Unsafe: Damian longs for home, but one man stands in his way

by Cathy Glass

Damian longs for home, but one man stands in his way …

Damian is just seven when he is taken in by foster carer Cathy Glass. His mother, Rachel, loves her three young children dearly, but she is vulnerable, naive and unable to cope on her own.

Cathy sets about helping Damian overcome his eating issues, with the hope that he will eventually return home. But when Rachel’s new boyfriend, Troy, arrives on the scene, Cathy becomes deeply concerned. She soon realises that Damian and his siblings are in great danger …

Cathy Glass's book 'Unwanted' was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-01-16.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fostering, Audiobook, Biography, Biography Memoir

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2023

About the author

Cathy Glass is a bestselling British author, freelance writer and foster carer.
Her work is strongly identified with both the True Life Stories and Inspirational Memoirs genres, and she has also written a parenting guide to bringing up children, Happy Kids, and a novel, The Girl in the Mirror, based on a true story.
Glass has worked as a foster career for more than 20 years, during which time she has fostered more than 50 children. Her fostering memoirs tell the stories of some of the children who came in to her care, many of whom had suffered abuse.
The first title, Damaged, was number 1 in the Sunday Times bestsellers charts in hardback and paperback. Her next three titles, Hidden, Cut and The Saddest Girl in the World, were similarly successful, all reaching the bestseller charts.
The name "Cathy Glass" is a pseudonym for author Lisa Stone.

Reviews

[Emma Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointed! I used to love Cathy's books and the stories of the children she has fostered. Her books are no longer what they used to be, they have become stuffed with pointless filler and become very self centered and less about the children and more about her and comes across very woe is me! Yes I like to read updates on her life and family as most would but it's changing her books and I wish this hadn't happened. I miss her older type books when the childrens stories were the centre of them, I think at this point I will no longer purchase/read her books anymore

[Erica⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing story of two families who have benefited from Cathy’s loving care. I cannot believe how gullible Damien's mother was but sadly many are. It was also good to read that the boys got to stay together. Also a happy ending for Esme and her father Hugo. Her mother Mary was another one easily brainwashed. Very sad that Tash made the decision to stop fostering but I totally don't blame her. She took in a teenager and gave her the best support she needed and that's how she repaid her.

[Nikki Shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Ms Cathy,

On behalf of myself and I’m sure all of your readers I want you to know we are so beyond grateful for all the years you have been a foster parent. I don’t think we could ever thank you enough! Yourself and your books have always inspired me in someway. I honestly cried when you made your announcement because i have been reading your books for many years now . However I 100 % support your decision and think you deserve your me time. Just know even if they didn’t thank you and even throw you a party ( and they so should have done) We all thank you and think you have a heart of gold. Sending you and your family many hugs love and blessings !

P.S congratulations on your grand babies !! 🤍

[Leanne Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been a huge fan of Cathy Glass and have read all of her books and love the way she writes! However, I found this one packed with filler information and not much about the child she was fostering and too much about Covid etc instead.Such a shame 😞

[Gail murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't really like it, boaring covid to much detail about Paula

[Chrisjackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorest book I ever read by Cathy glass

I really don't think there was a book here ,this felt like cathy glass either writing a book for her publishers or just writing to make some money .
I skipped through much of it. I have loved Cathy glass books but I think k recently she has been scraping bottom of barrel.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Out of all the books of hers this seemed to be my least favorite
I couldn't seem to stay on track with this one she jumped around a lot

[Tamsynsbookreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: Cathy Glass
Page Count: 294 pages
Published Date: 31st August 2023
Genre: Biography, Autobiography
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SYNOPSIS:
Damian longs for home, but one man stands in his way … Damian is just seven when he is taken in by foster carer Cathy Glass. His mother, Rachel, loves her three young children dearly, but she is vulnerable, naive and unable to cope on her own. Cathy sets about helping Damian overcome his eating issues, with the hope that he will eventually return home. But when Rachel’s new boyfriend, Troy, arrives on the scene, Cathy becomes deeply concerned. She soon realises that Damian and his siblings are in great danger.
MY THOUGHTS:
As always I enjoyed reading this book, like other books by this author. I loved how these books open your eyes on what goes on in foster care and social services. These books are emotional to read as some of the things the children have to go through is horrible, brings a tear to my eye everytime. Also at the end of the books when some children get to go home to their parents or get moved on to a new foster home I find that emotional too as the way the author writes makes you feel like you are there and you've been there with the child too. The author has talked about cutting back on her fostering which I understand why she's doing it but I hope this doesn't mean she's going to stop writing her books as they are so insperational. I have rated this book 5 stars I just love this authors books.

[Nickey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Cathy’s books… but I did feel like she went on a bit in this book. A lot of extra details described that had nothing to do with Damian’s story.

I predicted the outcome of this case… she definitely has more interesting books than this one but it was nice to read an update on Cathy and her own families lives 🥰

[Leah]

Really loved this book - such a poignant story.
Great to see representation of foster carers, written by foster carers, and really showcases the highs and lows of fostering. Cathy Glass is a great author, and gives a positive spin on what can be a really sad subject matter. Great to see some of the other things that aren't really talked about from a foster carer's perspective too.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always well written and as enjoyable as anyone’s truth can be. I enjoy reading about the care system and others experiences of it. I feel like Cathy Glass does good in a world where there isn’t as much as there could be.

[Novelle Novels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book.

[Sharon Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again I feel that Cathy has dwelt on the whole ‘covid’ thing. I appreciate that this was all going on during the time that this particular book was written about but I feel that Cathy kept going on about it. Repeatedly saying about putting on the masks etc. to mention it once to put the thing in context but to mention it every time she went anywhere or met anyone became very boring and I think unnecessary.
This is a shame because I have read all her books including the thrillers and have enjoyed them all but this one and the one before this became tedious for me and I couldn’t wait to get to the end.

[Bianca Duthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading Cathy's books for years now, but they still manage to see me sobbing in happiness and despair at various times.
I love seeing the updates on Adrian, Lucy and Paula throughout. As children they were hugely affected by the fostering, and their views of it were always an important part of the book. Now they are adults and forming their own families, its lovely to see their own lives progressing too.
Damians story was hugely emotional, and really important in the differing ways that children being abused presents itself nowadays.
I was saddened to hear the story of what happened to Tash and her family. Fostering is such an important system in our society, and this instance shows how vulnerable they can be.
I always find some of the insights into the system interesting, as we have a slightly different system in Scotland.
The updates on Lara, Frazer and Arthur were great to see also, I love reading updates on the children and young people Cathy has been involved in.
Towards the end of the book Cathy takes in a short term foster case of Esme, with a shocking story, but I was so relieved she got her happy ending.
I think Cathy is incredibly brave to have been doing this for so long, and while she indicates here she has given it up, I hope there will still be more stories to come. I absolutely adore her writing and the subject matter.

[Karlie Teis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate reviewing true stories because you can't give stars to people's stories. My review is based on the actual writing or the book. I've read many of Cathy's books, this one I truly believe is one of her last. I thought the book before this was going to be her last, but this one lacks her previous enthusiasm, passion and drive. She still to this day even mentions her husband leaving her 20 or so years earlier! Cathy think of the future ! You are too much of an amazing woman to dwell on your past. Too much page filler with stuff like face masks in coat pockets, COVID, writing logs, explaining multiple times over through the book why she does certain things, even though it has already been explained earlier. The children's stories got lost and mundane life filtered through. We all lived through covid, we all get it. Esme's story got me through the last part of this book. I hope she is doing well. My eyes did tear up for the boys story, especially when Damian got excited about Gracie!

I wish her all the best with her next chapter of her life. Hopefully she can pull out her energy for her newest grandbabies. They all deserve it . She is an amazing mother, and foster carer. It's clearly time and she even mentions it in her book to start looking after herself.

[Shellie W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Cathy Glass and have read a few of her books now. Her books are very easy to read even though they are about very sad stories sometimes.

However, with this one I just felt there was more information on Covid then there was the foster child. Which I felt was a shame, I get that Covid probably played a massive part in her fostering and the struggles she came across but I don’t feel we needed to hear about is as much in the story as we all lived through it so already know how it went down.

I’m the book she talks about potentially giving up for fostering due to there being another grandchild on the way and I feel you got that with this book. I felt it lacked the passion and drive that are normally in her books.

It was a good read still but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the others as I felt it was very different.

[Lisas Books, Gems and Tarot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another emotional read for me. Cathy’s books always are.

This book, for me, was sad. Not only is it Cathy’s penultimate foster novel, but Cathy’s decision in the book was bittersweet.

This one was about Damian, and his heartbreaking story. Damian came into foster care voluntarily as a bit of a respite for his mother, who was struggling with three children.

Damian had all the signs of an eating disorder, which Cathy tried to address, and he was a lovely young lad. As were his brothers who Cathy briefly fostered as well.

After Damian, came Esme. The sweetest girl who Cathy fostered for a very short time until her father came to get her.

With Esme’s story came one I hasn’t realised happened in the UK. Esme had run away from a cult!

Brilliant read, as ever!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Claire Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Cathy Glass books but I feel her perspective is changing. In my opinion, she is becoming too empathetic to the parents and losing the empathy for the children - there needs to be nuance and balance. I'm also concerned that she didn't guess the outcome of Troy, I figured it out much earlier and I'm worried that she didn't identify it and therefore wasn't able to report it. She's far more critical of social services these days with less understanding of the pressures they're under, and at the very least, doesn't offer solutions which came to my mind whilst I was reading. Either these books need to be entirely experience based, or if they are to offer more social commentary, then to be a bit better considered.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Cathy Glass. Its not good when your a fast reader and have the book you've been waiting for read in 3 days. Wait is on for the next.

Synopsis:
Damian longs for home, but one man stands in his way ...

Damian is just seven when he is taken in by foster carer Cathy Glass. His mother, Rachel, loves her three young children dearly, but she is vulnerable, naive and unable to cope on her own.

Cathy sets about helping Damian overcome his eating issues, with the hope that he will eventually return home. But when Rachel’s new boyfriend, Troy, arrives on the scene, Cathy becomes deeply concerned. She soon realises that Damian and his siblings are in great danger ...

[Cindy Wiedemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was quite unexpected. It was so interesting to read not only another countries workings within their foster care system but to see such similarities in life as a fellow foster parent and not feel so alone in the journey. I found that while this book states it's about one boy named Damian, it is actually divided into two stories. I am curious to read more of her books to see how similar they are and perhaps become a frequent reader of her work. I do feel that in a way its beneficial to read them in order. However, it is not necessary. Well written and fast-paced and very emotional, I highly recommend this book

[Chelsea May xxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a hard hitting book to read but I am so glad it had two happy endings we’re all the children returned to their parents. Also Cathy become a grandma again to a girl and boy which am so happy for her family. I really enjoy Cathy’s books as she explains to you about fostering and how she fosters the child and helps them become a better person. The love Cathy as for the families as well is heartwarming to see has she try’s to help them out so much. They only thing that annoyed me about this book was it had a lot to do with the pandemic in it was I understand was happing at the time but it could have been dosed down a bit more. Xxx

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually really enjoy reading the fostering memoirs from Cathy Glass they are usually really interesting and make me want to be a foster carer.
This one didn't hit the mark for me though it felt like there were a lot of things added to pad it out and fill it, like it was about Damian then all of a sudden it was about Esme, we didn't need to know that Paula was working from home in her bedroom on what felt like every other page and the bits about picking up masks from the hallway using hand sanitizer at the contact centre and there was a lot of mention of the kitchen diner. Also there were quite a number of grammatical errors throughout too.

[Ian Mcnamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by this author. Although the main story was Damion's it was also great to get the bonus story of ezmay as well.

As usual cathy faught for what was best for each child and shown her dedication to the work as always.

I loved the way she also supported Damion's mother and did all she could to assist her to.

Given that Damion's story ended with a couple of hours still left to go I wondered why it was so long then we got the interesting story of Ezmay.

Another great 5 star read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from Cathy. I'm rather gutted that this is her second from last Foster care novel but I do understand why. Cathy has a heart of gold but she does deserve some time for her family and her self. A huge congratulations on hearing the big happy baby news. Not Just one but 2. Woweee how exciting. It would be could if Cathy
Could do a book later on. A one off autobiography about her and her family obviously keeping there identity safe but telling us how they all are and of course about the new bundles of joy.

[Holly Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathy glass, what can I say, another fab book and two interesting stories.

I’m still coming to terms of you giving up fostering long term and just doing respite, you are one amazing woman and I think you should be honered with an MBE all that you have given in public should be re warded. I keep saying to my mum my fave author isn’t doing fostering books anymore..

I hope one day we find out how Adrian and Emma get on with their pregnancy’s and if Paula has a love story eventually

Thank you Cathy again

[Miloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜🍁WoW here we have another really well-written poignant and absolutely fantastic wonderful book...
Cathy knows how to talk about her children that she gets placed with her.
She writes perfectly and captivatingly.
I couldn't turn off the audiobook once I started listening to it
I just wanted to hear how it would all end

☆She has had some of her books translated into Swedish
so you who love biographies don't miss this author.☆
From me, it can't be anything other than a full pot and more...
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5🍁💜

[Rachel C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this the last fostering memoir from Cathy Glass? She finishes the book by cutting back on fostering and hoping to focus on her 3 grandchildren. There is so little detail about the children's cases in this book, such a lack of description of the child's state of mind, behavior or how these are dealt with, that it feels pretty dialed in. It miles away from her best work; Will You Love Me and Damages.

The most interesting thing about this book is that it does give a pretty 'normal' view of what it was like for all of us to live during the height of the Covid pandemic.

[Georgina Abbotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathy is a wonderful lady her and the family are so supportive caring and committed to children who enter their lives.this book had me shedding tears.thr love,kindness,support and everything Cathy and her family did for Damian and his siblings.i really enjoy Cathy's books but I'm going to miss them when she stops writing.i will continue reading her lisa stone ones.i wish Cathy and all her family the best for the future and what they decide to do.all the announcements in the book had me excited and happy for the family to be expanding

[Kelly Ferrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unsafe. by Cathy Glass.
This was actually more than one story in it … I felt a bit of a bonus … Never disappointed with books from this author. She writes to tell a story as though this may be the first time you have read a book from her … which is not a problem .. given some background which can be helpful to new readers. A big thank you to Cathy Glass on such great books over the years and her undivided attention to making the lives of these children a lot better than they have experienced.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Cathy has blown it out of the park! Foster carers are so often the only kindness a child has received in their little lives; Unsafe tells Damion’s story. Plus we learn about an allegation against a fellow foster carers family and we meet Esme. Foster carers really do deserve so much more recognition than they get! Thank you for telling your memoirs, Cathy. I look forward to the next one and I’ll be reading more Lisa Stone books too….