NOTE: Due to an unfortunate IT error, many of the books by survivors that were listed here were lost recently (April 2025). If you are an survivor author and would like your book(s) added here, please contact me at l.herod@yahoo.ca. Kizzie
Rayn, O. (2019). My Mother The Psychopath: Growing Up in the Shadow of a Monster
What do you do when the person you’re meant to trust the most in the world is the one trying to destroy you? ‘When people met her they thought how lovely she was, this attractive woman with a beautiful laugh. But she was one person in public and another behind closed doors. Who would she be today? The loving mother? The trusted teacher? The monster destroying my life?’ Olivia has been afraid ever since she can remember. Out of sight, she was subjected to cruelty and humiliation at the hands of the one person who should have loved and protected her at all times – her mother, Josephine. While appearing completely normal to the outside world, Josephine displayed all the signs of being a psychopath – unbeknown to her daughter until adulthood – and Olivia grew up feeling scared, worthless and exploited. Even when she found the courage to cut ties, her mother found new ways to manipulate and deceive, attempting to destroy her life with a vicious campaign of abuse. Now Olivia has come to terms with her past and gives a fascinating, harrowing and deeply unsettling insight into what it’s like growing up with a psychopathic parent.
Russell, K. (2024) Ironing Out my Life: Child Abuse and How It Affected Everything Thereafter.
Author Kate Russell reveals traits, habits and mindsets that developed as the result of her early childhood trauma. She examines choices she made, masks she donned, and the outcome of her efforts through the lens of a survivor in recovery. For anyone who was physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually or psychologically abused - especially those who cope by sweeping it under the rug.
Walters, B. (2025). Facing the Jaguar: A Memoir of Courage and Confrontation
Since age 11, Babs suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her father. His edict–children should be seen and not heard–defined her childhood. Desperate to be loved and seeking approval, Babs absorbed both the responsibility and the shame that was not hers to begin with. Now, decades later, Babs Walters shows us how uncovering the truth is a critical step to healing. “Facing the Jaguar” is an inspirational story of resilience and courage—a story that proves anything is possible when we claim our truth and shine a light in even the darkest of places.
