Jeanette M Manning
Author
Books
Co-authored by Lauren Manning
As a troubled teen, Lauren Manning sought refuge online in the angry world of black metal music. When she met a recruiter who offered her the acceptance she craved, the doctrine of white supremacy supplanted the values of her middle-class upbringing, and Lauren traded suburbia for a life of violence and criminality on the streets of Toronto.
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Told from the viewpoint of both mother and daughter, Walking Away from Hate chronicles Lauren's descent into extremism, her life within the movement and her ultimate reconnection with the family she once denounced and the mother who refused to give up on her.
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Available now in print or e-book form through Tidewater Press, Blue Heron Books, Indigo.ca, Amazon.ca, Barnes & Noble and select local book sellers
Available in the U.S. summer of 2021
(orders through Tidewater Press will be honoured upon Canadian release date)
Available in the UK and some European countries
In the Press
What people are saying
about
Walking Away from Hate
"Bold, courageous, and brutally honest. Should be required reading in all high schools.
The unbearable near-tragedies of this girl’s journey and her
mother’s terror hounded me long after the last page was turned."
DONNA MORRISSEY,
Award-winning author of The Fortunate Brother, Kit's Law and Sylvanus Now
“While the juxtaposition of two worlds is a central theme of this mother/daughter story, equally powerful are the insights into how white extremist thinking is fostered in the young. Walking Away from Hate serves as a contrast between ideals of justice, truth, and social issues, and ideally will be used for classroom study and parent/child discussions of ideology gone awry and its powerful lure and message for those who grow into adulthood
angry about society’s failures and parental teachings.”
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
“I’ve known Lauren—and her story—for some time now, but reading Walking Away from Hate sheds new light on her journey.
In the conversations
between Lauren and her mom Jeanette, we learn valuable lessons about
the white supremacist movement, and even more important lessons about the power of love and forgiveness. About the movement, we learn how it is badly riddled with hypocrisy, disloyalty, disrespect and misogyny. About
love, we learn that when we offer unconditional love, we have the power to save those around us. Their shared story gives hope that there is a path for others who want to walk away from hate.”
DR. BARBARA PERRY,
Director, Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism, Ontario Tech University
“Jeanette and Lauren portray the difficult and painful experiences when a child becomes involved in extremism – and how to overcome this. Walking Away from Hate is a unique account from a mother and a daughter’s parallel
experience of radicalization. For professionals, family members, and individuals who are leaving their involvement in extremism and hate, this is a highly recommended read.”
ROBERT ORELL, International expert on the disengagement and reintegration of violent extremists, and former leader of Exit Sweden and Exit USA
"From the very first line of the introduction to this biographical look into a fall into and out of extremism, the reader understands that this is a frank and no holds barred important book.
I’m reading Walking Away From Hate at the moment, and it has its hold on me! From the complete and unerring honesty of the narrative, to the way it switches back and forth from the daughter’s point of view to the mother’s…it’s so raw. I’m hooked. This is as much a story of a mother’s strength of perseverance and love as it is a story of a downward slide into hate and extremism. I’m looking forward to finding out how Lauren made that hard climb back up out of extremism and back into the arms of her persistent mother Jeanette. You’ll want to pick up this book when it releases. It’s a staggering and important read."
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KEVIN CRAIG, Author of The Camino Club, Billions of Beautiful Hearts and Pride Must be a Place
Bio
"Walking Away from Hate: Our journey through extremism" co-authored by daughter Lauren, is Jeanette's first book...but...it's not the first story she's ever written.
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Jeanette began writing in 2015 when a dear friend - the mid-upper gunner in a Lancaster bomber named Lollipop - asked her to put his experiences in WWII down on paper. Brave but haunted, he was left with a lifetime of PTSD but found love late in life. His fictionalized biography, along with those of three other survivors of the Second World War, have been completed in draft form. Stay tuned for more information!
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Currently a member of the Writer's Community of Durham Region, Jeanette is a graduate of the Humber College Creative Writing course, under the amazing mentorship of Donna Morrissey. She is a past member of Toastmasters, has held the positions of Highway Designer (civil engineering) and Manager of Pre-engineering Surveys (land surveying) and since 1990, has been mom to two extraordinary children and a host of pets. In 1986 she attained her Private Pilot's license through the Oshawa Flying Club, where she met her future husband.
​In 2015, after leaving full-time work, Jeanette began delivering Meals on Wheels in her community and in 2019, became foster mom to a future Dog Guide puppy through the Lion's Foundation Dog Guides organization. She has since gone on to foster several more pups.
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In the fall of 2020, Jeanette began volunteering with Life After Hate, a non-profit organization that assists former extremists and their families. Her daughter Lauren, a full-time Outreach Specialist with LAH, sometimes sneaks into her Family Forum when she's not looking. Together, mother and daughter offer wisdom and hope to families and formers who've been separated by hate.
With the publication of Walking Away from Hate, Jeanette and Lauren are hoping to educate parents, law enforcement and teachers. Through presentations and speaking engagements they are willingly "airing their dirty laundry" in order to help others understand hate and extremism - and their effects on families everywhere.
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If you are interested in hearing them speak please visit the Contact page.
Walking Away From Hate...on Facebook
For more information on Lauren's story, please visit:
Watch the advance trailer for
Walking Away from Hate
Wondering about the cover of
Walking Away from Hate?
Hit play!
If you or someone you know needs help, please download our free guides "Confronting Hate - Parents Resource Guide" and "Confronting Hate - Teachers Resource Guide" from www.Tidewaterpress.ca
Read our interview in the "Toronto Star" Aug. 10, 2021
Read Jeanette's post on Life After Hate's Blog - "How I finally learned what reconciliation really means"
Click to read Jeanette's post on Tidewater Press' Blog - "Who are the real Nazis Mr Putin?"
See our interview on Global TV's "The New Reality" April 9, 2022
Watch the trailer for "Pain and Peace"
Check out Toronto Life Magazine's excerpt of Walking Away from Hate, Dec. 15, 2022
"Writers for Readers" interview with Gary Johnson (CHOP FM)
Vimeo video for One World Strong, July 2023
News & Events
Contact
For media inquiries...or if you just want to chat with either Jeanette or Lauren Manning, please contact us using the button below or by emailing us at:
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