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  • The Saddest Girl in the World

  • By: Cathy Glass
  • Narrated by: Denica Fairman
  • Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (65 ratings)

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The Saddest Girl in the World

By: Cathy Glass
Narrated by: Denica Fairman
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Publisher's Summary

The Sunday Times and New York Times best-selling author of Damaged tells the true story of Donna, who came into foster care aged 10, having been abused, victimised, and rejected by her family. Donna has 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with her two young brothers for three weeks when she is abruptly moved to Cathy's. When Donna arrives she is silent, withdrawn, and walks with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down.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.

©2014 Cathy Glass (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

Reviews for Damaged:
"Cannot fail to move those who read it. ( Adoption-net)
"Heartbreaking" ( Mirror)
"A truly harrowing read that made me cry" ( Sun)
"A true tale of hope ( OK!)
"Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass's book should change all that" ( First magazine)
"A hugely touching and emotional true tale ( Star magazine)

What listeners say about The Saddest Girl in the World

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Great read

Really enjoyed this book it was a great story to see the depths some poor children are subjected to in our world. Also really love this narrator for Cathy’s books also. Fits perfectly!

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Inspirational

Very well narrated with the passion that made the theme seem as if the author had spoken her story, a Foster mother with the rare qualities that you wish every step parent would have.

Sorry 1 star less to the narrator who spoke the New Zealand Teacher
who sounded more to me, as a New Zealander, a littler bit more like an Australian but well done, not easy accent to copy.

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review for the book the safest girl in the world

I loved it, it was hard to stop reading, lovely happy ending so glad Donna found happiness and love with Marlene and found a new family exactly what Donna deserved after what she went through with her birth family

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😭😭😭😭

All I can say is why didn't she get the love she wanted. I wanted to reach thru this audiobook and give her the love she needed so much first book of cathy glass that I actually cried reading very beautiful book ❤️❤️❤️

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Eye opening

As usual an eye opener to the wonderfully hard work foster carers put in to those that need it the most needed. Keep it up Cathy you wonderful woman x

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the best

love all cathy glass's books, so far have read 5 and still want more to read

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.