by Cathy Glass
First published 2014
Lucy arrives at Cathy Glass's home at age eleven, damaged by years of instability. Her birth mother, herself a victim of childhood abuse and neglect, couldn't provide proper care from the start. Social services finally removed Lucy from her mother's care when she turned eight, but three more years in temporary placements only deepened her wounds. Now Lucy refuses to eat, won't speak, and lags far behind her peers academically. Previous foster families couldn't reach her, and experts believe the damage runs too deep to heal. Cathy faces the challenge of connecting with a child who has learned not to trust adults. Working alongside her own two children, Cathy slowly breaks through Lucy's defenses. Small victories emerge as Lucy begins to respond to the consistent love and stability she has never known. This true story follows their journey from that first difficult placement to the moment Cathy decides to adopt Lucy permanently, creating the family both always needed.
Genres: non-fiction, biography-memoir, foster-children, adoption, family-drama, foster-parents
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, overcoming-adversity
312 pages · Paperback · HarperElement
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse, emotional-abuse, mental-illness