Mommy's Little Monster

Book excerpt: When 14-year-old Anne meets Brian, 19, she’s captivated by his good looks, guitar-playing skills, and bad-boy persona. Despite their age gap, what starts as a slow-burn friendship ignites into a sexual relationship and then marriage—all overshadowed by Brian’s demons. Mommy’s Little Monster: My Journey with the Narcissist is a memoir of the 28 years Anne spent with Brian. Pulling from years of journal entries, Anne details how her day-to-day life was warped by a man suffering from multiple issues such as paraphilia, narcissistic personality disorder, alcohol and substance abuse, and criminality. Told with intimacy and immediacy, Anne tries to gain a deeper understanding of her co-dependency in this real-life cycle of emotional and physical abuse. In doing so, Mommy’s Little Monster explores why she continued to love and support Brian over the decades.