Lost Child: The True Story of a Girl who Couldn't Ask for Help by Torey L. Hayden ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"Children with reactive attachment disorder can be highly manipulative if they sense they have found a soft spot and it was possible that Jessie had surmised that sexual abuse was something that would keep me engaged. As a topic, it was beginning to dominate our conversations and I was unsure if this was because Jessie was working up the courage to reveal abuse or because she was playing me for all I was worth." (p 269)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

September 2019; William Morrow; 978-0062836069
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); biography

Lost Child is Torey Hayden's first book in over 15 years. She is a psychologist and a special education teacher and her earlier books dealt with troubled children in a classroom setting. This book is different because Torey is working with a child in Wales as a volunteer due to work issues when she moved from the US to Wales.

This book is about Jessie. She is a 9-year-old girl in a group home whose parents don't want her anymore because of the trouble she causes. Jessie lies, steals and starts fires and has been diagnosed as having reactive attachment disorder (RAD). Attachment disorders arise when children are deprived of the all-important close bonds with trustworthy adults that allow them to develop emotionally and thrive. Torey has been asked to spend some time with Jessie every week to try to find out the underlying causes of her behavior. At first, it's very difficult because Jessie lies about everything - she says that she has a brother, she says she won't eat certain foods and her lies go on and on. Torey needs a lot of patience and understanding to try to reach Jessie but she continues to try. The question throughout the book is whether Torey will be able to help Jessie in the limited time that she spends with her each week or will Jessie turn her away like she has everyone else in her past?

This was an interesting emotional book about one person trying to make a difference in someone's life.

Buy Lost Child at Amazon

About the Author

Victoria Lynn Hayden, known as Torey L. Hayden (born May 21, 1951, in Livingston, Montana) is a child psychologist, special education teacher, university lecturer and writer of non-fiction books based on her real-life experiences with teaching and counseling children with special needs.


Author Links: www.torey-hayden.com and Facebook

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter.

( Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Note: Books were provided by publishers for an honest review. All opinions are my own.)









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