Coming 29 January 2026
The Patchwork Girl
This is a survivor story like no other. A dark coming-of-age tale that becomes a roadmap of trauma, survival, and recovery – with rare insight into grooming, modern slavery, and the misuse of faith.
About The Book
Kate Elysia goes beyond recounting abuse to explore the inner landscape of trauma – the corrosive beliefs, PTSD cycles, and daily battles that follow grooming and modern slavery. She writes with searing honesty about the unhelpful thinking traps that kept her stuck, the small but powerful shifts that helped her break free, and the self-help techniques that sustained her recovery.
This book also tackles complex questions about culture and faith. With an entire chapter devoted to Islam and her encounters with abusive Muslim men, Kate offers a rare, thought-provoking perspective on how religion was used – and misused – within the world of exploitation she was forced into. She raises these issues to invite honest discussion, not to condemn a whole faith, and to examine how belief systems – not only in Islam, but within our own British culture and religions – can play roles in both harm and healing.
Part memoir, part guide – a survivor’s story that shows how healing is possible, step by step.
Written for survivors seeking understanding and hope, for parents and loved ones who want to help, and for professionals determined to respond with compassion and clarity. Today, Kate is a Mental Health Nurse and Advocate – and her book shows how she became the strong woman she is.
A Note for My Readers
Some of you may remember my first book No Way Out, published by Ebury Press in 2019. My new book, The Patchwork Girl (Mirror Books, 2026), is a revised and updated edition of that story.
This updated edition includes the same core story, but with some important change: most notably, the real names of the towns have now been included to give a clearer picture of where these events took place.
I am deeply grateful to both my original publisher, Ebury Press, for first bringing my story into the world, and to Mirror Books for supporting this new edition so that readers can experience it in a fuller context.
If you read No Way Out, you’ll recognise much of the journey. If this is your first time, The Patchwork Girl brings the same story with new detail and fresh perspective.
Now available for pre-order on Amazon from Mirror Books
Paperback & eBook · Publishes 29 January 2026