| Title | : | The Saddest Girl in the World |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 000728103X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780007281039 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 326 |
| Publication | : | First published March 20, 2009 |
The Saddest Girl in the World Reviews
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This is just as good as of the others Glass has put out. She does more than just give an inside view of what goes into fostering and readers of this genre are damn lucky she's also a good author.
More and more mis-lit comes out every month and most singles/couples are from a "non-author" who may or may not know how to write. I've read many and I've "liked" many. Even some that weren't written the best have made it to a high rating from me for any number of reasons.
But Glass' has a unique view here - she's not the victim, she's not the abused. She's helping counteract the abuse. And she can write.
I love children, my entire dream was to have a daughter of my own since I was about 12 years old. (I have one.) :)
But how Glass (and other foster carers) have the patience they must have I'll never know. Not only with the children but with the system and most definitely with theparents, I mean, criminals who have hurt these children in the first place. I'd like to be able to say I could do it but I'd by lying. My anger is too strong. I'd hurt someone who hurt a child and in turn would only hurt myself and possibly the very child I'd be trying to protect.
Another unique aspect t Glass' viewpoint is how fair she is with the system. She criticizes when it's called for and she praises when it's called for. There's no bias from her either way and that means a lot to me because I can trust what I'm reading.
Glass is the number one author in this genre IMO and she's who I'd recommend to a new reader without a second thought.
(I think I'm almost caught up with her books except for upcoming, unreleased books.) -
Para quem gosta do género está 100% recomendado...
Opinião aqui:
http://baudatanocas.blogs.sapo.pt/a-m... -
Cathy Glass is one of those authors, who's books, I always look forward to reading. She is one of those special people who has an incredible heart and it makes you wish everyone in the world could be touched by her. The Saddest Girl in the World is another great book she has written. She is caring for a little girl named Donna. Once again, Cathy's patience and love as a foster carer help Donna through her issues from the horrible abuse she suffered from her Mother and siblings. Cathy's books are hard to read, some of the things these children go through are horrific but what she does for them is so worth the read!
http://www.hoteatsandcoolreads.com/20... -
This is the true story of Donna, a ten-year-old girl who was terribly abused and neglected by her mother and abused by her two younger brothers’.
Upon Donna’s foster care placement at Cathy’s, Donna is sullen, sad and non-talkative. Over the next fourteen-months Cathy and her own children, Paula six and Adrian 10, try to make Donna feel welcome and help her to adjust to living in a ‘normal’ family household. However, it isn’t always easy when one evening Cathy finds Donna in the bathroom scrubbing her hands with a bristled hand brush to the point her hands are red and raw. Questioning Donna as to why she was doing this, Donna replied: “Mum says I have to wash all the dirt off, but it won’t come off. I keep trying’’. It takes Cathy a moment to realize just what Donna is talking about and then it hits her like a ton of bricks. Donna is of dual heritage and her skin is a bit dark. Her mother, Rita, is white and her father is black and she had been forcing Donna to scrub her skin so she could be white like her! Instead of celebrating and encouraging Donna’s heritage, Rita had taught Donna to be ashamed of who she was. Bad enough that she suffered beatings with straightened coat hangers and skipping ropes with wooden handles and other horrible atrocities.
Cathy however, is determined to help Donna and eventually brings her to the point that she can accept herself but it isn’t an easy road. How sad that so many children in our society have to suffer at the hands of parents such as Donna’s.
This is was an excellent book. -
I usually have very mixed feelings when reading books written by this author. Why? Because each story is about a child who in someway has been abused, betrayed, and thrown into the foster care system because their family cannot keep things together. That makes me feel sad and a little helpless and very angry. However, each story helps me understand and delight in the resilience of a child when she discovers the abuse was never her fault or responsibility and she discovers unconditional acceptance and love for the first time. I also feel happy knowing that there are people out there who are willing and able to act as Foster parents. It is something I would like to do, but my multiple disabilities would make that very difficult to qualify for. So I read about the children, pray for them each night, cheer them on as I think about them throughout the days, and feel good knowing that there are still good people living in our world today. It could be so easy to focus on the evil done by the parents and focus on the pain in the situations. That pain is very real. However, as both the Bible and modern psychology teach us, we can rise above pain and evil. We don't have to let it define us and keep us locked in forever. I am so thankful that we have the ability to choose how to react when bad things happen in our lives and how to handle what is happened in our past. This is one of the pleasures of True maturity.
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This story didn't make me cry. I talked to my husband and I was telling him I couldn't tell if it was because I was cold, the author sucked at writing, or if she tried really hard to make it uplifting so that you didn't feel really sad. The home life for this little girl was horrible and I find it hard to imagine that . . . Well, I guess I don't like thinking that people in this world can do acts like this. I find it unbelievably awesome that these foster parents can take in a young child, love him/her, and then give them . . . back? To the parents or to another family or up for adoption. i don't think I would be able to. The one thing though that I do find slightly disturbing --- this author has written about some of her other foster children. Why? I kinda feel like she's using it for some extra cash flow. I thought it was just one. But, I don't know. . . . It was good.
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I wan't to start off this very low start review with a few notes. First and foremost I think Cathy Glass is doing wonderful things as a foster mother. My dislike of this book has absolutely nothing to do with her as a foster mother or the foster system in general. This is not a book I would have ever chosen for myself. I hate reading about abused kids and I don't have kids of my own where I'd need parenting advice from Cathy. This was a gift.
This book is about a young girl named Donna who was mentally and physically abused by her mother and siblings before going into foster care at age 10. Donna has been told her entire life that shes worthless and ugly. She thinks her mother would love her if only she could be better and she is very sad.
Obviously, I had a lot of problems with this book. I'm going to start with the writing. The dialogue was so robotic. No one talks like this in real life. This is written like a work training video. Getting past the dialogue, Cathy makes this book about her instead of the child. The reader is informed many many times how great Cathy is, she is the best foster mother EVER, no one knows as much about fostering as she does. She is always the best option and everyone in the foster system looks up to her. I'm sure shes a good foster mother, but shes also tooting her own horn a lot. Cathy has two biological children and she makes sure to inform the reader often how much smarter her children are than Donna, the foster child. Which is entirely unnecessary info and just furthers the dialogue of Cathy being the greatest ever though her children.
My biggest problem with this book though is the ableism. Now this book was published in 2007 and it wouldn't have been considered problematic at that time, but I read it in 2021 and since this is my book review I can judge my enjoyment of it by today's standards. Donna does not speak when she arrives at Cathy's house due to 10 years of abuse. Cathy, after 24 hours of Donna not feeling comfortable enough to speak, basically bullies this traumatized child into speaking. She tells Donna, "I cant help you if you don't talk," implying that Donna will be sent away to another foster home if she cant or wont speak. This is gross. Cathy also keeps saying she's afraid of Donna because shes a "big girl" its never outright stated but her being "big" is often closely referenced with the color of Donna's skin and Cathy's fear of a 10 year old child seems to stem from racism. Cathy often makes Donna's trauma about herself and how amazing Cathy is about helping Donna. She constantly focuses on "fixing" Donna. When Donna finally goes to a forever home, Cathy is just shocked the foster system thinks a black women is better equipped to take care of Donna (a black child) than she is. Cathy makes sure the reader knows how much this black foster mother looks up to Cathy.
Overall, this book was not at all for me and I don't think it aged well. -
I love reading Cathy Glass books and think what she has done for the children she has fostered is amazing. Each child is different and she makes sure she points that out in every book she writes. Whenever I read about the stories of these children I go through the emotions with them throughout the entire book and Donna's story was no different and if my boyfriend wasn't sat next to me as I was reading the end I would have most definitely burst out crying. Such a heartfelt story and I'm glad that Donna went down a different path to than the path her mother took with the help of those wonderful people around her.
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Loved it. It was so sad what Donna went through but she came out achieving and finding and grew up into a lovely young lady that achieved so much. I don't understand why people have complained about how Cathy writes in so much detail. I find it interesting and a pleasure to read you can imagine every second of the days she went through and I believe she writes perfectly.
Another book I have enjoyed and shed tears over. :) -
I am so glad I finally finished this book that I will never read again! It was repetitive and at many times it was just plain boring!!! I hated it! Most of the main characters got on my nerves. I didn't enjoy this book at all and I don't recommend it!
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Sad scared girl
Cathy Glass is a great storyteller. She writes about the children she has cared for as a foster mother. The children she has cared for over the years have been abused by their natural parents. I have read many of her books. Yet, I always want more -
Another excellent story by Cathy Glass.
A little repetitive at times but very well written. It made me cry. :( -
Again a horrifying story but wonderful ending
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I really enjoyed this book.
The 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. -
Donna and her brothers are new to the foster care system, and shortly after entering, Donna is in need of a new placement. When she goes to live with Cathy Glass and her family, she strikes Cathy as one of the saddest kids Cathy has met during her experiences as a foster carer. As Donna slowly opens up and feels more comfortable in her new home, things are clearly more complicated than Donna just being sad.
My Mom suggested Cathy's books to me, and I'm so glad she did. It's no secret to those I'm close with that I hope to foster children some day when my children are a little older. So, when I'm presented with the opportunity to read about someone's personal experience, whether from growing up in the system or being a caregiver, I jump at it.
Cathy has a beautiful way of sharing her and her family's experiences honestly. She includes all sides of being a caregiver; the joyful occasions, the powerful moments, the inevitable challenges.
My heart broke for Donna and the life that she has lived. I admire the strength demonstrated by a child having grown up under the circumstances she did. Learning more about her story had me in tears. Seeing how she slowly changed while being in care, and the way the book ended off, left me in even more tears.
I will definitely be seeking out more of Glass's work. -
The world could use more women like Cathy Glass. This is the first of her books that I have read, and I could not put it down. Currently I am almost done her book "Hidden". "The Saddest Girl in the World" really moved me. As a child abuse survivor, I will always have the utmost compassion for children who are mistreated by their parents. Donna, the little sweetheart in this memoir, is the daughter of an obese, low-life piece of trash named Rita, and of a mixed-race (black &white) father who suffers from a mental illness. Poor little Donna gets brutalized by her mother, (as well as her sister Chelsea), and Donna internalizes all of the pain. It is only when she stays with Ms. Glass and her lovely children that Donna gets better. Child abuse is one of society's ugliest problems, and people should be more open about sharing their experiences, in order to get closer to healing. Too many people live in shame. Now I feel inspired to become a foster mom. Thank you Ms. Glass for writing this
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4,5 stars! Amazing read!
It tugs at your heart in the most casual way, like, even though it makes you cry, it also make you laugh. I'm not making sense, I know lol
Bu really, out of Cathy Glass books, this book is the only one that contains many laugh.
This make the book felt fresh because most of Cathy's books are too sad or distressing for laugh.
One thing that I cannot approve is the girl in the cover. Please, the girl in the cover. She doesn't even look multiracial!
I mean, almost all the cover kids on Cathy's books matched the description of the kids, but this book looks like nothing of the description given.
It's no wonder multiracial children don't like their colors, even the book that said it was OK to be black or yellow or brown was modelled by white kid. -
Cathy and her young children foster a 10 year old named Donna who neither speaks, makes eye contact, nor smiles. Donna was removed from her previous foster home because she bullied her younger brothers. Rejected by her mother and older sister, Cathy has to piece together Donna’s earlier life to figure out how to help her.
Donna has a father who loves her, but is terribly mentally ill and often doesn’t take his medicine.
Cathy starts to work to put Donna to ease, and despite some bumpy terrain, learns to love and appreciate Donna. Some of the revelations of Donna’s early years are heartbreaking, but Donna shows maturity and resilience and the story ends happily. -
I just want to go and give Donna a massive hug, book was a bit slow paced for me and I saw an angry side of Cathy than I haven’t seen in any of her other books. My heart went out to Cathy when she was prepared to bring Donna into her home, but was then met with the news she couldn’t, though it was understandable why. I absolutely loved hearing about Paula and Adrian at this age, as in the last Glass book I read they were both adults. It was strange as Lucy wasn’t there and I could feel her witty and funny presence missing from the book. All together another great and easy Cathy Glass read.
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As a social work student, Cathy Glass is one of my go to authors for learning about children coming from traumatic environments, and how resilient children are. She provides insight in to how different children act out and the maladaptive coping mechanisms, she shares her experience and wisdom in how she interacts (which I really appreciate as I don't know how to interact with kids) and how it works with interacting with social workers, court etc. The ending is full of hope and happiness. Humans can overcome so much. When i need a break from life on life's terms and feel like being in my happy place, Cathy's books are definitely one of the books I pull out to read with confidence that I will be glad I chose it
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In a book with such a serious content it seems pedantic and rather mean to say the writing style irritates me at times, but I'm afraid it does. However it's salutary to acknowledge the trauma so many children endure and the amazing work of those who struggle to give them a better chance. Fostering children must exact a high price in terms of emotional drain and I take my hat off to this author who has put herself and her children through this difficult experience so many times.
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💜💚This book was really well written and as usual I like
Cathy's books
♡ Wow, I really do not want to talk bad about a mother
But Donna biological mother is one
sick human
She treats her only daughter as rubbish
She gets to clean and do all the homework when her mother is just sitting and drinking.
This book makes me sad and angry and I have a lot of emotions
At the same time
I give this book
💔💔💔💔 of 5
really broken hearts💚💜 -
Again Cathy has managed to capture her readers with such emotion and love that you feel like you are living her life along side her!
You can't help but fall in love with Donna and wish the best for her when she has had such an awful upbringing!
A totally gripping story constantly wanting to find out what happens next -
I'm a huge fan of Cathy Glass and I love reading her books.
The 'Saddest girl in the world' featured 10 year old Donna, bought into Cathy's care after a horrible start in life. She arrived with the weight of her world on her shoulders and as usual, Cathy helped her on her way to happiness. Lovely.
