My life was one of those teen angst rom-coms where the ugly high school student transforms herself into the beauty queen. Except there was no cute guy helping me along, no series of makeover shots with fun background music, no scene where I walked into the room and all heads turned to look at me while wind blew through my hair. I was the ugly high school student, and I did transform, but it wasn't all peaches and cream. Bullied so badly in high school that it ruined my life, I spent my senior year in therapy. It was there that I transformed - not just physically, but mentally as well. I wanted a fresh start and going to college across the country was my ticket to that. It was a whole new world, and things were great ... ... and then came the blast from my past. And he didn't recognize me. What was a girl to do? Revenge, of course! My plan was to make him fall for me and then break his heart. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. If only revenge was black and white ... too bad a lot of gray was in the mix. But one thing was for sure - I needed a way to heal the scars from my past. I just hoped I could.

From a writer whose work has been called “breathtaking and dazzling” by Roxane Gay, this moving, illuminating, and multifaceted memoir explores, in a series of essays, the emotional scars we carry when dealing with mental and physical illnesses—reminiscent of The Collected Schizophrenias and An Unquiet Mind. In this stunning debut, Laura Lee weaves unforgettable and eye-opening essays on a variety of taboo topics. In “History of Scars” and “Aluminum’s Erosions,” Laura dives head-first into heavier themes revolving around intimacy, sexuality, trauma, mental illness, and the passage of time. In “Poetry of the World,” Laura shifts and addresses the grief she feels by being geographically distant from her mother whom, after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, is relocated to a nursing home in Korea. Through the vivid imagery of mountain climbing, cooking, studying writing, and growing up Korean American, Lee explores the legacy of trauma on a young queer child of immigrants as she reconciles the disparate pieces of existence that make her whole. By tapping into her own personal, emotional, and psychological struggles in these powerful and relatable essays, Lee encourages all of us to not be afraid to face our own hardships and inner truths.

This story follows Brielle, a girl with a rough past, who is just trying to navigate through life despite the trauma given to her by her childhood and her ex's. One day she meets someone who she thinks will fix her, but when things start going downhill, she realizes that maybe she doesn't need to be fixed. Brielle must learn that she is enough and that there is power in growth and choosing the things that are good for her. Brielle must go through the hardest journey of her life, one of healing, of mending, and of loving. Only after that may scabs turn into scars, and may it finally be in her past.

The deep pain of childhood abuse--whether physical or emotional, whether a child was neglected or wished nothing more than to be left alone--doesn't just go away. There's simply no just getting over it. Even if no physical scars remain as evidence of the victim's suffering, the deep wounds on their minds, hearts, and souls are still there. But it is possible to become whole and happy. Author of the successful Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse, Dr. Gregory Jantz now helps readers understand the effects of childhood abuse on their emotional, intellectual, physical, relational, and spiritual health. He then outlines the steps to lasting healing, including grieving what was lost, learning to balance emotions with intentionality, regaining a positive relationship with one's own body and mind, and coming to an understanding of God not as a frightening authority figure like the abuser or an accusing judge, but as a loving creator, redeemer, and friend.

Physical scars represent a story, a moment in one's life, and they show others that there is a history of healing. Noted author Sharon Jaynes shares with women how their internal scars—marks from past hurts and mistakes—also represent a story of restoration. With empathy, personal insight, and a best friend's gentle spirit, Sharon helps readers: recognize Jesus through their scars receive grace and forgiveness remove the mask and be real restore the broken heart release the power of healed wounds Encouraging chapters, inspirational stories, godly wisdom, and a Bible study guide lead readers to give their wounds to the One who sees their beauty and who turns hurts into hope.

A night out with the girls turns into a bad dream for college student, Madelyn Thomas. Feeling weak, violated, and ruined, Maddie must learn how to live life as a victim. Out of the nightmare, an old friend that disappeared more than a year ago reappears . With his help and the help of her friends and family, she will learn that being the victim doesn't mean your life is over. She will work on overcoming hurdles to reclaim her life, fall in love, and accept the person she has become. Along the way, she'll learn something about herself, too. She isn't the weak, ruined woman she thought she was but someone much stronger than she ever imagined. Not all of the scars left behind are visible but each one represents one thing... That she survived. Now, she just has to come to terms with every single one. This book contains adult content that may be sensitive for some readers. It is not recommended for readers under eighteen-years-old. The Scars Series: 1: Scars of the Past (Maddie's Story) 2: Scars of the Present (Sydney's Story) 3: Scars of the Future (Amanda's Story) 4: Scars of Denial (Delaney and Sean's Story) 5: Scars of Hope (Calla and Reed's Story) 6: Scars on the Surface (Amelia and Kyle's Story)

Decolonization is the term commonly used to refer to this transition from a world of colonial empires to a world of nation-states in the years after World War II. This work demonstrates that this process involved considerable violence and instability.