Hidden: Betrayed, Exploited and Forgotten. How One Boy Overcame the Odds. Paperback – 3 Mar. 2008

I've read several books by this author and think she is a very good writer - being able to balance a high level of emotion involved in the work of a foster carer alongside plenty of detail about the procedural aspects of the system.Anyone reading this book (or any of the others) will learn about how our society handles it's most vulnerable and get a great insight into the head of a foster carer.In this book we learn about Tayo, a boy who has come from Africa to the UK with his Mum, disappearing into an underworld where he has not been registered into any system so has been unmonitored and left to drift. Finally he comes into the care system and that is where Cathy's involvement starts.Cathy Glass is very perceptive about how others are feeling so the reader gets to understand how the child is coping with the disruptions in their life. CG quickly establishes boundaries, recognises limitations and begins to build trust - a crash course in parenting !! This process seems to be intuitive to her and the reader is rewarded by the clear way that CG's thought and actions are communicated.Never does the author worry about telling us details that are not directly related to the child's experience - what sandwich she had for lunch, the friends she met for coffee, etc. Whilst this is not directly relevant, it is important as it adds to the overall image of the person and the side of her life to which we are all trying to relate while reading the book.As with the others I read this book very quickly, taking in the emotion and the practicalities of the way Tayo is processed by social services. Taking a child into care gives positives and negatives to all involved and this particular story shows how great the system can be for a childTayo's story is unbelievable and I would have dismissed it if it were part of a novel. It is true though and that gives the book a huge poignancy.CG's writing touches anyone with any contact with the care system as she writes in a way that makes her experiences accessible to a wide readership, telling anyone who reads her books about the vulnerable children who are hidden from the rest of society.I am rather a CG addict and will seek out her next couple of books, planning to work my way through them all.

If you know you know…but I must say it was a bit unnerving hearing such an expression multiple times in a Cathy Glass book when I’ve been reading her (out of order admittedly) for the longest time! 😂That said; I enjoyed reading about Tayo and his story. It’s been on my TBR for a while as I’m slowly trying to attain all of Cathy Glass’ books on backlist.Definitely had its ups and downs but I loved the happy ending of a father who never stopped searching for the little boy who had been through so much but kept the faith that he would find him in the end.Tayo is quite the character but he’s fleshed out enough in this story that you understand rather than condemn his challenging behaviour…glad Cathy trusted her instincts and helped turn it around and that social worker Sandra is a breath of fresh air too; two hardworking and genuinely kind individuals working for the greater good of a vulnerable and put-upon ‘hidden’ child. Well done, Cathy.

Brilliant book

It so nice to hear of a foster kid having the ultimate happy ending nothing better than that, well worth a read

Lovely book to read. A really nice ending tooNow back I to amazon kindle for my next read. Recommend

Quite emotionally charged. Good story

Could not out this book down, what a big heart you have Cathy. Have read nearly all of your books now

Reading

Loved it

This book really keeps you sucked in, just like Cathy’s other books. These stories have helped me notice more things in my work as well as being more patient with the children I work with.Can’t wait to read the next one!

I am a big fan of Cathy Glass and this is one of her heartbreaking stories. Sadly there are so many children in the world who are neglected, abused and exploited. Cathy tells the stories of the children who have stayed with her family and how they gradually come to trust her and begin a new journey on a better path in their young lives. It is comforting to know there are people like Cathy who dedicate their lives to helping children.

Bella ma triste storia,racchiusa nelle pagine di un ottimo libro arrivatomi in condizioni eccellenti.Come sempre autrice generosa di particolari. Do 5 stelle perchè sono tutte meritate. In pari quantità sia a Cathy Glass che al venditore

"Cathy Glass" never fails to amaze me with her writing style, and how she can integrate the stories of children she has been a foster parent to while integreting the lives of her own family.Hidden is about a child she received with no history who was polite, intellegent, and had a severe problem with his dark skin.This boy had a dream that he would one day be united with his father, who no one could find, and frankly wondered it he was an imaginary father.This story takes the reader into the world of a child living with a drug addicted mother, shedding light on what the "underworld" in England is for many children.As with all of her books, I could not put it down, and read long into the night.This young boy had a happy ending, something that not all of her children have had. It is well worth the read.