And so much more. Most of these teachings are based on nothing more than the ramblings of a narcissist in their discarding phase, and not based on any tangible reality. It takes years to see that. This book took a while to finish, some parts of it hitting too close to home, such as the gut-wrenching chapter about her birthday, and being completely neglected. Ballet has the same appeal as Princess culture’: Alice Robb on how would-be ballerinas are taught to be thin, silent and submissive Empowering, unflinching and full of humour, this book takes that question and owns it. Using her relationship history, coming of age stories and experiences since the scandal during Strictly, Rebecca explores why good girls are drawn to darkness, whether pop culture glamourises toxicity, when a relationship ‘rough patch’ becomes the start of a destructive cycle, if women are conditioned for co-dependency, and – ultimately – how to reframe disaster into something magical. This inspired her to write a tweet, telling her side of the story. This tweet evoked responses from media, celebrities and other women who were inspired by the story to speak up about their own story.

From the romance’s fairy-tale beginning to its crushing end, Humphries is unflinching in her portrayal of her ex’s insidious emotional abuse as well as her own behaviour: “Screaming when the windows were wide open, storming off in shopping centres, crying at parties.” Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift InspirationWe're calling it: 2022 will be (and has already been) a phenomenal year for new books. Whether you've set yourself an ambitious reading target on Goodreads, or you're browsing for a bookworm friend, there's plenty of exciting literature to look out for in the new year. It’s the question that those of us who’ve had difficult relationships get asked more than anything else. It’s victim-shaming, but it’s also the question that stays with us and has the potential to eat us up. So I’m reclaiming it.

It never stops. Mostly from people that it resonates with, which says something about how common this is. Thousands came forward who’d been through the same. They understood what I was trying to say, which was: I was a smart, sexy, confident, clever woman and I can’t believe this happened to me. Victims of this behaviour don’t all look like submissive mice. It’s insidious when you see abuse victims in pop culture, because they’re often portrayed like that. If it can happen to her, a capable trial attorney, it can happen to anyone. Mekisha Jane Walker's ground-breaking and thought-provoking memoir has the potential to change the way domestic violence is viewed. Sharing her journey provides a fascinating insight into the confusion and agony women experience at the hands of an abuser, who was once their perfect love. Mekisha's incorporation of photos, video, audio, and court documents makes you feel as if you were actually there. This book will change lives by helping not only victims but also providing a better understanding of abusive relationships so that parents, siblings, and friends can help the woman on her path to regain control of her life. Humphries with Harry Trevaldwyn in Ten Percent, the British remake of Call My Agent! Photograph: Rob Youngson Why Did You Stay? is indeed a profound book about how our fear of rejection leads us (and by us, I mean primarily but not exclusively women) to settle for a state of affairs where “your expectations of what love looks like just get lower and lower until you think that love is this low-level thing that you’re trying to keep alive”. I ask Humphries why she thinks this is. “I have a long-held belief—threaded through this book—that popular culture has a lot to answer for in the way that it represents women. What’s so fascinating about what happened to me is that I’ve been obsessed with pop culture since I was about three, and suddenly in 2018, I found myself inside it, and expected to be dignified in a way that actually meant silent and voiceless. I was like: ‘That isn’t who I am! I have every right to assert myself!’” I always felt so alone when I felt these things, thinking no one could relate to it. Nothing is less wrong. This book opened up my eyes again to what many women experience, wounds that will forever stay with them, an ever-looming shadow.

Rebecca Humphries Press Reviews

She left because enough was enough, she knew the truth, she is capable of much more, her friends supported her through it, because it wasn't love. Jim Broadbent was a privilege to watch in action. David Harewood was electric. It was a fizzy environment to work in. Rebecca talks about how she felt, and it was parts relatable (especially paragraphs about her inner workings). In the final paragraph she highlights that she’s done her shadow work, and that she feels lighter.