Aisling Creegan's childhood was dominated by an abusive, alcoholic mother, who tortured her at every turn. From insults through beatings and being threatened with a butcher's knife, Aisling endured unthinkable suffering at the hands of the woman who should have loved her unconditionally. Yet in the midst of this trauma, Aisling was able to rely on the one person she knew she could trust - herself.

Possessed of an incredible imagination and remarkable resilience, Aisling found escape in the little things in life: lying in a field on a sunny day; drawing; Matchbox cars; and her teddy bear, Panda. Aisling's power to imagine an alternative world enabled her to hold on and make it to adolescence and the freedom she had longed for since childhood.

But the scars of the past take time to heal, and when Aisling suffered a breakdown it took her on a surprising path to freedom - and forgiveness. I Am Someone is an extraordinary memoir about female cruelty, and ultimately female strength and endurance.

'Searingly honest ... brings you straight into the inner world of someone pushed to the limits' Lynn Ruane