In this raw and revealing memoir, Lisa LeBlanc pulls back the curtain on her life as the youngest child growing up in a large farm family, influenced by religious legalism.

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A victim of abuse and sexual molestation by a deacon, Lisa was trapped by a code of silence and constricting religious rules. Even as people in her life disappointed her, God pursued her, and her depression and suicide ideation continued to collide with hope until she found healing through neurofeedback brain training.

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As a mental health advocate and ministry leader in her church, Lisa now uses her story to help others find hope in their journey of mental illness and trauma recovery.

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This book is for you if:

• You grew up in the church and still live with the consequences of early childhood trauma.

• You believe that you are the exception to the rule that Jesus loves everyone.

• You tried to pray away your mental illness and trauma and it didn’t work.

• Someone you care about shares a similar story and deserves validation and understanding.

• You are not alone. Hope exists and healing is possible, and this story can help you find them.

Lisa May LeBlanc lives in Calgary, Alberta near the foot of the Canadian Rockies with her husband and three dogs. They are proud parents of two beautiful, strong adult daughters who inspire her every day with their wisdom and empathy.

The Ninth Child is powerful and beautiful, and I think it's something everyone needs to read. The reader gets an inside look to the hurt the Church can cause—as a place filled with normal, imperfect, sinful people—and the hope and healing that can be found in Jesus after being hurt by someone who claimed to love God. (Mika Chell)