Through the lens of age, racism, and suffering, "From Zero to Eighty" narrates a history of what has not been written about older African American men. In this memoir, author Helen K. Black tells the life stories of John T. Groce and Charles E. Harmon against the backdrop of deep-seated cultural beliefs that engender racism. In this memoir, Black shares the thoughts and emotions of Groce and Harmon, two African American men who are rich with years, experience, and pain. Among many topics, "From Zero to Eighty" explores the following: The definition, description, and stories of suffering both as individuals and as part of a community The place of these men in a society that's filled with covert and overt racism The concepts of survival for African American men in general The men's childhood and young adult years and how they shaped their self- and world view The significance of men's program's founded by Groce and Harmon The link between old age and suffering The future in concrete ways and where we go from here A biography of two African American elders, "From Zero to Eighty" recounts a journey of their lives, captured in words of struggle and hope.

This book explores the multifaceted experience of suffering in old age. Older adults suffer from a variety of causes such as illness, loss, and life disappointment, to name a few. Suffering also occurs due to experiences related to one's gender, ethnic background, and religion. Although gerontological literature has equated suffering with depression, grief, pain and sadness, elders themselves distinguished suffering from these concepts and at the same time showed how they are linked. Narratives of suffering from community-dwelling elders are interpreted in this book, along with the personal meaning of suffering that lies within each narrative.

'Gripping and gritty, this book will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.' Roberta Kray Liberty Chapman had a difficult childhood. The oldest of four kids, she tried to protect them from their violent father until one day he murdered their mother and got sent down. What was left of the family rattled through the care system, bouncing from foster placement to care home. Liberty would have probably ended up on drugs, or dead, or worse if it hadn't been for a ballsy solicitor who told her to get her act together.So that's what she did. She kept her nose clean, got an education. And look at her now. New name, new accent, new town. The past is far behind her and she's concentrating on her own legal career. She has a Porsche, a house in Hampstead... and then one morning her boss asks her to do a favour. He wants her to go to Leeds, to get an important client's son off an assault charge. But Leeds is in Liberty's past. And once she hits town, the past slaps her in the face... and pulls her back into what she worked so hard to leave behind.

Four months have passed since the shocking death of Frankie Greenwood, but Liberty Greenwood has managed to keep the rest of her family safe and expand their criminal empire.

But when Liberty and Jay set out to teach a protection racketeer a lesson things get out of hand and the Greenwoods soon find themselves under attack: the Black Cherry is fire bombed and Crystal is arrested.

Liberty must hold her nerve, make alliances with old enemies and discover exactly who is trying to destroy her. But that's easier said than done with Sol back on the scene, Crystal's baby to care for and DI Angel holding enough information on Liberty to put her away for good. Is Liberty Greenwood hard enough?

'Gripping and gritty, this book will keep you hooked from the first page to the last' Roberta Kray One year on from being reunited with the family she abandoned, successful lawyer Liberty Chapman is still in Leeds - although she has stayed well away from the Greenwood's business activities. Their criminal life style may not sit right with Liberty, but blood is thicker than water and surely what they do is their business not hers? But when her youngest brother, Frankie, is seriously injured in a shooting, Liberty is forced to decide which side she is on and how far she will go to protect her own. And if that means torturing the local gangster for information or kidnapping another at gun point, then so be it. Turns out Liberty is a Greenwood after all. Meanwhile, PC Amira Hassani will do whatever it takes to put Liberty and her family away for good, and if that includes blackmailing her colleague Sol Connolly to secure evidence against them, then so be it too. Will Sol betray Liberty to protect his wife and his career? And how far will any of them go to do what they think is right? 'The Leeds setting is every bit as gritty as Kray's East End . . . hard as nails!' Peterborough Telegraph

'Gripping and gritty, this book will keep you hooked from the first page to the last' Roberta Kray Liberty Greenwood is back. County lines. Blurred lines. Crossed lines. Things are looking up for Liberty Greenwood. She's brokered a deal with the local rival gangster and it looks like the police have finally stopped investigating her. She even has a plan to steer her family away from their criminal activities. But when a spate of violence on the estates points to a hostile takeover bid from a crew from out of the area, Liberty is forced to take decisive and dangerous action - action which ends up with her doing a stint in prison. Meanwhile, Liberty's partner, ex-copper Sol Connolly is recruited to join an off-the-books team who will stop at nothing to infiltrate the new drugs gang, hellbent on sending kids 'up county.' As Liberty and Sol attack the same problem from different angles, who will give out first? And how many people will have to get hurt as they fight for what they each believe in? 'The Leeds setting is every bit as gritty as Kray's East End . . . hard as nails!' Peterborough Telegraph

When the world has failed you, you need a place of safety...Hard-hitting crime from the author of Damaged Goods. The rape of a young asylum seeker plunges family care lawyer Lilly Valentine into the toughest case of her life. 14-year-old Anna lives in Hounds Place, a hostel in Bedfordshire for youngsters seeking refuge from the atrocities being carried out in their homelands. A chance meeting with three public schoolboys ends in her being horrifically assaulted. When Artan, Anna's friend and a fellow asylum seeker, approaches Lilly about seeking justice through the courts she warns him that the law may not be on their side. Who will believe the words of an asylum seeker over the account of three privileged English boys? Despite this, Lilly is loath to get involved. After all, she is supposed to be putting her family and work commitments first. But Lilly quickly lives to regret that decision when Artan and Anna turn up at a school armed with guns, determined to take matters into their own hands. The day turns to tragedy and Anna is arrested. Wracked with guilt, Lilly is compelled to take on Anna's case despite the objections of her boyfriend Jack, boss, and most importantly, her own son Sam - a pupil at the school. Her decision to defend Anna attracts a huge backlash from the press and the community. And when local racist groups pick up on the story, Lilly's family and friends become a target. Can Lilly follow her conscience and defend Anna - or is this case just too close to home?

Through the lens of age, racism, and suffering, "From Zero to Eighty" narrates a history of what has not been written about older African American men. In this memoir, author Helen K. Black tells the life stories of John T. Groce and Charles E. Harmon against the backdrop of deep-seated cultural beliefs that engender racism. In this memoir, Black shares the thoughts and emotions of Groce and Harmon, two African American men who are rich with years, experience, and pain. Among many topics, "From Zero to Eighty" explores the following: The definition, description, and stories of suffering both as individuals and as part of a community The place of these men in a society that's filled with covert and overt racism The concepts of survival for African American men in general The men's childhood and young adult years and how they shaped their self- and world view The significance of men's program's founded by Groce and Harmon The link between old age and suffering The future in concrete ways and where we go from here A biography of two African American elders, "From Zero to Eighty" recounts a journey of their lives, captured in words of struggle and hope.

Family care lawyer Lilly Valentine's life is demanding enough. But when she is begged for help by Anwar Khan after his teenage sister commits suicide, she finds herself dragged into a community terrified by a self-styled vigilante group vowing to protect it's women - by any means necessary... Treated with extreme hostility by the girl's family, Lilly is about to jettison the case. But when the police turn up and arrest the dead girl's younger brother for her murder, she's knows she's already in too deep. Together with her new assistant Taslima, Lilly gets caught up in the sinister world of a self-styled vigilante group vowing to protect the 'honour' of the women in their community - and punishing those who 'stray.' When another young Muslim girl disappears, Lilly knows it's only a matter of time before the group take the law into their own hands. But with so much in her own life at stake, has Lilly finally taken on more than she can handle?

An orphan is someone who has lost both parents, and a widow is someone who has lost her husband, but what do you call a mother who has lost both of her children? There is no name for them. "Imagine, if you dare, that your marriage is over, your parents are dead, your siblings are dead, and your children are dead. You are sixty-seven years old and no longer employed. What would you do?" "Why would God take away both of my children and leave me alone in my old age? I am not a perfect person. I have made mistakes, but that is a terrible punishment and I am not a bad person." "Life still hurts. A memory sneaks up on me and brings me to my knees on a regular basis, but I cry it out, I write it out, and get on with it." Mignon Matthews lost her daughter Evie in 1980, when she was eighteen, and her son Albert in 2005, when he was forty-two. This is her story.

The UK is gripped by the threat of gang violence - the media is building on that hysteria, convincing us that knife crime is rife and the streets are flooded with guns and drugs. So when a member of a notorious girl gang is charged with a brutal murder, sympathy is in short supply. Enter Lilly Valentine, a tough talking lawyer who is never prepared to take things at face value and is determined to uncover the truth, whatever the cost. A gripping crime novel that will force every reader to reassess what they think they know about society and gang culture. Praise for Helen Black: 'A dark and gripping read that will have you on the edge of your seat' Closer magazine 'A fantastic first novel [A Place of Safety].' Jane Elliott 'Terrific! A great read from start to finish.' [Dishonour] Jessie Keane author of Jail Bird. ''Unexpected and moving... A Place of Safety is written with sympathy and humour' EuroCrime

'HELP US' Lilly Valentine tries to help a damaged teenager - but has she been horrifically abused, or is she lying to save her own skin? Lilly Valentine is not in a happy place. In the midst of her life crashing down around her, Lilly is asked by a child psychologist if she will help one of her patients: a girl currently sectioned having stolen a car while extremely drunk. While Lilly visits her she is introduced to Chloe, another unstable teenager who slips Lilly a note saying: 'Help us'. And then Lilly's client is killed and Chloe accused of her murder. Her case is not helped by the fact that the words 'Help us' have been carved on the dead girl's stomach... As the investigation gets underway, more and more accusations come to light. But are they lies to divert attention; delusions of a mentally ill mind, or may there be some truth lurking behind the walls of the Grove? Praise for Helen Black: 'Gripping and gritty, this book will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.' Roberta Kray 'A dark and gripping read that will have you on the edge of your seat.' Closer magazine 'Frightening, depressing, and knowledgeable.' Country Life.

This book explores the multifaceted experience of suffering in old age. Older adults suffer from a variety of causes such as illness, loss, and life disappointment, to name a few. Suffering also occurs due to experiences related to one's gender, ethnic background, and religion. Although gerontological literature has equated suffering with depression, grief, pain and sadness, elders themselves distinguished suffering from these concepts and at the same time showed how they are linked. Narratives of suffering from community-dwelling elders are interpreted in this book, along with the personal meaning of suffering that lies within each narrative.