Fatima Whitbread had the worst possible start in life. Abandoned as a baby, she spent much of her childhood in and out of children's homes. A brief, disastrous stay with her birth mother saw her raped by her mother's drunken boyfriend - while her mother held a knife to her throat to 'quieten her down'. Fatima was only twelve at the time.Athletics was her saviour: local athletics coach Margaret Whitbread took the young Fatima under her wing, eventually adopting her. Fatima competed ...

Introduce young ones to the strength of love and kindness in this touching story about finding hope in the toughest places, authored by Olympic-medal-winner Fatima Whitbread.North Star, North Star,Are you near or are you far?Shining with a twinkling glow,Please show us which way to go.Join Little Fatima on a journey to find her forever home, even though it is not as easy as she had hoped. But through this journ...

In***Drip by Drip, Day by Day: Finding Purpose Through the Pain,*** Steven Russell takes readers on a deeply moving journey of resilience, hope, and transformation. From a childhood marked by instability and the search for belonging, Steven crafts a narrative of strength and redemption, offering profound insights into the power of human connection and the indomitable spirit to overcome adversity.This book will deeply resonate with care leavers, foster parents, social workers, and a...

Navigating foster care can be overwhelming for everyone. There are thousands of books offering professional opinions on how to be a good foster carer and provide therapeutic support for children in care, but what about asking the young people who've been there?This essential guide brings the voices of care-experienced authors to the forefront, sharing their first-hand knowledge and advice for making a real difference. From big-picture concepts like understanding healthy relationshi...

From the age of three Sheena Harrison was brought up by her grandmother whilst her own mother, Kathleen, sought work in America. Kathleen later returned for her daughter, but her mother refused to hand her over, saying Sheena had settled into her new home. She left once more for the States, believing that Sheena would be loved, cared for and kept safe. What she did not know was that Granny Morag would go on to allow, indeed facilitate, the horrific abuse of little Sheena. From the age of f...

Actress, presenter, talent show judge.Daughter, wife, mother, survivor.There's so much more to Amanda Holden than fame.A natural-born performer, Amanda's journey to becoming one of the most recognisable faces on our screens today has been one full of love, laughter and tears.A British star and nationally treasured actress, she has appeared on our screens and stages for over 20 years. In the notoriously tricky world of show business, Amanda has carved out her...

Two years ago Bernie Nolan was given the initial all-clear after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Over the moon, Bernie set about rebuilding her life and making plans for the future.Then in the summer of 2012, she was in her bedroom getting dressed when she found a lump just above her breast. Terrified, she immediately made a hospital appointment, where she was given the devastating news that the cancer had returned. It had spread to her brain, lungs, liver and bones and was...

The reigning queen of Albert Square, Laila Morse shares her incredible story for the first time. This is a book that will shock, humble and inspire.

Detective Sergeant Harry Keeble's bestselling books, Baby X and Little Victim described his early years in Hackney's Child Protection Unit, as he battled to get to grips with cases of unimaginably horrific child abuse. In Broken Angels, a more experienced Harry relates a series of extraordinary cases he encountered with Ella, a young and newly qualified social worker.Together, Harry and Ella faced the violence of forced marriage, the horror of maternal incest and the cruelty of chi...

In the summer of 1992, Jeremy Howe and his wife, Lizzie, were tending to last-minute holiday preparations. Lizzie was leaving to teach at a summer school before she could join Jeremy and their two daughters, Jessica, six and Lucy, four, at the seaside. That night, arriving at his mother’s in Suffolk, Jeremy managed to get the excited girls to go to sleep, irritated that their mother hadn't called to say goodnight as she had promised. Just after midnight the household was woken by a policem...

He was my religious teacher. I should have been able to trust him. But he made me do unspeakable things…At seven years old, Nabila Sharma began her lessons at the mosque as every good Muslim girl does. But from the minute she looked up at her Imam, the man who held her spiritual future in his hands, she knew something was wrong.Over the next five years Nabila’s life became unbearable. While she was behind the doors of the mosque, the most sacred of places, the Imam brutally...

The tragic but ultimately uplifting story of a young woman who was sent to a 'baby laundry' for unmarried mothers in 1960s LondonIn 1963, London was on the brink of becoming one of the world's most vibrant cities. Angela Patrick was 19 years old, enjoying her first job working in the City, when her life turned upside down. A brief fling with a charismatic charmer left her pregnant,...