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Scarred is a sad and shocking memoir by a woman who was abused and scarred though she was never beaten. Sophie Andrews has spent much of her adult life working for charity, especially for the Samaritans and aiding young homeless people.

After suffering years of horrendous abuse, Andrews found a lifeline through the Samaritans helpline. There she met Fran who became a life-long friend. Andrews revealed that from the age of ten, her father had used her for sex; from the time her mother left, she had forced to share her father’s bed. “I had learned about sex but I didn’t understand why my dad was doing it to me,” she says. Eventually after years of rape and torture, by her father and other men, Sophie began to hurt herself deliberately. She ended up in a psychiatric hospital and there she trod the first steps on the long road to recovery.

I would advise this book is not for the faint hearted and would recommend this book only if you have an interest in, as many of the scenes depicted are quite horrifying… in saying that I appreciated them for how honest they were. She really is a testament to human spirit and strength.