The Ugly Duckling Diary
A Journey of Understanding and Overcoming an Emotionally Abusive Childhood
by Mags Thomson
Available on Kindle
Expected Publication Paperback: Summer 2023
On 29 September 2013, I became one of the founding members of SwanWaters, an online gathering place for ugly ducklings, like myself, who had decided they were ready to grow their swan wings. I spent the following six years running and writing for this amazing platform, supporting amazing women who were ready to, like me, step away from their emotional abusers. This platform was my outlet, the companion on my healing journey, the breeding ground for amazing friendships and my absolute passion.
But as I healed, I started to realise it was harder to get to work on it. It became harder to reach back and remember what it felt like to be stuck. I realised that I had managed to unstick myself, and it was ready to let go of the ugly duckling, and embrace the swan I had become.
It took a while to work all this out, and figure out what I wanted to do with the resources I had created over the years. It finally became clear that I wanted to share this amazing resource with the world, but in a way that didn’t require me to engage with my trauma on a daily basis. So, here it is, my journey from ugly duckling, to cygnet to swan.
“This book is a charming, clever comical and witty survival guide to abuse. It’s incredible how a book filled with accounts of survival from abuse and narcissism can also be filled with such joy and be a pleasure to read.
I felt lighter after every page and that I was not alone.
I felt that the tiny, daily childhood things that had misshapen me were not silly and ridiculous anymore but now made sense and I could put them in their correct place and process them in a beautiful healthy way as Mags shared her memories and heart.
We need more of this in the world, steps of how to get through it and accept why we were pre-conditioned to accept this treatment by abusers.
This is a book full of smiles. It’s a companion and tool of recovery and support. This book is one of a kind and is leading the path to healing, self-love, and self-compassion.
A masterpiece in every word and chapter.
Couldn’t stop reading.”
