Book description
From the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of
'Damaged' comes the poignant and shocking memoir of Cathy's recent
relationship with Tayo, a young boy she fosters whose good behaviour and
polite manners hide a terrible past.
Tayo arrives at Cathy's with only the clothes he stands up in. He has
been brought to her by the police, but he is calm, polite, and very well
spoken, and not at all like the children she normally fosters. The
social worker gives Cathy the forms which should contain Tayo's history,
but apart from his name and age, it is blank. Tayo has no past.
Tayo is an 'invisible' child, kidnapped from his loving father in
Nigeria and brought illegally to the UK by his drink and drugs dependent
prostitute mother, where he is put to work in a sweat shop in Central
London. When he sustains an injury and is no longer earning, he is cast out.
When Cathy takes Tayo to school he points out a dozen different
addresses where he has stayed in the last six months, often being left
alone. Tayo lies, and manipulates situations to his own advantage and
Cathy has to be continually on guard. Tayo's social worker searches all
computer databases but there is no record of Tayo - he has only attended
school for 3 terms and has never seen a doctor. He and his mother have
been evading the authorities by living 'underground'.
With his mother recently released from prison, Tayo is desperate to
live with his father in Nigeria, but no one can track him down or even
prove that he exists. 'Plays out like a juicy ITV1 drama…at times
heartbreaking. But Hidden is also a life -affirming read which proves
that, despite the bad press, Social Services do have their successes -
and ultimately, sometimes a little hope is all you need.' Heat
Reviews for 'Damaged':
'Cannot fail to move those who read it.' Adoption-net
'Heartbreaking.' The Mirror
'A truly harrowing read that made me cry.' The 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 Cathy has
been a foster carer for over 20 years, during which time she has looked
after more than 70 children, of all ages and backgrounds. Cathy runs
training courses on fostering for her local Social Services, and helps
draft new fostering procedures and guidelines. She has three teenage
children of her own; one of whom was adopted after a long-term foster
placement. The name Cathy Glass is a pseudonym.
