Stella's Story
Thrown Away Children, Book 1
By: Louise Allen
Narrated by: Melanie Crawley
Series: Thrown Away Children, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs
Categories: Relationships, Parenting & Personal Development, Parenting & Families
Abby's Story
Abby's Story is the second book in the Thrown Away Children series by author and foster mum Louise Allen. She doesn't want this baby. She can't look after this baby. She will never be able to love this baby. Little Abby's life begins badly, then just gets worse. Now foster mum Louise and her family must help her deal with the truth of her past to give her the chance of a future.
By Jayme Paul on 12-03-21
Thrown Away Child
Narrated by: Sarah Moule
Thrown Away Child is a memoir covering Louise Allen's abusive childhood in a foster home, how she survived - using her love of art as a sanctuary - and how she hopes to right old wrongs now by fostering children herself and campaigning for the improvement of foster care services. It is a compelling and inspirational story. This book gives a voice to the many children who grew up unhappily in care.
By: Maggie Hartley
Narrated by: Penny MacDonald
Foster carer Maggie Hartley is finally enjoying a well-earned holiday from fostering, savouring time with her brand-new baby granddaughter. One night, though, the peace and quiet is interrupted by an urgent call from Social Services. A man has been stabbed, and Social Services need to find an emergency placement for his little girl. Maggie is used to children arriving on her doorstep at all times of the day and night, but nothing can prepare her for the sight of 11-year-old Nancy.
tragic story
A Family Secret
My Shocking True Story of Surviving a Childhood in Hell
By: Maureen Wood
Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
Abused from the age of eight by her older brother and then her step-father, Maureen Wood quickly became numb to the constant suffering. But Maureen's world crumbled when her own mother started to abuse her too. A Family Secret is the harrowing true story of how one little girl survived sickening abuse by the people who should have loved her most and how an innocent baby finally saved her.
Bravery in Spades
By Mama of Roses on 03-22-21
Sins of Our Mothers: Skeletons in Our Closets
By: Shana K. Dines
Narrated by: Dani George
My mother was bipolar, mentally ill, a sociopath that not only got pregnant by my 15-year-old father but went on to abuse me in every way imaginable. This is my story. People have a hard time believing that women, especially mothers who are supposed to protect their children, can be molesters and pedophiles, but my mother was one. I am not only telling my story for my own recovery, exposing the sins of the mothers in our family, but to help others to see that if this happened to them, they are not alone, and they can recover and have healthy, reasonably happy lives.
Don't Bother
By Michael Ambrose on 03-30-21
By: Ann Cusack - contributor, Carol Minto, Joe Cusack - contributor
Narrated by: Fiona McNeill
For 46 years, Carol Minto has quietly gone about her life, carrying with her the most extraordinary and heartbreaking secrets. In The Asylum, Carol tells the full story of how she overcame unimaginable suffering, to find the happiness and solace she has today as a mother and grandmother.
Overcoming a life of abuse
By PJ Riley on 08-25-21
By: Ann Cusack - contributor, and others
An Innocent Baby
Why Would Anyone Abandon Little Darcy-May?
By: Cathy Glass
Narrated by: Denieca Fairman
When foster carer Cathy Glass is asked to foster Darcy-May, a two-day-old baby, she is very concerned. The baby is coming to her straight from the hospital and will have no contact with her teenage mother, Haylea. Even more worrying, she will be brought to Cathy with a police escort, as it's vital her extended family doesn't know where she is.
C GLASS Books Still Influence in UK and Everywhere
By Mary Burnight on 12-25-21
A Sister's Shame
A Maggie Hartley Foster Carer Story
Foster carer Maggie Hartley is used to all manner of children arriving on her doorstep, but nothing can prepare her for sisters Billy and Bo when they arrive at her home. It is clear from the moment she sets eyes on them that four-year-old Bo and seven-year-old Billy have clearly been subjected to unimaginable neglect, and it takes all of Maggie's skills as a foster carer to try to connect with the volatile little girls, who seem far younger than their years.
Overly fixating on the children's weight
A Life Lost
Jackson Is Haunted by a Secret from His Past
Narrated by: Denica Fairman
Jackson is aggressive, confrontational and often volatile. His mother, Kayla, is crippled with grief after tragically losing her husband and eldest son. Struggling to cope, she puts Jackson into foster care. Cathy, his carer, encourages Jackson to talk about what has happened to his family, but he just won't engage. His actions continue to test and worry everyone. Then, in a dramatic turn of events, the true reason for Jackson's behaviour comes to light....
Excellent book, wonderfully narrated
Mummy, Please Don't Leave
By: Casey Watson
Narrated by: Kate Lock
The Watsons are no strangers to sibling placements, but when Casey takes the call from her supervising social worker one frosty January morning, she can instantly tell from the tone of her colleague's voice that there's a complicated case ahead. And she's right. A four-day-old baby boy called Tommy - born in prison - plus his four-year-old half-brother, the lively Seth. A month later, the very moment she gets out of prison, the boys' mother - a 19-year-old called Jenna - also follows.
Love her books
Wicked Girl
Two Desperate Children. One Is a Mother. The Other Her Child.
By: Jeanie Doyle
Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
The first in a brand-new series by the foster 'super-gran', Wicked Girl is the shocking true story of the very first case Jeanie Doyle dealt with: a baby girl who was found abandoned on the steps of a church just before Christmas. While the 14-year-old mother was tracked down, Jeanie took her little daughter into her own care. But while she tried to help the two of them heal and bond, the terrible truth about the baby's father was revealed.
Truly Captivating
By madameEmily on 10-09-21
Run, Mummy, Run
From the author of Sunday Times and New York Times best seller Damaged, the gripping story of a woman caught in a horrific cycle of abuse - and the desperate lengths she must go to in order to escape. When Aisha spots an ad for a 'personal introductory service for professionals' in the newspaper, she could never have guessed it would lead to such a perfect marriage. But you should be careful what you wish for.... Mark is sorry the first time he hits Aisha.
Cathy glass never disappoints.
By momm243 on 08-27-20
KERI 6
The Original Child Abuse True Story (Child Abuse True Stories)
By: Kat Ward
Narrated by: Bridget Thomas
Despite leaving the courtroom with her reputation intact, Kat's inner life was in turmoil, and it was only due to the loyal support and steadfast encouragement of her ever-increasing fan-base that she managed to complete the sixth volume so soon. Following on from the fifth book, in which she lost her identity but somehow found herself a husband, Karin now finds herself in the precarious position of having to move in with her partner's family - a move known to strain even the tightest of marital bonds.
Shocked !
By Nicole Moodt on 01-15-22
Saving Danny
The fifteenth fostering memoir by Cathy Glass. Danny was petrified and clung to me in desperation as I carried him to my car. Trapped in his own dark world, he couldn't understand why his parents no longer loved or wanted him and were sending him away. While Danny's parents have everything they could wish for in material terms, they are unable to care for their only child. This is where Cathy comes in.
The most hands on: how to become a better parent, book by Kathy class I have ever read
By Maria on 06-09-17
The Convent
The Shocking True Story of Surviving and Evil Nun's Care Home from Hell
By: Marie Hargreaves
Narrated by: Dorothy Lawrence
When a fancy car pulls up outside six-year-old Marie's home in 1959, her dad tells her she is going on holiday. But little does she know she will not see her home again for four long years. Her family cannot afford to keep her at home. Marie tells the story of how she was taken away from a poor but happy and loving home life to live in a convent - away from everyone and everything she holds dear. Her hair is bluntly chopped, her clothes are taken away and her name is changed. Then a horrific ritual of physical, sexual and mental abuse begins.
Stunning Book
Damaged: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Forgotten Child
Although Jodie is only eight years old, she is violent, aggressive, and has already been through numerous foster families. Her last hope is Cathy Glass. At the Social Services office, Cathy (an experienced foster carer) is pressured into taking Jodie as a new placement. Jodie's challenging behaviour has seen off five carers in four months. Despite her reservations, Cathy decides to take on Jodie to protect her from being placed in an institution.
Fabulously written but not for the faint of heart
By Alaina Johnson on 05-15-18
The true story of two-year-old Anna, abandoned by her natural parents, left alone in a neglected orphanage. Elaine and Ian had travelled halfway round the world to adopt little Anna. She couldn't have been more wanted, loved and cherished. So why was she now in foster care and living with me? It didn't make sense.
confused all around
By SushisArmy on 08-04-18
The Silent Cry
There is little Kim can do as her mother's mental health spirals out of control
The heartbreaking true story of a young, troubled mother who needed help. The 16th fostering memoir by Cathy Glass. It is the first time Laura has been out since the birth of her baby when Cathy sees her in the school playground. A joyful occasion, but Cathy has the feeling something is wrong. By the time she discovers what it is, it is too late. This is the true story of Laura, whose life touches Cathy's in a way she could never have foreseen.
Okay, but not as good as her first book.
By Thomas on 04-09-16
In her brand-new series Thrown Away Children, Louise Allen shares the harrowing stories she is exposed to as a foster mother. The first in the series, Stella's Story, tells the astonishing true story of a young girl scarred by an abusive past.
Named after the lager that christened her at birth, Stella's life is characterised instability and neglect. Her teenage mother abandons her in the first few weeks of her life, and left in the 'care' of her father, she ends up lying deserted in a house with no food, no water, no clothes and no warmth.
She eventually lands in the care of foster carer Louise, who is determined to change her life for the better. Things seem to be going well - but when Stella has a startling response to having her photo taken, it becomes clear the scars of her abuse run deeper than anyone could have ever guessed.
©2020 Louise Allen (P)2021 W F Howes
Biographies & Memoirs Adoption & Fostering Dysfunctional Families Child Abuse
Eden's Story
Jacob's Story
Silent Sisters
The Last Boleyn
The Royal Nanny
What listeners say about Stella's Story
Jayme Paul
Well written, as always!
Always heartwarming to hear a happy ending. I wish it was always this way! thank you for advocating for your children, it has to be done when the system is broken!
Brilliant but so sad
Heartbreaking story but had me hooked! I binged it in 2 days! would recommend
Michelle Kjær
Overall a good read
I really like the story, and the background before she came into care. but found the book a bit confusing at times, it felt a little slow in the beginning, and rushed in the end
brilliant 👏
Absolutely brilliant. the way the book is written, the narrator, everything. Oh my, the epilogue!! goose bumps.
STELLA - Well done
Too slow.
The first 4 hours of the book are almost too painfully boring to sit through. It does get better but throughout the entire book there's just far too many unnecessary details. I usually finish a book within a few days but this took me weeks. Don't think I'll purchase another by this author.
Wow another great read!
Yes go for it buy now!! Worth it!! Couldn't stop listening!! Thanks Louise for yet another amazing story!
Sad but beautiful story
I did enjoy the story but the ending really made it for me. What a wonderful job some foster carers do
A must
I don't often review, but this is a audio is a must to listen to not only the horrific story behind Stella story, the author and reader have done an amazing job
Unbelievable to think that this happens to innocent children it breaks your heart
Five stars for the ending of Stellas' story