by the professionals and the internet, she would
love to be able to dip in and out of a book that had useful advice
for newly diagnosed patients, based on the experiences of other
patients. The idea for this book was born."I decided to pursue this
and canvassed the opinions of other patients, asking if they felt
having such information available in this format would have been
beneficial. The response was very positive and so I set about
compiling and distributing a questionnaire to both NHS and private
patients."Written by patients to help others learn from their
experiences, compiled by Alison Bailey, a Breast Care Specialist
Nurse
He never knew his name, he never knew his mother, he never knew his
family, he never knew his people, he never knew his country. Born
Alice Springs, 4th January, 1973, murdered Perth, 4th January,
1992...because he was black. From the epitaph at Alice Springs
Cemetery] *** Warren Braedon, named Louis St. John Johnson by his
adoptive parents, was taken from his mother in Alice Springs at
just three months old. Told that he had been abandoned, Louis's
adoptive parents, Bill and Pauline Johnson raised him in a loving
family in Perth. Despite a happy childhood, Louis was increasingly
targeted by school bullies and the police for his Aboriginality. As
he grew older, his need to meet his natural family prompted visits
to Alice Springs with his parents, but they were thwarted by
bureaucracy. Louis was planning to return to Alice Springs when,
walking home on his 19th birthday, he was brutally murdered by a
group of white youths whose admitted motive was 'because he was
black.' Originally published in the multi-award-winning and seminal
history of the Aboriginal 'Stolen Generations' (Broken Circles by
Anna Haebich), the story of Louis Johnson/Warren Braedon captures
the dark heart of racism in modern Australia through the tragic
story of one boy and his short life. A Boy's Short Life is an
in-depth history of Aboriginal discrimination, highlighted through
an individual story of injustice, one that raises issues that
continue to challenge our society.
'The Perfect Scapegoat' is the true story of a naive twenty year-
old girl unwittingly caught up in an investigation into alleged
child sexual abuse. Jessie has spent almost five years working for
a busy family with three children. Overnight her world is shattered
when one of the children is suspected of having been sexually
abused, and questions are being asked. From this moment on Jessie's
life will never be the same again. She is caught up in a
distressing police investigation and the devastation worsens with
the involvement of the social services. Jessie soon realises that
she is faced with an extremely serious and potentially
life-changing situation. 'The Perfect Scapegoat' tells Jessie's
very personal and at times heart-wrenching account of the abuse
investigation and her struggle for many years after to fight for
justice and a normal life.
Mike Ledingham has been a farmhand, soldier, real estate salesman,
small business operator, armed security guard and caregiver. Once a
Grunt is an offbeat collection of 10 short stories loosely based on
his experiences in the Infantry and the SAS and beyond. They
reflect his keen enjoyment of the funny side of life, his total
lack of respect for bullies and self-important wallies, and his
deep empathy with the underdog.
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