Patricia M. Wennell's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What I love about Bringing Down Goliath is the way the author uses his position and power as a Barrister through his organisation to challenge the government and help those who would otherwise be unable to raise the finances to fight their case in court.

He offers up many accounts of how our government and those with money and, therefore, power do as they please regardless of the rights and wrongs of their actions.

The rights of individuals and communities are very important to me. I am averse to injustice. Before reading this book, I was feeling angry and frustrated about the sense of powerlessness I was feeling about the disadvantages to adults who were abused in childhood, which was exhausting. But after reading about the model of how The Good Law Project can work for the least powerful and poorest in our society, I feel empowered and energised.

This is a must-read, in my opinion, and provides a great model for speaking to and challenging power.

Truth and Repair is the second of Judith Herman’s books about issues facing survivors that I have read. Her first was Trauma and Recovery, which included a chapter on a model that was used by The Woman’s Service, which provided me personally with many years of trauma-informed therapy.

An excellent model, no doubt helping many thousands of adults across the globe. In Truth and Repair, Judith explores how some of those survivors live their lives 20 years on. They share their stories and are all amazing people who have found different ways to tell their truth and ways they have worked towards methods of Repair.

This is mostly by helping others, including considering a model of justice that requires the perpetrator to be accountable to them and their communities using different types of Restorative Justice. Judith’s style of writing makes her book easy to understand, and her compassion and empathy shine through.

I would love to meet Judith and thank her personally.

I had the privilege of hearing Michelle Thomas speak about her life at a Literary Review in July this year. She is one of the funniest and most natural people I have listened to.

I love her attitude to the mental ill health she experiences. She uses the term "my shit diagnosis" and "my shit love life" in the chapters of her book as she shares her story.

In my early days of social work, some 28 years ago, I worked in both hospital and community mental health teams, so know what Michelle shares is authentic; and sadly true of how services continue to fail people with mental ill health.

Michelle dresses in vibrant colours reflecting her wonderful personality, and her style of writing is very amusing bringing humour to what would otherwise be a heavy and difficult subject. I think we all need to hear more from Michelle.