Nicky is a remarkable soul. Her story is one of the darkest – yet one of the most hopeful you will ever read.

Left as a newborn in a box outside Stoke City Football ground, her grandparents took her into their house. But instead of finding a sanctuary, Nicky was subjected to sexual abuse throughout her childhood. In 1951, when Nicky was six years old, her glamorous-looking estranged mother arrived on the doorstep to ‘rescue’ her and take her to London to live with her new family.

But Nicky’s hopes of a safe and loving home were very soon smashed, and her world became darker still.

As a result of her broken young life, Nicky spent years as a homeless alcoholic, ending up in prison. In 1965, while Nicky was at Risley Remand Centre, she witnessed the arrival of Moors Murderer, Myra Hindley. Tasked with preparing Myra’s cell, this brush with pure evil strengthened her resolve to move beyond the horror of her past and take a different road...

Now an internationally renowned London artist, Nicky’s experience is compelling, carried along by her rare spirit of survival against terrible odds. This book details an extraordinary woman’s rise from the horror of a deeply damaging childhood to a new, creative and independent life. Her story is one of hope and inspiration, for herself and for other abused children.