This book is about all of the struggles I went through in my life. It's also about the kinds of abuse I suffered from the time I was four years old, including mental abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. And that is just from the time I can remember. All that abuse was caused by multiple people and continued throughout my whole life. Some people who go through similar situations of abuse don't survive or they get into using drugs or drinking alcohol to cope and they end up destroying their lives. Somehow I was able to overcome all of the abuse and I became the person I am today. My children especially gave me the strength to keep moving forward! I hope this book can help people overcome difficulties in their lives. Thank you!
Betty Grace seems poised and perfect, but actually her life is falling apart. Widowed, bankrupt and mired in grief for a dead son, the former Texas pageant queen summons her rebellious spirit and makes a big change - she begins growing marijuana in her basement.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD “A beautifully crafted memoir, rich with humor and wisdom.” —Will Schwalbe, author of The End of Your Life Book Club “The idea of a cultured gay man leaving New York City to care for his aging mother in Paris, Missouri, is already funny, and George Hodgman reaps that humor with great charm. But then he plunges deep, examining the warm yet fraught relationship between mother and son with profound insight and understanding.” —Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home When George Hodgman leaves Manhattan for his hometown of Paris, Missouri, he finds himself—an unlikely caretaker and near-lethal cook—in a head-on collision with his aging mother, Betty, a woman of wit and will. Will George lure her into assisted living? When hell freezes over. He can’t bring himself to force her from the home both treasure—the place where his father’s voice lingers, the scene of shared jokes, skirmishes, and, behind the dusty antiques, a rarely acknowledged conflict: Betty, who speaks her mind but cannot quite reveal her heart, has never really accepted the fact that her son is gay. As these two unforgettable characters try to bring their different worlds together, Hodgman reveals the challenges of Betty’s life and his own struggle for self-respect, moving readers from their small town—crumbling but still colorful—to the star-studded corridors of Vanity Fair. Evocative of The End of Your Life Book Club and The Tender Bar, Hodgman’s New York Times bestselling debut is both an indelible portrait of a family and an exquisitely told tale of a prodigal son’s return.
Helen Betty Osborne, known as Betty to her closest friends and family, dreamed of becoming a teacher. She left home to attend residential school and later moved to The Pas, Manitoba, to attend high school. On November 13, 1971, Betty was abducted and brutally murdered by four young men. Initially met with silence and indifference, her tragic murder resonates loudly today. Betty represents one of almost 1,200 Indigenous women in Canada who have been murdered or gone missing. This is her story. Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story has been selected as a White Raven 2016 by the International Youth Library for its annual catalogue of book recommendations in the field of international children’s and youth literature. This year’s White Ravens catalogue contains 200 titles in 42 languages from 60 countries.
"The Lives of Dwarfs is extraordinary in its range and vision. Beautifully written. Totally absorbing."--Ursula Hegi, author of Stones from the River "As a little person, husband, and father of a little person, I dream of the day when dwarfs attain full acceptance in society. The Lives of Dwarfs provides a giant step in that direction."--Rick Spiegel, former president of Little People of America "This important book makes it possible for both average- and short-statured people to challenge our collective understanding of dwarfism as a synonym for diminishment or as an array of cute and evil fairy-tale figures. The libratory work of this book is to invite us all to reimagine dwarfism as a livable experience and tenable way of being in the world."--Rosemarie Garland Thomson, author of Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature "A work of compassionate scholarship. A unique contribution to the literature of physical deformity and social isolation and a gift to the individuals whose personal struggle this is."--Linda Hunt, actor Historically, they have borne the labels "freaks" and "oddities"; they have been collected as pets, displayed as spectacles, and treated as comic relief. Now, for the first time, in this elegant and comprehensive volume, the lives of dwarfs are explored in all their fullness and humanity. Spanning the centuries from ancient Egypt to the present, this unique social history chronicles the various ways this population has been exploited, describes their strategies for coping, and notes the persistent influence of mythology upon perceptions of them by others. The narrative also highlights the lives of eminent individuals and contains a thought-provoking account of the representation and participation of dwarfs in the arts, enhanced by outstanding color photographs. Betty M. Adelson, the mother of a daughter with dwarfism, brings special insight and sensitivity to the research. She traces the widespread mistreatment of dwarfs over the centuries, engendered by their being viewed as curiosities rather than as human beings capable of the same accomplishments as people of average height, and deserving of the same pleasures. For much of their history, dwarfs have resorted to exhibiting themselves: because of social stigma no other employment was available. Only in recent years have short-statured individuals begun to challenge their position in society. Medical advances, new economic opportunities, and disability legislation have led to progress, mainly in Western nations. Advocacy groups have also formed in countries as diverse as Chile, South Korea, and Nigeria. Adelson compares what she refers to as the "small revolution" to similar social and cultural awakenings that women, African Americans, gays and lesbians, and persons with disabilities experienced when they identified themselves as a community with shared goals and obstacles. Written with passion, grace, and the dignity that the subject deserves, The Lives of Dwarfs will not only revolutionize current perceptions about the historically misrepresented dwarf population, but also offer pause for thought on issues of disability, medical treatment, height, beauty, and identity.
Anne Scargill and Betty Cook met at the beginning of the miners' strike. Together they helped to create perhaps the greatest thing to come out of the strike, the Women Against Pit Closures movement. Inspired by the working-class values that raised them, they put their arms around those who needed support, fed the hungry, and stood firm against those whose intent was to destroy their way of life. Once the strike was over, through education and direct action, they stepped over the threshold to support working people in struggle both at home and abroad, changing not only the direction of their own lives, but many other women too. 'Their warmth, thoughtfulness and humour resound on every page.' The Guardian 'At once politically powerful, genuinely funny and personally moving.' Red Pepper 'A must read about two women with extraordinary courage and a commitment to their community that has never faltered.' Ricky Tomlinson
"Marriage is the most underreported story in political life and yet is often the key to its success. This is the idea driving a revealing new portrait of Lady Bird as the essential strategist, fundraiser, barnstormer, peacemaker, and ballast for Lyndon...[A] biography of a political partnership that helps explain how the wildly talented but deeply flawed Lyndon Baines Johnson ended up making history..."--P. [2] of jacket.
Preschooler Betty Bunny is back and testing her limits. Luckily, she is a loveable handful nobunny can resist. This hardcover picture book in the Betty Bunny series is by author Michael B. Kaplan, creator of Disney’s T.V. series Dog with a Blog. Betty Bunny doesn’t know why she can only buy one toy in the toy store when she wants them all. Her family tells Betty Bunny she can’t have everything she wants and come up with a lesson to teach her the value of money and spending limits. But the precocious bunny comes up with a hilarious loophole. Betty Bunny’s preschool perspective and negotiating skills will leave you in stitches.
Lifting one’s head up to view the family landscape can transpire questions such as, “Where am I?” “How did I get here?” “Why am I here?” and “Where am I headed?” observing the loved ones growing alongside. This may also form questions to which we reflect on the status of their formation. Take a short journey with this parenting handbook, Growing a Family. This will give inspiration to parents and family supports to obtain essential tools to help cultivate the roots of your garden. In it, you will travel through parenting subjects that are attached to personal stories orchestrated with experience and wisdom intended to surface an emotional rainbow. Uncover the gems hidden within your ancestry, gaining knowledge of the “why” when turning through the chapters on the foundation of yourself as well as the precious soul of your child. Dig into the importance of family values and stitching supports to add individual and family strength. You may find comfort in a greater power as you read spiritual happenings written with an open heart poured out in the “Power of Prayer.” Parents and caregivers of children all ages can find tools to use in the unexpected storms of life. Helpful strategies and observations are to be considered when reading about boundaries, babies to youth, and the importance of how we communicate when turning through the “Talk to Me” section of the book. Learn how to look for safety issues that may arise when leaving your children in the care of others with the “Working Parent” chapter. Grow knowledge of things that may cause harm to a family if the unexpected happens, causing a shift of unbalance uncovered in the “Blended Family” section. Laugh, cry, and internalize the creativity told through the words to inspire all of us to nurture our future gardens.
