The Saddest Girl in the World

The Saddest Girl in the World
Cathy Glass

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with her two young brothers for three weeks when she is abruptly moved to Cathy’s. When Donna arrives she is silent, withdrawn and walks with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down.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

Copyright (#ulink_b7137342-fb95-5676-8e43-ffa1597b0cca)

This book is a work of non-fiction based on the recollections of Cathy Glass. The names of people, places, dates and details of events have been changed to protect the privacy of others.

HarperElement

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published by HarperElement 2009

Copyright © Cathy Glass 2007

Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

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HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication

Source ISBN: 9780007281039

Ebook Edition © MARCH 2009 ISBN: 9780007321575

Version: 2016–08–19

Contents

Cover (#ub641dd09-3e1e-5466-998a-4dcd3e8b2cdc)

Title Page (#u257466ee-f28d-5d82-bd8f-ca688a3463e9)

Copyright (#ulink_2368aaa1-75f7-531d-af91-210114f9078d)

Prologue (#u5ae2c722-3889-5c5c-8e1f-666963281a34)

Chapter One - Sibling Rivalry (#u0efb0b46-0c07-5151-b4ab-5d521c0608e6)

Chapter Two - So Dreadfully Sad (#u24f75101-a7ea-5d54-8064-6b37b47e8b43)

Chapter Three - Donna (#ue4719bb1-a64a-5ea9-8bc5-4a18b620947f)

Chapter Four - Silence (#udce768ef-bb05-52ec-bc69-16265ba9d38e)

Chapter Five - Cath—ie (#ue204a923-4650-5080-b527-dbf092333876)

Chapter Six - Amateur Psychology (#ufabefa8a-0422-566a-9f7d-4a892bddbe03)

Chapter Seven - Runt of the Litter (#uad9a9fc9-e68b-530b-a055-f77f3de4958b)

Chapter Eight - Dirty (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine - Outcast (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten - Tablets (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven - A Small Achievement (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve - Working as a Family (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen - The Birthday Party (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen - No Dirty Washing (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen - Mummy Christmas (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen - Winter Break (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen - Final Rejection (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen - Don't Stop Loving Me (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen - Paula's Present (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty - The Question (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-one - A Kind Person (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-two - Marlene (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-three - Lilac (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-four - Introductions (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-five - Moving On (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Exclusive sample chapter (#litres_trial_promo)

Cathy Glass (#litres_trial_promo)

Moving Memoirs eNewsletter (#litres_trial_promo)