A terrifying home invasion had an enormous crippling impact on Gabrielle Vogel. But there was an upside! It culminated in her changing on many levels. She began to nurture a healthier, happier mindset and a much needed new version of self. This experience compelled her to live with a renewed love of life and to find a way forward, choosing a path filled with self worth, confidence, and courage.
Gun violence—intentional, self-directed or accidental—is a profoundly traumatic experience. From physical injuries to unseen psychological scars and permanent impairments, it irrevocably changes people’s lives. Gun violence does not just the individual shot or threatened. Secondary victimisation also includes relatives, friends, colleagues, caregivers, and, perhaps controversially, perpetrators themselves. Gun Violence, Disability and Recovery provides the first overview of the rights and needs of survivors of gun violence. The collection contains contributions from gun violence survivors, trauma surgeons, disability rights activists, rehabilitation specialists, violence prevention and reduction experts, development practitioners, and gender justice advocates. From countries with low resource levels to those already equipped with state-of-the-art rehabilitation centres, this innovative publication provides policymakers, practitioners, government officials, and donors with timely analysis on what could be done differently to meet the needs and rights of survivors of gun violence. “This volume speaks to me both as a government official and as a survivor of gun violence. I know first-hand how painful the aftermath of such a life-changing event can be. But I also know it is possible to recover and make a positive difference in society. I hope this book will inspire other survivors to follow this path.” Lenín Moreno Garcés, Vice President, Ecuador “Little attention has been paid to the fact that for every person killed by gun violence, as many as six victims will survive, often with severe disabilities. The long-term physical and psychological damage, social and economic impacts, can no longer be overlooked. Bringing together voices of survivors, as well as health, medical, rehabilitation and legal concerns, this book represents a significant step forward, outlining key issues for policy, practice and intervention. It is a must read for anyone concerned about human rights and violence—and that should mean all of us.” Nora Ellen Groce, Director, Leonard Cheshire Disability & Inclusive Development Centre, University College London, UK “Every year, hundreds of thousands of victims of gun violence, together with their families, experience the real costs of the availability and misuse of arms in our communities. For these victims to attain their basic human rights, so often denied them, we need a better understanding of their predicament, challenges and needs. Gun Violence, Disability and Recovery, with its comprehensive overview and analysis, will critically inform our efforts to develop and implement better policies and practices to enhance the realisation of the rights of survivors of armed violence, including implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty.” Espen Barth Eide, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway “The reality of survivors of gun violence—my reality—is so often lost in narrow political and economic interests. This volume gives me hope that attention to life after gun violence will begin to receive long overdue attention, and contribute to the long haul effort of improving services for survivors as well as working towards accountability about the arms trade.” Shelley Barry, filmmaker, South Africa “International development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, will not be achieved if the rights of people with disabilities are not met. Through a broad range of case studies and examples from low and middle income countries, this book shows us how States could do better. Let us hope that its message is heard. As a
Vendela Vida’s fearless, critically acclaimed fiction debut follows the unpredictable recovery of a young woman as she tries to make sense of her life after an encounter at gunpoint. Accosted one afternoon in Riverside Park by a man who doesn't want to die alone, Ellis, a young grad student, talks her way out of the situation by reciting poetry to her desperate captor. He lets her go, but is she free? Rejecting the overtures of her kind-hearted boyfriend, the police, and the suitors who would like to save her, Ellis finds herself unable to escape the event. She leaves the city to visit her family; joins her mother on a medical mission to the Philippines. When she returns, Ellis discovers something more about life–perhaps even how to take back her own.
On October 23, 2009, Somali pirates kidnapped Paul and Rachel Chandler from their sailing boat, the Lynn Rival, in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. In this remarkable memoir, the Chandlers recount their terrifying ordeal, revealing the inspiring and poignant story behind the dramatic headlines. The book chronicles the aftermath of the attack, and how the Chandlers' captors held them in Somalia for more than a year while trying to extort millions of dollars from their middle-class family. It goes on to describe how despite enduring threats, intimidation, solitary confinement, and even whippings, their unshakable belief in each other and their determination to survive sustained them. With its detailed, day-to-day account of the experience of being held captive by pirates, this unique and inspiring story will resonate with travelers the world over.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work Named a Best Book of the Year by The Root Chosen by Emma Straub as a Best New Celebrity Memoir “A book of essays as raw and honest as anyone has ever produced.” — Lena Dunham, Lenny Letter In the spirit of Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl, and Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist, a powerful collection of essays about gender, sexuality, race, beauty, Hollywood, and what it means to be a modern woman. One month before the release of the highly anticipated film The Birth of a Nation, actress Gabrielle Union shook the world with a vulnerable and impassioned editorial in which she urged our society to have compassion for victims of sexual violence. In the wake of rape allegations made against director and actor Nate Parker, Union—a forty-four-year-old actress who launched her career with roles in iconic ’90s movies—instantly became the insightful, outspoken actress that Hollywood has been desperately awaiting. With honesty and heartbreaking wisdom, she revealed her own trauma as a victim of sexual assault: "It is for you that I am speaking. This is real. We are real." In this moving collection of thought provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.
The winner of the prestigious Caldecott Honor, and described by the New York Times as 'a masterwork', Aaron Becker's stunning, wordless picture book debut about self-determination and unexpected friendship follows a little girl who draws a magic door on her bedroom wall. Through it she escapes into a world where wonder, adventure and danger abound. Red marker pen in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon and a flying carpet which carry her on a spectacular journey ... who knows where? When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also guide her home and to happiness? In this exquisitely illustrated book, an ordinary child is launched on an extraordinary, magical journey towards her greatest and most rewarding adventure of all...
A legend in Western fiction, Giles Tippette brings the relentless, unforgiving West alive with bullet-driven tales of honor and survival . . . Justa Williams didn’t build up his sprawling Half-Moon ranch by sitting back on his spurs. More often than not he had to invest a bullet or two or three or more—as many as it takes—to keep the unwanted off his property. But when a scheming cattleman figures out a way to suck the ranch dry and kill off his prized possessions, it’s time for Justa to saddle up and hunt down the root of the problem. And when Justa gets there, there’s no telling how many bullets it’ll take to spell out R-E-V-E-N-G-E. Praise for Giles Tippette “Tippette can plot away with the best of them.”—Dallas Morning News “Like True Grit . . . a small masterpiece . . . brilliantly written.” —Newark News “Spine-jarring, bullet-biting intensity.”—Houston Post “Tough, gutsy, and fascinating.”—NY Newsday “Impressive authenticity.”—Booklist “His fiction is taught and gripping.”—Houston Spectator “Tippette can write rough and tumble action superbly.”—Chattanooga Times
Two teenagers, Bobby Karuko and Jeff Housner, hitchhike to the West Coast, believing they are on a mission from God. As they travel into the unknown, searching for love, adventure, and clues to their questions, their quest takes an unexpected turn filled with mystery and suspense. Girls from their high school and neighborhoods are mysteriously disappearing, and Bobby suspects Jeff knows more about the missing girls than what he's saying. When Bobby, Jeff, and a few others accidentally invade someone's hidden domain and evidence points toward two possible suspects, Bobby and the others must decide if Jeff is innocent or guilty of the most horrific acts any of them could ever imagine.
Hogan assembles a fascinating cast of characters--from reluctant killers to jaded army generals--in this brilliant collection of virtually all of his short stories.
