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  New Release

- Fall 2025 -

Golden Child

My Descent to Scapegoat

and Rise to Freedom

 

 

Not all that glitters is gold; not all who leave are lost.

 

The youngest daughter of devout conservative Christians, Lauren is the favored golden child. Her parents’ doting is rivaled only by her devotion to them; with an absent brother and rebellious sister, she knows her mother and father need her to be perfect, and for their happiness—their approval, their love—perfection is a small price to pay.

 

Until it bankrupts her.

 

While Lauren and her husband follow their faith into the complexities of adoption, missionary work overseas, and a new understanding of systemic racism in America, her parents embrace Christian Nationalism. A chasm opens between herself and her loved ones, and her golden, perfect identity is lost. Can it be regained? Does she want it back. . . or will she don the mantel of scapegoat and leave her gilded cage forever?

 

This coming-of-age memoir honors the tender pain of anyone whose perfect world has crashed around them, revealing the fractures built into the frame from the beginning. In an era when conversation about family estrangement is at an all-time high, Golden Child: My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom offers hope, wisdom, and empowerment to those fleeing a broken family system in search of healing, freedom, and peace.

Get notified when Golden Child is available!

New Release

Fall 2025

Golden Child

My Descent to Scapegoat

and Rise to Freedom

GET NOTIFIED

Not all that glitters is gold;

not all who leave are lost.

 

The youngest daughter of devout conservative Christians, Lauren is the favored golden child. Her parents’ doting is rivaled only by her devotion to them; with an absent brother and rebellious sister, she knows her mother and father need her to be perfect, and for their happiness—their approval, their love—perfection is a small price to pay.

 

Until it bankrupts her.

 

While Lauren and her husband follow their faith into the complexities of adoption, missionary work overseas, and a new understanding of systemic racism in America, her parents embrace Christian Nationalism. A chasm opens between herself and her loved ones, and her golden, perfect identity is lost. Can it be regained? Does she want it back . . . or will she don the mantel of scapegoat and leave her gilded cage forever?

 

This coming-of-age memoir honors the tender pain of anyone whose perfect world has crashed around them, revealing the fractures built into the frame from the beginning. In an era when conversation about family estrangement is at an all-time high, Golden Child: My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom offers hope, wisdom, and empowerment to those fleeing a broken family system in search of healing, freedom, and peace.

This book is for you if you:

  • Come from a dysfunctional family system

    Regardless of the role you played in your family, the patterns and themes of dysfunction are often the same. Golden Child explores how these painful realities shape us on a deep level, sometimes leading to mental and physical health symptoms.

  • Grew up in a high-control religion

    High-control religions mirror dysfunctional family systems in uncanny ways. Children who grow up in these environments can experience significant negative outcomes that flow into their adult lives. There is so much rubble to sift through, and losses abound.

  • Gave your heart to religion and were burned

    So many of us lived out the radical faith that beckoned us only to find ourselves jaded, discarded and traumatized. Although we gave our all, shiny bows and happy endings were not what we got in return.  

  • Are considering walking away 

    Many of us are faced with an impossible decision: do I bury my truth to preserve my relationships and belonging, or do I risk banishment for the fragile hope of uncovering my authentic self?   

  • Are in a long-term relationship with grief

    As we've become intimately aware, our grief isn't going anywhere. Instead of moving past it, we find a way to move forward with a new relationship that tends to the ever-glowing embers of a life that holds such profound loss. 

  • Are on a journey or redefining who you are

    What is left after so much has been torn down? Life on the other side of such devastation requires radical exploration to discover who is our most authentic self and what we need to live a life of flourishing.

The Author

Lauren Smallcomb

Lauren Smallcomb is a certified Mind-Body Practitioner whose journey as a healer began at 20 when she became a registered nurse, dedicating a decade to caring for patients in the ER. She later expanded her expertise to become a birth doula and, eventually, a nutritional therapist. In 2020, after making the difficult decision to walk away from a dysfunctional family system, Lauren embarked on a transformative process of rebuilding her mind and body through brain retraining and trauma healing. This journey inspired her to become a certified Mind-Body Practitioner. Her newfound sense of empowerment prompted Lauren and her therapist husband to establish Flourish Therapy, with the intention of helping others heal and thrive after childhood trauma. Born and raised in upstate New York, they now make their home in Northern Thailand with their children, two dogs, and a cat. When not reading or writing, you will find Lauren visiting cafés with friends, watching a compelling series or soaking up the beauty of nature.

Endorsements:

Golden Child holds the sacred and the shattered side by side. Honest, beautifully written, and impossible to forget, it is the kind of memoir that lingers in your bones. It’s a book for every person who’s ever wondered if being “the good one” was slowly erasing them.

Lauren Cibene

Author of Tiger in a Lifeboat 

As a person who works with people experiencing all types of trauma, I appreciated this exploration of what it's like to carry the burden of the golden child, and then the painful unraveling of that role. More than a just personal story, it’s a resonant reflection for anyone who has faced toxic family dynamics and the expensive cost of living true to their authentic self.

Sarah Trengove

Therapist

As a trauma therapist and someone who is also a "fallen" golden child, reading Lauren's words made me feel so seen and not alone. Lauren artfully shares the nuanced dynamics that play out in families as the golden child finds their own way and starts breaking generational cycles of self-neglect. Her brave and vulnerable prose will give you hope and courage to come home to yourself. 

Laura Krause

Therapist

Golden Child Excerpts:

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What Readers Say

About Golden Child:

"For those of us who have searched for ourselves in others, only to realize there’s nothing real for us there—Golden Child is raw, courageous, and deeply relatable. Lauren doesn’t just tell her story; she invites us into our own, holding space for the layered awakening of being masterfully shaped into roles disguised as virtue and belonging. I wept. I clenched my fists at the injustice and manipulation so many of us were taught to call love. And then I began a list of everyone I know who needs this book in their hands."

Amanda Elliott

"I was engrossed in Lauren's powerful story from the first page. She invites us into her deeply personal world and takes us along for the ride of heartbreak, resilience and brutal transformation. Golden Child does not shy away from the hard truths that come with a "fierce love for family," the "brutality of mental health conditions" and how the body can communicate all of life's complexities. Lauren's inspiring story reminds us that we are truly never alone on our healing journeys. I laughed, cried and cheered as MY hope was multiplied while reading this memoir."

Murphy Allen

"An incredibly vulnerable story that's become all too common. Lauren shares her excruciating journey from being the good daughter to someone who questioned the wrong things. Staying silent would have meant shutting her ears to the hurting and broken, but following her heart cost her everything. Her story is painful and inspiring. Most of all, it reminds those in similar situations that we are not alone."

Adam Heine

"Golden Child is a heartbreaking journey of a girl who started up on a pedestal and ended up estranged, both by the same people. It is an honest story of loss and grief experienced in places that should have been safe but oftentimes were not. It is beautifully written and intimately relatable."

Cindy Heine

"Golden Child kept me interested in each chapter, as she shares her happy childhood, which changed drastically as a young adult. Since she did not conform to her parents' beliefs, the process of estrangement began. This process replaced love with criticism and imposed their will on her values, trying to control her life. The stress and mental, emotional and physical harm were ever present. She endured through all of this, moving her life toward with her supportive husband and their children towards a better life."

Daryl Denning

Supportive Resources for the Low-to-No Contact Adult Child

Get the guide today and be notified when Golden Child is available!

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I confirm that I am at least 16 years of age or older

I have read and accept any EULA, Terms and Conditions, Acceptable Use Policy, and/or Data Processing Addendum which has been provided to me in connection with the software, products and/or services.

I have been fully informed and consent to the collection and use of my personal data for any purpose in connection with the software, products and/or services.

I understand that certain data, including personal data, must be collected or processed in order for you to provide any products or services I have requested or contracted for. I understand that in some cases it may be required to use cookies or similar tracking to provide those products or services..

I understand that I have the right to request access annually to any personal data you have obtained or collected regarding me. You have agreed to provide me with a record of my personal data in a readable format.

I also understand that I can revoke my consent and that I have the right to be forgotten. If I revoke my consent you will stop collecting or processing my personal data. I understand that if I revoke my consent, you may be unable to provide contracted products or services to me, and I can not hold you responsible for that.

Likewise, if I properly request to be forgotten, you will delete the data you have for me, or make it inaccessible. I also understand that if there is a dispute regarding my personal data, I can contact someone who is responsible for handling data-related concerns. If we are unable to resolve any issue, you will provide an independent service to arbitrate a resolution. If I have any questions regarding my rights or privacy, I can contact the email address provided.
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