by Casey Watson
First published 2018
Darby appears on Christmas Eve, pale and shaking after her parents kept her locked in her bedroom. Nathan comes from a house where his violent father has beaten away his sense of self. Five-year-old Paulie has been cast out by his mother and branded with accusations of terrible acts. Connor arrives at only eight years old, delivered in a secure prison van to the Watson home. Scarlett carries a crushing secret alongside her twin sister Jade, both girls weighed down by what they cannot speak aloud. Foster carer Casey Watson opens her doors to each child, witnessing their pain and working to rebuild what has been broken. These five stories reveal how trauma marks the youngest victims and how one family creates space for healing.
Genres: abuse, foster-children, adoption, family-drama, foster-parents
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, trauma-recovery
352 pages · Audiobook · Harper Element
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse