Who could I become, if I gave myself a chance? That's the question Beck asked herself at the age of eighteen when an unknown future threatened to end her life, after years of sexual abuse by both her grandfathers and absent parents who did nothing to protect her. Leaving her to deal with the abuse completely on her own. Beck made a pact with herself to unlearn everything trauma taught her and relearn everything she could to become 'normal' like everybody else. Beck's intimate journey is full of heartache, of raw insight into the effects of childhood trauma, including multiple mental breakdowns. But it's also one where Beck refused to believe suffering was her only option. Beck's story shows us the road to recovery is not an easy one but worth every step to heal what was broken and live in peace and happiness. Foreward by Associate Professor, Dr Judith Howard, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Australia. 'Every time I read Rebekah's story - I tear up! I am not one for doing this, as I have grown very resilient over the many years I have worked in this field of trauma-aware education. I have heard so many stories of harm done to people, young and older, and have met and known many of these people. What keeps me working so hard in this field, are people like Rebekah! Rebekah is the epitome of someone who I refer to in my work as becoming more and more "resolved" from the trauma she endured, as time goes by. This has not happened easily or without an extreme amount of endurance and hard work, but people like Rebekah are the evidence that - what we do and how we support our children and young people who have lived through complex trauma - particularly in education settings - is so very important! I teared up again when I read Rebekah 's manuscript for this book. I believe this is because I know the (mostly) resolved and adult Rebekah, a beautiful young woman who exhibits such strength and passion for caring for others. It sincerely hurts me to read about the vulnerable and victimised child Rebekah and the long-suffering younger adult, Rebekah. However, Rebekah has chosen to openly share with you, both the child and the younger adult Rebekah, in the hope that this will encourage others who have lived through complex childhood trauma, to fight for their healing and for all the goodies in life that they need and deserve - health, love, family, career, calm, happiness .... Rebekah is a courageous survivor of complex trauma- who is determined to prevent any intergenerational transmission of this harm by being a great (informed and responsive) mother. She is also someone who is determined to heal herself, and to be her best self, so that she can then support the healing of others. Her memoir is an admirable project - to do just that - to support healing in others. This project would not have come easily, as it is no small thing to recall the details of suffering and to analyse one's self and one's experiences to the degree that Rebekah has done. I feel so privileged to write this introduction to Rebekah's heartfelt story and I look forward to hearing of many more great chapters in Rebekah's life!' Editor, Kaye Kemp Book Polishing says 'I'm crying' and 'So powerful!' You'll have to read for yourself why so many people were deeply moved by Beck's personal journey...

As a kid growing up in Indiana surrounded by cornfields and deep poverty, with two emotional terrorists for parents, all Craig Greiwe ever wanted was to be normal. In his youth, he lived under the stairs in Dickensian misery. Once he managed to make it to college, things got about as weird as might be expected for a teenager who grew up reading The 1978 World Book Encyclopedia for kicks. From an emotional breakdown at the top of a mountain at one school to setting off a chain of events that nearly blew apart Columbia Law School a few years after that, his life was anything but normal. Along the way, he found a long-distance foster mom 2,000 miles away; slept his way to success in Hollywood; had his heart broken; discovered secrets about the people who raised him; and was finally adopted by Norman-Rockwell-esque parents at the age of twenty-four. Chasing Normal is the story of a man who grew up trying to be like everyone else, only to realize that being yourself is the only way forward. His stories range from wild to painful and sometimes humorous, but ultimately, they are a journey about compassion, salvation, and eventually, joy. Chasing Normal stands out as a hopeful beacon for anyone who’s ever felt “other”—which is just about everyone. Like a lighthouse on a hill, this book offers direction to an illuminating place where we can learn to embrace ourselves, no matter how messy a life we lived.

When a girl falls in love with the manshe believes can give her the traditionallife she desires, she sacrifices everythingto make her dreams come true. Brad has it all. He is handsome, popular, and charismatic. Who could resist his many charms? In desperate pursuit of the normal life she believes Brad can give to her, she tries her best to be everything he wants a devoted wife, lover, and motherbut it is never enough. For a decade, she devotes every moment of every day to his happiness. Slowly, she realizes that in addition to the loss of her youth, she has also sacrificed much more to maintain the illusion of a perfect marriage. After drastically altering her life just to be near him, she starts to see through his gossamer-thin promises.But try as she might to hold her head up as evidence of Brads moral defects mounts, her sense of self weakens. Unaware of how deeply she is being damaged and how blatantly she has been deceived, she must make a choice. Will she abandon her fantasy of the traditional nuclear family so she can reclaim her long-forgotten self-worth? Or will she continue to languish at the hands of a toxic man? She is a simple girl who just wanted something better. And despite it all, her journey is one filled with surprisingly sharp humor, raw honesty and optimism.

City girl Eve Whitting has given up on love. Years spent living the roller coaster life has left her feeling lost and fed up with men. But escaping the city for her small hometown wasnt supposed to bring her face-to-face with sexy neighbor Joel Powella man quite possibly sent from the godsor her mother wielding a book on Relationships and How to Have One. If Eve thought she had challenges before, she hasnt seen anything yet Charming cowboy Joel Powell has given up on peace and quiet. His life is already filled to the brim with complications from his divorce and the alluring, feisty Eve Whitting has plunked herself right in the middle of it. With one failed marriage under his belt, Joels warning bells are clanging, but theres something about Eve he just cant resist. While fighting for custody of his three-year-old son, Joel tries to temper his feelings for this woman who is fast becoming lodged in his heart. Faced with a burgeoning relationship that neither bargained for nor wanted, Eve and Joel must navigate through a minefield of broken dreams and broken hearts to find what true loveand true commitmentreally mean.

Mieka Baker just wants to be normal. It’s tough enough that her mom left a few years ago and that her artist dad decorates the house solely with “treasures” from the “vintage” store (read: all their furniture is made out of plastic) but it’s just too much when Mieka and her dad have to leave Boston to go to spend the summer with her sick grandmother in Texas—someone Mieka has never met. Grandma Baker isn’t just brutally honest, she’s brutal. She tells Mieka she’s fat, frumpy, and basically unwanted. It’s all too much to handle, especially when she has to stay with her Aunt Kate’s family. The most normal family ever. Aunt Kate stays at home with the kids (where IS Mieka’s mom anyway?), Uncle Dave wears a suit to work, cousin Mark is a genius and Greta—well, she’s Mieka’s age but that’s where the similarity ends. She’s blond, beautiful, fit, friendly, popular and practically perfect. But as the summer progresses and Mieka learns a thing or two about herself (hey, she can actually learn to enjoy herself at camp, even if it is Bible camp and she happens to be a bit chubbier than every other camper there) and her family members she realizes that there’s no such thing as normal. That even though she and her dad aren’t a conventional family and aren’t rich and don’t go to church they are incredibly lucky to have each other and to have love. And even the perfect kids seem to be chasing normal too.

High school sophomore Annie Smith is just hoping to live a normal life after she moves from Arkansas to the quiet little town of Reston, Texas. But it does not take long for her new friends to figure out that Annie is anything but normal. Annie's goal is to fly under the radar drawing as little attention to herself as possible. But she soon discovers that being normal does not always bring happiness. Melinda "Chip" Fullerton is a gifted athlete with two wishes-to be taller and to be on a good team for once. As she starts her junior year of high school, it looks like both her wishes will go unfulfilled-until Annie shows up. Immediately suspicious of Annie's baggy clothes and athletic abilities, Chip enlists Luke Slowinski, sports editor for the school newspaper, to do some undercover sleuth work that eventually reveals the truth: Annie is not who she appears to be. This is a story that illustrates the importance of building character as well as talent, Annie soon learns that a new beginning is all she needs to finally embrace her true self.

Karl Schonborn's silver tongue is locked away for years by a birth defect that makes his speech unclear and his face asymmetrical. Bullies target him for this and even for being restricted from PE and sports. But with courage, humor, and his family's love, he overcomes shame, handicaps, and personal losses that might have defeated others. Skilled doctors, speech therapists, and his own determination allow him a shot at his dream of becoming a debate star and attending an elite college. However, after various successes Schonborn must deal with reverses in his love life and worse--unspeakable tragedy in his family. Somehow, he survives, even thrives. Spanning the WWII '40s, the conformist '50s, and the revolutionary '60s, Schonborn's coming-of-age story recounts, among other things, his friendship with a famous folksinger, conscientious-objection to the Vietnam War, and an amazing around-the-world odyssey. His story, like the stories of the speech-challenged Greek orator Demosthenes and British King George VI, will have you crying and cheering at the same time. "A poignant, heartfelt tale of endurance and hope. Schonborn's story is an inspiration to all who endure physical or mental health challenges and those who care about them." -Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry