When domestic abuse has been proved, there are entirely justifiable reasons for a victim to have negative views of their abuser, and the term “parental alienation” should never form any part of subsequent proceedings. But for men who are abusers there is another reason to use it too: one woman going through proceedings said, “Women are often legally advised that if they mention abuse then they’ll lose custody of their children to their abuser.” I have seen this happen. In this newest memoir, Cathy Glass looks after two young children after their older sister makes allegations of sexual abuse against their father. Cathy navigates interactions with unpredictable parents, healing two broken-hearted children, maintaining her relationships with her own family, and searching for the truth in a messy and dire situation; all in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This memoir toys with the readers emotions as they try to find the truth within this family's chaos. Since other Goodreaders have indicated that the book is not up to Glass’ usual standard I will withhold recommendations until after reading some of her earlier books.

Angie, 6 and her sister Polly, 4, are utterly distraught when they arrive to stay with foster carer Cathy Glass. Their older half sister Ashleigh has accused their father of something horrible and the two young sisters have been removed from home to keep them safe. Awesome as always! Cathy continues to tell a story and provide inspiration on how to treat events in everyday life. Ria 5 * Audible I read a lot of memoirs/biographies and this is one of the blandest. Way too much detail and the whole time you’re wanting to get to the end to find out the truth but mainly just to get it over with. And it was all for not. All because a teenage lied and made terrible unfounded allegations. Gives a very intimate look into foster care in the UK. It is clear that the assault story was made up as there were multiple witness testimonies of where the father and the daughter both were at the supposed assault time, no physical evidence at all, and at the end the daughter admitted she made it up because she hates her step-dad and wanted to live with her bio-dad. Throughout the film, Vilma and María rely on lawyers, advocates and witnesses to navigate a system confusing and protracted by design. Their cases, said Tabak and Kent, point to the crucial role of supporting state-level legal and social service agencies to advocate for immigrants.The eldest, who’s fourteen and has a different father to the other two girls, has made allegations of sexual abuse against her stepfather and would feel more comfortable in an all-female environment.’

The girls were inconsolable for days, not helped by only being allowed to see their mother online because of covid restrictions and concerns that she may frighten them into not telling the truth. But gradually they began to settle and as they did they talked more of life at home where there were a lot of arguments between Ashleigh and their parents. At one point, the state of Arizona sued to take permanent custody of Yeisvi since Vilma, detained indefinitely by Ice, could not support her. The “absolute unpredictability and capriciousness of Ice in its decisions about when and whether to release people” was the most difficult part of filming, said Kent. “You were living in limbo with them all the time and every day, hoping that this legal tactic with a lawyer might pay off, that this phone call with Ice might yield a little more willingness to consider letting this person out on bond.” There are grounds for hope, she believes. One is the fact that racial injustice and America’s prison-industrial complex are now mainstream topics. “They’re being talked about in the media in the same way that Batman is being talked about, right?” Attitudes are changing: John Bel Edwards, Louisiana’s governor since 2016, campaigned on prison reform and has granted 116 of the 164 clemency appeals made to him; his predecessor, Bobby Jindal, pardoned just 83 out of 738 during the previous eight years. Cathy Glass’s A Family Torn Apart remains in the top ten for a seventh week – this time at number 10.

I don't like to perpetuate the idea that false reports occur, because the system makes it difficult enough for children and women to be believed as it is. But this story was gut-wrenching. All foster carers in the UK have an SSW whose role it is to support and monitor the foster carer and their family in all aspects of fostering. Most referrals for children who come into care come to the foster carer through the SSW. Joy was in her early fifties, of average height and build, and had a wealth of experience. I found her caring, efficient and level-headed, although like everyone in children’s services at present she was working flat out and was slightly stressed as a result of the pandemic. I don’t go out looking for stories; I meet people. I develop relationships with them, and that’s how the projects come to fruition,” says Bradley, who is currently in her native California, but has lived in Louisiana for the past 10 years. She doesn’t feel her approach is any better than the factual documentary one. The two can work in tandem to highlight the issues at hand. Besides, she adds, “don’t you think that emotions are facts? Facts don’t always become emotional, but I think in our bodies and our minds, the things that we feel become the truth.” Soon. This afternoon. Their father is still with the police but he will be bailed later and is returning to the family home to live. The children need to move before then. The girls’ mother is standing by him.’ Excellent. And you are all well?’ Joy asked. It wasn’t simply a polite question but had gained real significance since the start of the pandemic.