Diego's Story: Thrown Away Children series

by Louise Allen

Diego's Story is the thirteenth instalment in the popular Thrown Away Children paperback series.

Diego and his siblings live in desperate poverty, but nobody seems to notice or care as they come close to starving, scouring food banks to survive. But he’s wrong – someone has noticed him. County Lines gang members can see his vulnerability. With an absent father, alcoholic mother and dependent young siblings, Diego is the perfect mark.

Entrapped, used, abused and witness to terrible crimes, young Diego escapes a murder scene and runs.

Experienced foster carer Louise Allen steps in when 14-year-old Diego is placed with her. Can she help him overcome his disturbing past and finally feel safe again? And what will happen if the County Lines gang finds him – with Louise and her family?

Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2026

About the author

From an early age, Louise was adopted into a family who, from the beginning, said they didn’t want her. Her first book, Thrown Away Child, reveals the abuse and neglect she and a fellow adopted child suffered at the hands of their adopted mother, Barbara. Ten years ago, Louise and her family became a fostering family. They have looked after over twenty children, some have stayed long term. This led to the bestselling series, Thrown Away Children, where Louise is inspired by the stories of children in the care system. Within days, the book became a bestseller.

Louise now draws on her experience to write a new series of ‘How to’ books about adoption, fostering and parenting. How to Adopt a Child is the unvarnished truth about adoption. Louise is well known for “saying it as it is,” so not only is it witty and engaging, it also empowers adopters to feel confident and in control and to know where to turn to for help.

Reviews

[Fiona Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, poor Diego. Cannot see his life changing until perhaps he goes home home . But would the illegal criminals follow ? International criminals in county lines don't know when to stop. With guns and murder is the norm. The blame of technology like mobile phones nobodys is safe. Technology is just becoming more and more forward with tracking apps and software. I cannot see the situation getting better as the poice don't have the power or budget to control it. Diago was helped through a private company who had over 150 boys in hiding. Diago had narrated the obvious signs in the village that Louise's home was and really opened her eyes up to how close it's happening and in local school.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved hearing other people’s thoughts on a book good, bad, constructive or positive. Whatever it is you’re reading, I enjoy the discussion that comes with it. For me, a good book is only half the experience if it isn’t shared with other people. Hearing different perspectives always adds something.

I’ve just finished Diego’s Story by Louise Allen, and you know when you finish a book and your brain just feels heavy afterwards? That’s exactly how this one left me. Not every story has a happy ending, and as Louie said, sometimes the real focus is simply on improvement.

As a care leaver myself, I know that dignity and safety in placements aren’t always what people imagine them to be. Real life isn’t always a neat beginning, middle and end. Sometimes it’s abrupt, messy, beautifully chaotic, and sometimes devastating too and this book really captures that reality.

Louise Allen has written other series like the Slave Girl books and the Goat series, which often focus on stories connected to exploitation and county lines through her charity work. In those, she sometimes feels more like she’s stepping back and sharing someone else’s story.

But this one felt different to me. It felt closer to home, more immediate like the reality of what can happen in our own communities.

Tonight it led to a really important conversation with my son about county lines. I asked him if he understood what it was and whether he had heard about it before. It made me realise how little awareness there sometimes is not just among children, but also within schools and communities.

Living where we do, I genuinely feel like areas like ours could easily be targeted. That thought worries me, and I don’t think enough open conversation is happening yet.

Books like this don’t just tell a story — they start conversations that really matter.

I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts if you’ve read Diego’s Story.

Join us @ fostering memoirs and fiction book club on Facebook to discuss books like this and more! 📚

[Bekah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated Diego's Story by Louise Allen 4 stars and really enjoyed it.

I’ve read other books in the Thrown Away Children series and have enjoyed those, so I was keen to pick this one up as soon as I saw it.

As with the others, it’s always heartbreaking reading about how these children are exploited and abused. It’s not an easy read at all, but it does feel important and eye-opening.

This particular story stood out to me because of the added element of security and danger surrounding Diego’s life, and how that impacted not just him but the whole Allen family. It added another layer of tension and made the situation feel even more intense and uncertain.

One thing that really stuck with me was the lack of resolution at the end. Usually with these kinds of real-life fostering stories, as emotional and difficult as they are, there’s at least some sense of hope or a more positive outcome. That wasn’t really the case here, and it left me with a bit of a lingering feeling afterwards. I found myself still thinking about Diego and wondering how things turned out for him, which definitely stayed with me after finishing the book.

Overall, I’ll definitely continue reading these fostering memoirs by Louise Allen. They’re difficult but important reads, and I’d highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys this type of real-life storytelling.

Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest opinion

[Julie Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another compelling true story from this author. The whole county lines problem in this country is just shocking. I think it is good that the author is raising awareness of how common this problem is and is closer to home than most people realise.

Diego’s father had left the family and gone back to live in Portugal. His mother became depressed and then dependant on alcohol. Diego was left with the responsibility of looking after the house and his younger brothers. Diego was targeted by county lines as they picked him out as being vulnerable after seeing him at a food bank regularly.. He then got sucked into their drug running world.

Diego comes to stay with the author’s family to escape the threat from county lines as Diego has witnessed a murder. Diego is not his real name, he has been given a new identity and relocated miles away from home and miles away from his mother and brothers. Diego shows a lot of streetwise knowledge for a child of his age. Sadly at the end of the story Diego is moved on, as his location has become known to county lines and his life is in danger once again. I admire the author for being a foster carer to children with all sorts of horrendous backgrounds, but this has to be the scariest, when you’re putting yourself and your family’s life in danger to help a child.

[Julie Haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of her best books. 

I always enjoy Louise Allen's books. I like her style how she tells the story of what happened to the child before she came to look after them, as well as once they're staying with the Allens.  Louise was a looked-after child too, and adopted.  She's now fostered over thirty children. 

After telling the backstory from Diego's family's point of view, it switches to Louise.  This is another hard, sad story.  It was a fast read, and a tragic and eye-opening account.  Told with little bits of humour, which you might not expect, but she sounds a fun lady.

She's not as 'stuffed-shirt' as some foster carers whose memoirs I've read; a bit more modern, I agree with a lot she says, and I like that she puts lighter moments in, a few comical observations.  These lighter instances and memories help to balance things as most of the subject matter is darker.

When I first started this I thought, oh, not another country lines story-but it was a great book, not repetitive; completely different to her other books.  I do prefer Louise Allen's Thrown Away Children series, as this is from, than her newer series, (The Slave Girls), although still good, I enjoy these better.

One of her best books.

[Rebecca Fowkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from Louise Allen. I love how Louise talks her mind and doesn't try to sugar coat things, how she will do everything she can to help the child she is looking after. I really felt sorry for Diego with what he went through and I really hope that very soon in the future, he gets to live a normal life with his family that he should.

I love how Louise, Lloyd, Jackson, Vincent and Lily are with Diego, how they treat him like a normal family member and are there for him. I had tears reading this fantastic book and laughs as well, especially when Lloyd asked Louise is she got what she wanted on page 229. This is a heartbreaking book. I definitely recommend reading this book.

[Stacy Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how Diego’s story was unique. Not your typical foster care situation. I truly hope his family finds safety and peace! Drugs truly destroy so many lives!

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book from Louise.

[Gail murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant book made me cry here and there . well written a true eye opener. I hope Diego has a good futher and he's happy.

[Kelly Ferrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diego’s Story. by Louise Allen.
Another slow start to a Louise Allen book (25% down before it got going) ..
All in all a good story … shows what hardship, gangs and alcohol can do to a family and what can happen if a child needs to step up and become the parent!
Diego went through a lot of hardship … and probably still is as this happened around Covid time.