Please Don’t Take My Baby

by Cathy Glass

Kiedy Jade wprowadza sie do Cathy, ma zaledwie siedemnascie lat, jest w ciazy, samotna i bezdomna. Rozpaczliwie pragnie zatrzymac córke, lecz przeciez sama jest niemal dzieckiem i z trudem radzi sobie z obowiazkami, które pojawily sie wraz z przyjsciem na swiat Courtney.
Tuz po przybyciu Jade, Cathy ogarnia niepokó nigdy wczesniej nie opiekowala sie ciezarna nastolatka. Niestety, we wszystkich rodzinach zastepczych specjalizujacych sie w tego rodzaju pomocy nie ma na razie miejsca. Jade - bezdomna siedemnastolatka w siódmym miesiacu ciazy - jest w rozpaczliwej sytuacji.
Nie slucha jednak ostrzezen i rad. Rodzi zdrowe i sliczne dziecko, ale wkrótce potem popada w konflikt z prawem.
Cathy wie, ze Jade kocha córeczke calym sercem. Czy jednak Cathy zdazy przemówic dziewczynie do rozsadku i uswiadomic jej, jak wiele moze stracic?

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

304 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2013

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

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the heartwarming story of a dedicated foster mother who took in a troubled, rebellious pregnant teenager. The placement was only supposed to be for a couple of weeks until the agency could find someone to take in the girl and her baby. However, A foster family could not be found, and the baby was born while her mother was still in foster care. This is a story of triumph and failure, rebellion and forgiveness. It is well worth reading.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was only after I requested this title that I learned Cathy Glass is the author of a dozen or more similar 'true life stories' all inspired by her experiences as a foster mother.

Please Don't Take My Baby is the story of seventeen year old Jade. Pregnant and homeless after one too many arguments with her mother, she enters Cathy's care on a short time placement. Though an experienced foster carer, Cathy is out of her depth dealing with a rebellious teenager and when Jade's daughter is born the situation becomes even more complicated.

While not entirely emotionless, I felt Please Don't Take My Baby read like an extended set of case notes. The tone is largely wooden and bland, written with distinct middle-class British reserve. While I appreciated the lack of sensationalism, Glass is perhaps too careful to paint everyone concerned in the story in the best possible light. As a result I felt that Glass offered little in the way of insight into either the individuals or the issues on a larger scale.

Though Glass appears warm, caring and sincere there is a naivety in her portrait that seems disingenuous. Glass pleads a lack of experience with teens but I was surprised at how easily Jade was able to manipulate Cathy. Jade's attitude and behaviour, while perhaps not entirely typical, is hardly shocking and even quite tame compared to most of the mothers featured on America's 'Teen Mom'.

Unless you lead a particularly sheltered life there is nothing extraordinary about Jade's story as a pregnant teen, though it is ultimately an uplifting one. Despite the early difficulties, the epilogue and the subsequent update about the family provided on Cathy Glass's website reveals the best of endings for all concerned.

[Ruby Tuesday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read most of Cathy Glass's books this one differs in the sense that it's not about a young child but a 17 year old pregnant by her 16 year old boyfriend. The girl, Jade goes into care after an argument with her mother. The young girl is very troubled and smokes and drinks whilst pregnant much to Cathy's horror. Cathy is asked to have both Jade and her baby girl continue to stay with her after the birth. Jade struggles with the responsibilities of motherhood and finds herself in a position when the baby, Courtney may be taken into care and put up for adoption.

My only criticism with this book is that sometimes Cathy is a little too perfect and I want her to be a little more 'real'. This for me is the case in all her books. For example, Cathy is looking after her own two children, a troubled teenager and ends up doing night feeds for the little baby. She must have been exhausted and I wish she sometimes describes how this impacted her ability to deal with situations. Did she sometimes snap at her children as she was irritable due to lack of sleep? Despite being under extreme pressure she never seems to put a foot wrong. I wonder if it's because she stills works as a social worker and whilst Glass is a pseudonym I would image that there must be people in her line of work who have read her books and put two amd two together. Brilliant read as always but just want Cathy and her family to be a little less perfect although maybe they are that way in real life!

[Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

For considering the emotive subject matter, I felt Please Don't Take My Baby fell rather flat. That's not to say that it was a bad read, but it was surprisingly almost entirely without emotion. I'm not sure quite what it was - maybe that I never really got to know or felt connected with any of the people involved or that "Cathy" was very restrained in expressing her own emotions (understandably, for the sake of the other people involved and also perhaps for the sake of her continuing career as a foster carer, but not great from a literary perspective) or something else entirely. Whatever it was I read the entire book in a few hours without feeling emotional once or even finding anything thought provoking or that will stay with me. I doubt I'll think about it again. Not really what I expected from a book about foster care.

[K. Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't quite so sure about this book at first given that the situation was slightly different to many of the others in Cathy's books but I guess it's hardly surprising that I cried, enjoyed the book thoroughly and once again felt a wave of inspiration as I finished the last page.

[Angel Grimes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this book up second hand at a charity stall, the plot sounded like the usual schadenfreude that I enjoy, but after the first page it became blatently obvious as to why this drivel was donated to charity. This isn't schadenfreude this is my own misery! Now I'm not talking plot here because let's face it "pregnant teen placed in foster care" pretty much sums that up. It is what it says on the label, no, what I'm talking about is the author.

The sheer way the book is written makes it a misery to read. Not only does it talk to you like you're a moron who's been given books as a treat on condition that you don't eat it (seriously this book feels the need to even explain what TLC means, even my great grandmother knew that one. It's a redundant explanation), but the writing style is amateur at best. My highschool English teacher would have been all over this with a red pen in year 7, but it doesn't stop there, the author rambles off into the minutest of details on how the foster system works but completely skips over story related details, such as the conversation at dinner after Meryl leaves (which she refers back to, realizes she didn't actually write it when it was relevant so recaps it)!

Overall, the plot is what you'd expect, but the author is disturbingly bad at story-telling. She should not give up the day job...unless it's writing in which case GIVE UP NOW! Learn a new profession while there's still time!

[Redfox5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I've found my new Torey Hayden. I loved this book. I originally thought that Cathy Glass wrote fiction. I was pleased to see that she actually writes books based on her own true life experiences. I couldn't put this down!

This is the story of Jade, a pregnant 17 year old with no where to go. Cathy reluctantly agrees to foster her, she doesn't normally take in teenagers. Jade is very difficult. She breaks the rules, she smokes and drinks. I wouldn't be able to deal with a situation like this. But Cathy just gets on with it and tries her best.

Jade is given so many chances and she lets everyone down, despite having a very supporting boyfriend. She even puts her daughter in danger a few times. I didn't realise underage mothers had to have an assessment before they were given total care of their baby.

There is a point when you don't think this is going to have a happy ending. All I can say is Jade is very lucky. I can't to wait to read more Cathy Glass books!

I read this in Tenerife whilst staying at the Globales Tamaimo Tropical hotel. The hotel was a total dive so thank goodness I brought some holiday reads to keep me going. :)

[Phoenix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ever since I discovered Cathy Glass, I've tried to read as many of her books as I could and I've enjoyed every one till now. 'Please Don't Take My Baby' was torture. Weirdly, it's an interesting and emotional story, but the writing is incredibly flat and lacks any emotion. I think even the author must have felt it because she goes to great lengths to describe her feelings on every page, I've probably damaged my eyes with the number of times they rolled back into my head at the sheer tedium of it

[Bubblesthefairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet again i have given in and read another Cathy Glass book..... i always say i dont enjoy them and that they are a waste of time but still i go back and read another. This book was ok i guess very informative like Cathy Glass always is with her books. This is one of the things that annoys me about her books. We dont always need to know every detail like when she has a cup of tea etc... Wasn't the worst one ive read though.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as all others by this author. True story of foster carer. I find it hard to believe that this carer continues to be so naive /trusting , but maybe that's how you keep doing this job. It'd be nice if her editor would help edit a bit more so the story doesn't get so bogged down with excessive detail.

[✟Roxanne✟(Death by Book Avalanche) ☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow...

[Novelle Novels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by this author..

[Khawla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish Jade, her husband and baby a happy life forever, they worked hard and got their life back into order they deserve all the best 👍 ... thank you Cathy again for this great book ...

Starting "A Terrible Secret" soon 😊

[Em's Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sad and yet beautiful story! I kept holding my breath the whole time for that happy ending. Good luck keeping your eyes dry while you read it because I certainly found myself with a tissue in my hands a couple of times.

[Seema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing 👏

[Amy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review..


this book totally broke my heart. It was a true story, and i felt bad for both Cathy and this teenage girl Jade. This actually happens all the time, but they don't get lucky enough to get put into the foster systems, or anything till it is too late.

this book takes on the emotional journey of a woman named Cathy. She is a foster parent for little kids, and loves what she does. She has 2 kids of her own, and also having to deal with a recent divorce of their family. One night while they were eating supper their was a knock on the door. It was a P.E. teacher from the school. She explained who she was, and that she knows that Cathy was a foster parent. She then explained about this 17 year old girl who is pregnant and just recently got kicked out of her house by her mother. She wanted to know if Cathy would take in this girl until they found her a place to live. Cathy had to turn her down and explain how the system works, and that if she was in the system that this girl would be placed with a family who is trained to deal with teenagers and especially expecting mothers.
A couple days past, and she got a phone call from the agency that she works for. They told her they have a child for her, but it wasn't like the ones that she is used to. They told her their was a 17 year old girl named Jade, and that she was pregnant. Cathy went back and forth with her agency saying that she didn't know if she could handle a pregnant teenager because of her own kids. She then was convinced that it would only be for 4 weeks until she can get into a mother daughter placement program.
Jade arrived that Cathy's house with her caseworker Rachel. Jade had a bad attitude and didn't care that she was in the system. She missed almost all of her appointments for the doctor, and didn't have anything for this baby. All she cared about was that she wanted her teenage boyfriend to live with her too. Cathy had to set some rules in place that stated that her boyfriend could only stay for a couple hours a day.
Things were going great at first, Jade was cooking for herself, and cleaning, and actually getting along with the children. That was until she asked for a house key that everything changed. Jade would go out all day and not come back for curfew. She wouldn't answer her phone so Cathy had no choice but to threaten her with the police. When she would finally return home she would be drunk. Cathy tried explaining to her how important it was to no drink while she had a baby in her belly. Jade didn't care, and told her that she would do what she wants. Jade didn't realize that everything that she does, and this will determine if Jade can keep the baby or not.
Jade constantly would tell her caseworker and Cathy that she was going to change and be a very good mom. That was until she had her baby. Cathy had to keep Jade and now the new born baby until there was room in a different home. Cathy now doesn't mind because she built a nice relationship with her and felt like they were all part of the family. Jade started to struggle with everyday things for caring for the baby. She didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night, so Cathy had to get up and feed the baby. Jade finally got into a routine and was taking her baby girl to all their appointments. Cathy thought things were going to work out for her.
That was until Jade stated that she was taking the baby to visit her mother. She was doing this for weeks, and returning late at night. One night Jade's mother called asking were she was, and she explained to Cathy that she never visited. Jade was hanging out with her bad group of friend at the mall stealing. When she wasn't doing that she left the baby with a 11 year old to watch her while she got drunk.
Rachel had no choice but to take the baby and put it up for adoption. This story will have you angry and crying, but also feeling bad for Jade. I promise you will not be disappointed if you read this book. Their is a lot more that goes on, but just wanted to give you a bit of the book so you would want to just dig in.

[Emy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this early! Yay!

Jade, 17, is pregnant, homeless and alone when she’s brought to live with Cathy. Jade is desperate to keep her baby, but little more than a child herself, she struggles with the responsibilities her daughter brings.

Cathy Glass doesn't normally foster teenagers, let alone pregnant ones, but she finds herself unable to refuse bringing Jade into her home. Raising a teenager is quite different from anything Cathy has dealt with so far, and you can really see this from what she rights. She wonders frequently if she's doing the right thing, or if she could have done things differently, which makes a dramatic change from the confident Cathy of other books.

Something I thought was interesting about this book was the portrayal of Tyler, Jade's partner. He seriously broke the stereotype of teen dad and, even though this is a true story, I applaud Cathy for bringing this to light.

I found Jade rather unlikeable for most of the book (hence the four stars), which was interesting. Possibly because I remember being seventeen and was rather appalled by her behaviour. However, by the end of the book, I admired her for having the strength to try to change. (And the update on Cathy's website made me extremely happy. Make sure you check it out once you've read the book! :))

I cried a couple of times reading this. There was one chapter that was particularly heartbreaking, but I won't spoil it.

There were a few typos in this one, but not enough to really hinder enjoyment (though enjoyment is the wrong word).

Great job, Cathy Glass. Keep doing what you do and I'll keep reading. :)

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the site Edelweiss above the tree line.

For those that know me, all know that a book like this is out of my normal realm of reading. But when I read the blurb of this book I literally had to read it. It take me a while to finally realize that the place setting was in England. At first I thought some of the words were miss typed or the grammar was funny. It wasn't until midway I picked up the place. I am glad the ending was a happy ending because I would have felt so sad if it wasn't.

Please Don't Take My Baby is from the point of view of the foster-care giver which towards about 70% in the book you will be getting a bit teary-eyed. I know I was.

You have a pregnant teenage mother who is sent to live with Cathy and yet it seems as though Jade doesn't realize just quite yet what it takes to be a mother. She endugles her self with alchole and smoking and no matter what social services and Cathy say to Jade she doesn't seem to listen to well.

What will it take for Jade to take being a mother serious? Having her child taken away? You get a sense of love that Cathy has being a foster-care giver and the love Jade has for her baby.

I never really knew what the foster-care givers had to go through when fostering children so it opened my eyes a bit more to this. And makes me want to open my home to help foster children when mine are older.

I loved this book, and I for sure want to read more by this author. At the end of this book you get a sample of another book and just reading the first few sentences I was hooked into the sample.

If you want a touching story, then I say go and get this book by Cathy Glass along with her others.

[Beth Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Please Don’t Take My Baby” is Thought Provoking
Take a pregnant teen, a reluctant foster carer who usually only takes young children, and add in the difficulties of alcohol abuse and you can prepare yourself for a pretty grim outcome. Cathy Glass, however, in her telling of her experience with a 17 year-old, unwed mother manages to capture your heart. Told from her perspective as a foster care giver in England, Cathy manages to keep you guessing as to the outcome of this story until the final pages. It’s a riveting account of both the young mother’s journey and Cathy’s own journey as she tries to prepare this young woman for motherhood and teach her appropriate mothering skills while not taking over the parenting process herself.
As a US reader familiar with our own foster care system, it was interesting to see the difference in the UK policies regarding possibly unfit parents. As the mother of a child adopted through the state, it was interesting to see how my child’s life might have been affected differently under a different set of policies. If you’re the least bit affected or interested in the statistics of teen pregnancy or you just love a good human interest story, you will enjoy “Please Don’t Take My Baby.” It provides an interesting look into the story of one young woman and the mentor who tried to show her the way. “Please Don’t Take My Baby” is scheduled for US release on October 22, 2013.
This book was provided to me by Harper Collins for this review. The opinions, however, are entirely my own!

[Christine bonner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be given to teenage boys and girls in school to read and than there may think about having a baby.
This is a story of a 17 year called Jade and her baby Courtney, Jade is homeless and has been in trouble with the police Cathy is asked to look after her till there found a mother and bay unit,
Cathy takes Jade in and finds that is very different to looking after young children,
Jade goes out with her mates smokes and gets drunk while she is still pregant and comes back to Cathy drunk and way pass the time she should have been home, Tyler her boyfriend and the father of the baby keeps telling Jade of for the smoking and drinking even after the baby is born,
Jade get caught shop lifting with her friend when she is out with Courtney and her social worker comes round and says that there are having a meeting to take the baby away, from here on you will need a box of tissues,
Cathy starts to blame herself for helping to much with the baby, which any one would, i cant tell you the ending as it would spoil it

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took the weekend of from reading reviews so that I could catch up with a book I was also longing to read that I had purchased a while ago. I've read every single book that Cathy Glass has written. I was lucky to be able to talk to her via Internet last year and ask her a few questions.

Lovely, feeling, patience and honest person. Although when fostering [and still to this day] she has to remain confidential to her data what I admire about this lady is that she is honest and always put the best interest of the child first.

In this book, you can see her out of her depth a bit for a short while as she was not used to fostering pregnant teenage mom's, not even for a short time. This true story is not as it appears to be and in the end, with Cathy's help, the babies interests were met. Did the girl keep the baby? or did the baby have to be parted for safety from its mother. You won't get the reply from me!

I read this in one weekend, so engrossed I forgot the time.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cathy Glass had never let me down yet. I love her and all her children that she foster over the year. This story was a little different then the rest as Jade was an seventeen old girl who was put in care after her mother kicked her out of the house due to the fact she was pregnant. She was also doing a number of thing the put her and the baby at risk. The story take you not only the time with Cathy's but the up and down of doing what normal things young teenagers do for fun and excited, the relationship with Cathy and her family, her social worker, biological mother and her beloved boyfriend Tyler. Once Baby Courtney was born, the story takes you though the struggle of teenage motherhood and bad choices she made along the way. You won't want to put this book down until you find out what happens at the end and at the end you will be feeling great about a certain family!!!

[Anne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again really impressed by another Cathy Glass book. I read this book in 24 hours. I was really surprised by the that Jade got to keep Courtney. I half expected her to not be able to keep the baby in the end. With her even trying to keep Courtney was really good but it sucked that she was getting persuaded so easy by other people.
The one thing I truly enjoy about reading any Cathy Glass book is that it's actually her story along with the child's story. I've always been big on true stories but what makes hers the best is that it's her experiences. You can feel that her hole heart and soul is into it.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is not my favourite Cathy Glass novel, I always enjoy her books. Despite all she's seen; how many broken children have come into her life, she is still very positive about everyone (negligent or incapable parents included).

This is a very realistic teen pregnancy in a culture of "teen mom" and "16 and pregnant" plus a few other shows and celebrities. The plainness some people have commented on in other reviews shocks me a little - reality Tv is 90% fabricated the girls are actors, it was nice to read a Cathy Glass book with such a positive ending, despite Jades major and misjudgements there was no child abuse in comparison to her other novels.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another typical Cathy Glass book--fans will enjoy it. Cathy Glass fosters children in the UK. Usually she takes school-age children, older than toddlers but younger than teenagers.

This time, however, she was asked to take in a pregnant teen just for a few nights until more suitable accommodation could be found. Of course, those few nights turned into many more nights. The teen, Jade, had her baby but was far too immature to be a mother. And her story unfolds as such stories do.

[Becca Alderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, yes it's a little different to her normal ones but the whole story was thought provoking. being a mum myself I really felt for jade but the ending was good, finding out how the family was doing and how they where getting in was fantastic! would definitely recommend this book to other to read, and think it would also be a good book to have teenagers read. that way it might make them think twice before doing anything

[Nicola Ankers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read most of cathy glasses books and this is another book that is yet another eye opener to me no realising what young girls can go threw in life this book i didnt put down either i read it from start to finish and had enjoyed reliving the whole experiance of what this young girl and the family had gone threw in life. I found it emotional at the end when finding out how the family had come acrross everythkng that had happened x

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true story, it is an interesting insight into a foster carer's experience looking after a pregnant teenager. Whilst the writing is very basic, the story is compelling reading and I did enjoy it. Made me conscious of what a privileged (and sheltered) existence we live in Sydney's lower north shore!

[Hira Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please don't take my baby, is an amazing read. Cathy Glass has a style of writing that is captivating, the book is fast paced and doesn't drag like some non fiction books tend to do. The struggle that Jade and Cathy both have experienced through this journey, is written in a style easy to get lost in.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love cathy glass books. shes not a fantastic writer but she knows how to make you feel the emotions of the characters. this is a heartbreaking story of a young girl who lost her way and needed someone to help her back on track. a fantastic read. credit where its due to cathy she really is a very special lady.