Central Kansas Library System

The New York Times–bestselling novel "deftly capturing the hidden thoughts" of a child in an abusive home is "haunting" and "not soon forgotten." (Booklist) In many ways, Carrie Parker is like any other eight-year-old girl-playing make-believe, going to school, dreaming of faraway places. But even in her imagination, she can't pretend away the hardships of her impoverished North Carolina home or protect her younger sister, Emma. As the big...

"An award-winning journalist's intimate investigation of the true scope of domestic violence, revealing how the roots of America's most pressing social crises are buried in abuse that happens behind closed doors. We call it domestic violence. We call it private violence. Sometimes we call it intimate terrorism. But whatever we call it, we generally do not believe it has anything at all to do with us, despite the World Health Organization deeming it...

Can my partner abuse me and still be a good parent? Should I stay with my partner for my children's sake? How should I talk to my children about the abuse and help them heal? Am I a bad mother? Mothers in physically or emotionally abusive relationships ask themselves these questions every day. Whether it's physical or "just" emotional abuse, whether it's aimed at them or you, whether they see or hear it, your kids need you. This book, the first ever...

In this book, the author, a domestic violence expert uses his perspective as a therapist for abusive and controlling men to help women, their children, and other family members who have been touched by abuse understand why abusers behave the way they do and what can be done about it. He teaches women how to survive and improve an abusive relationship; how to determine how dangerous an abuser is and when it is impossible to rectify a situation; and...

"When she was just five years old, Melissa Braxton watched her father take her mother's life. Separated from her sister, Lola, at that time, Melissa grew up with a strong desire to help those stuck in abusive relationships. It's why she became a family therapist and opened a domestic abuse shelter.After losing a leg to a gunshot wound in the line of duty, Phil Osbourne has felt like a man without a purpose--until he hears Melissa's story and decides...

"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author, a novel about the power of family to harm--and to heal. Within the walls of a tasteful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, young Zane Bigelow feels like a prisoner of war. Strangers--and even Zane's own aunt across the lake--see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children's ballet recitals and baseball games. Zane and his...

"Growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, David Crow and his three siblings idolized their dad. Tall, strong, smart, and brave, the self-taught Cherokee regaled his family with stories of his World War II feats. But as time passed, David discovered the other side of Thurston Crow, the ex-con with his own code of ethics that justified cruelty, violence, lies--even murder. A shrewd con artist with a genius IQ, Thurston intimidated David with beatings...

After killing her husband-a truly terrible man, Sally finds herself leading an extremely unusual self-help group of women who have come together to heal the damage their husbands have done-and to work out a plan to get rid of the bodies and get away with it. "When Sally kills her husband with a cast-iron skillet, she's more fearful of losing her kids than of disposing of a fresh corpse. That just wouldn't be fair--not after twenty years of marriage...

The story of how one little boy found the courage to survive years of physical abuse-- and how the human spirit can triumph over even the most severe of circumstances. The Pelzer family's secret life of fear and abuse was first revealed in Dave Pelzer's inspiring New York Times bestseller, A Child Called "It," followed by The Lost Child and A Man Called Dave. Here, for the first time, Richard Pelzer tells the courageous and moving story of his abusive...

"For many people, cutting ties with a toxic family member is a crucial step away from a legacy of dysfunction and toward healing and well-being. In Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members, psychologist Sherrie Campbell offers readers effective strategies for setting strong boundaries after ending contact with a toxic family member and provides powerful tools to help them heal from shame, self-doubt, and stigma"--