"'Abuse' is an ugly word. And to many people, abuse is an ugly reality of life. This book tells the stories of two men and two women whose lives have been painfully marked by abuse. As a child, Kenyon was beaten first by his mother, later by his father and stepmother. Dawn grew up surrounded by abusive people, then married a violent man. Ryan's stepfather terrorized his entire family, physically and emotionally. Eunice was only a child when an adult...

"Johanna, Rasheedah, and Rachel each became an unmarried mother while she was still in her teens. With the birth of her baby, each girl's 'ordinary' teen life was over. After Rasheedah's baby was born, all she could do was cry. She didn't know anything about babies. She didn't even dare touch this screaming, demanding stranger. Her depression grew as her dreams of college vanished into thin air. Rachel wanted to be popular. Boys liked her. But...