Sad Girl

The true story of Donna, who entered foster care at the age of ten after suffering abuse and rejection from her family, is told by Cathy Glass, the author of The Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling book Damaged. Donna and her two younger brothers had been in foster care for three weeks when she was suddenly placed in Cathy's care. When Donna arrived, she was quiet, withdrawn, and carried herself with a hunched posture and downcast gaze. She was clearly a deeply troubled child, refusing to interact with Cathy's children Adrian and Paula.

After patient and encouraging efforts from Cathy, Donna began to open up and eventually confided in Cathy that she blamed herself for being taken into care. The extent of the abuse they had suffered at the hands of their alcoholic mother was far worse than anyone had realized. Donna revealed the physical torment she endured, including her mother forcing her to scrub herself with wire wool in an attempt to alter her skin color due to her mixed race heritage.

The psychological wounds from the bullying Donna endured also resurfaced, as she began to exhibit behavior reminiscent of her treatment at home, targeting Paula with physical aggression. This led Cathy to keep a close eye on her at all times. As the pressure mounted on Cathy to help Donna, her behavior escalated, with Donna becoming increasingly erratic and destructive towards Cathy's children. Cathy began to question whether she could truly help Donna or if her scars were too deep.

Cathy Glass's book 'Unwanted' reached No.1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list for the week of January 16, 2023.

product information: