The Saddest Girl in the World

Cathy Glass

Mar 2009 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

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with her two young brothers for three weeks when she is abruptly moved to Cathy’s. When Donna arrives she is silent, withdrawn and walks with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down.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.

Ratings and reviews

Cathy books are all good reads including this one but as a carer for those who she know comes from broken homes she's so nieve she should have an idea of what's really going on without words being said. It gets frustrating because the some things are so obvious. THE KIDS WERE ABUSED! So why say "I don't know why she/he would say such a thing. Its not a surprise open your eyes. Cathy is a great carer but needs to be more aware from natural instincts.

I couldn't put this book down and finished it in a day. It was so gripping I felt like I knew everyone in the story, I cried when they were sad and felt happy when there were good moments. Cathy is an amazing author and if I can one day be half the mother she is then I know I've done well.

Another great but sad read from Cathy Glass... Amazing lady 😍 I'm so happy for Donna having a happy ending... She is a braver girl than I could of been... How anyone could bully anyone the way poor Donna was all her young life by her own Mother I will never know... So happy she got out and managed to have a happy life and hats off to Edna the social worker aswell that went above and beyond... This is a 5 star read from me 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🤗👍

About the author

Cathy has been a foster carer for over 30 years, during which time she has looked after more than 150 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.