Reclaiming Clare From
Controlling "Love" to
Courageous Clarity: A True Story
About the Book
Clare is a devoted mother and a respected professional. To the outside world, her life looks enviable. Inside her own home, she is slowly disappearing and quietly suffering from managing, anticipating, and appeasing the angry moods of a husband whose need for control has gradually and surreptitiously reshaped everything to revolve around him.
Reclaiming Clare is the true story of one woman's journey: how she became caught in a controlling relationship, what it took to understand what was really happening, and how she found the courage to leave and take back her life. Told from the safety of her new home as she begins to make sense of it all, it's a story about the long road from confusion to clarity, and about the quiet, remarkable strength it takes to talk about it. It is also a story about voice: about how putting words to what happened, and finally being heard, becomes part of how a person heals and reclaims their life.
Why This Story
So many women don't recognize what they're living with until they're deep into the dark woods of a controlling relationship and in danger of never seeing the light or finding their way out. Clare wrote this book for them, and for the people who love them.
Clare hopes that a reader who sees herself in these pages will know that her feelings are not wrong. You are not alone, and not beyond help. Telling your own story, in your own time, can be the beginning of reclaiming your life.
Read an Excerpt
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Testimonial
“Clare is uniquely qualified to tell this story. Grounded, approachable, and deeply insightful, she combines a remarkable life experience with a strong academic background and is also a gifted storyteller whose writing is honest, engaging, and profoundly moving.
Clare offers a courageous and unflinching account of her journey through domestic abuse. Her story is not only about survival, but about resilience, healing, and the determination to build a meaningful life despite the lasting effects of trauma and coercive control.
Through her writing and speaking, Barbara gives voice to experiences that are too often hidden in silence. Her book serves as a powerful source of validation, encouragement, and hope for those living in coercive relationships, while also helping others better understand the complex realities faced by survivors. It is a message of strength, possibility, and the human capacity to overcome even the most difficult circumstances.“
— Catherine Dewyre, M.S., L.P.C.C.
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