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    The Saddest Girl in the World
    The Saddest Girl in the World
    The Saddest Girl in the World
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Saddest Girl in the World

    Written by Cathy Glass

    Narrated by Denica Fairman

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of Damaged tells the true story of Donna, who came into foster care aged ten, having been abused, victimised and rejected by her family.

    Donna had been in foster care with her two young brothers for three weeks when she is abruptly moved to Cathy’s. When Donna arrives she is silent, withdrawn and walks with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down. Donna is clearly a very haunted child and refuses to interact with Cathy’s children Adrian and Paula.

    After patience and encouragement from Cathy, Donna slowly starts to talk and tells Cathy that she blames herself for her and her brothers being placed in care. The social services were aware that Donna and her brothers had been neglected by their alcoholic mother, but no one realised the extent of the abuse they were forced to suffer. The truth of the physical torment she was put through slowly emerges, and as Donna grows to trust Cathy she tells her how her mother used to make her wash herself with wire wool so that she could get rid of her skin colour as her mother was so ashamed that Donna was mixed race.

    The psychological wounds caused by the bullying she received also start to resurface when Donna starts reenacting the ways she was treated at home by hitting and bullying Paula, so much so that Cathy can’t let Donna out of her sight.

    As the pressure begins to mount on Cathy to help this child, things start to get worse and Donna begins behaving in erratic ways, trashing her bedroom and being regularly abusive towards Cathy’s children. Cathy begins to wonder if she can find a way to help this child or if Donna’s scars run too deep.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 28, 2014
    ISBN9780007577811
    Author

    Cathy Glass

    Cathy has been a foster carer for over 25 years, during which time she has looked after more than 100 children, of all ages and backgrounds. She has three teenage children of her own; one of whom was adopted after a long-term foster placement. The name Cathy Glass is a pseudonym. Cathy has written 16 books, including bestselling memoirs Cut, Hidden and Mummy Told Me Not To Tell.

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    Reviews for The Saddest Girl in the World

    4.5/5

    59 ratings4 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Sad but interesting, good luck Donna in all you do in life xx
    • 5/5
      My favorite part of Cathy’s books are that she always wants to keep the children. Especially the ones no one wants. This was a great book!
    • 5/5
      What an amazing ability Cathy glass has to get to heart of child's problem, and then find solutions that work.
    • 5/5
      Glass always draws the reader in with her stories that sadly are based on the many children for whom she was a foster parent. Donna has been made the family scapegoat by all except her father. Glass is the first person to whom Donna opens up about her daily life behind the closed doors of her home. Whilst Donna was the family scapegoat she was not the only victim of her mother's twisted drug and alcohol deranged thinking. One is left heart wrenchingly wondering how many other Donnas or even Donalds there are who are not rescued.