The Saddest Girl in the World

More about the book

The bestselling author of Damaged presents the true story of Donna, who entered foster care at ten after enduring abuse and rejection. After three weeks in care with her two younger brothers, Donna is moved to Cathy's home. Upon arrival, she is silent, withdrawn, and visibly haunted, refusing to engage with Cathy's children, Adrian and Paula. With patience, Cathy encourages Donna to open up, revealing her belief that she is to blame for her family's situation. Social services were aware of the neglect by their alcoholic mother, but the full extent of the abuse remained hidden. As Donna learns to trust Cathy, she shares the harrowing experiences of her past, including being forced to scrub her skin with wire wool due to her mother’s shame over her mixed race. The psychological scars from bullying also resurface, leading Donna to mimic the abusive behavior she witnessed at home towards Paula. Cathy's concern deepens as Donna's erratic behavior escalates, including trashing her room and being abusive to Cathy's children. As Cathy grapples with the mounting pressure to help Donna, she questions whether she can truly reach this deeply wounded child or if the damage is too profound to heal.