At the age of 18, Carolyn Jessop was forced to marry a 50-year-old stranger and religious cult member. She became one of six wives and bore him eight children in 15 years. When the cult started preaching death and destruction, she knew she and her children had to escape. Carolyn Jessop's extraordinary story as part of the fundamentalist Mormon church in the US was chronicled in her international bestseller Escape . Three years on, Carolyn has written Triumph , an inspirational guide which will help anyone overcome adversity and hardship to achieve their dreams. With the right tools, we can all face our fears and redefine our relationships with those who have hurt us.

Carolyn Jessop was born in 1968 into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a splinter-group from the Mormon church. At 18 she was forced into an arranged marriage with Merril Jessop, a man 32 years her senior. During her 17-year marriage Carolyn had 8 children, withstood psychological abuse from her husband and his 6 other wives and was denied the right to make any decisions for herself. She escaped in 2003 with all 8 of her children and $20 to her name. In 2006 her testimony played a crucial part of the case that led to the conviction of the notorious cult leader Warren Jeffs. Carolyn lives in Utah with her children.