Dumpster Doll: The Early Years

by Michelle Mays, Michelle Moone

Michelle Mays was born into an abusive family in the Midwest. As she and her siblings cling to survival, the balance of family ties is weighed against alcoholism, drug abuse, abandonment, and despair. Hope dawns in the form of foster care, only to be deferred by multiple placements and a system not equipped to support the children it's meant to protect. Through powerful vignettes of a life disjointed, Mays's story is a journey of hope that is echoed in the experiences of thousands of children in the court and foster care systems today. Dumpster Doll is brave not because it is unique, but because it unflinchingly shines a light on family turmoil, flaws in judicial systems, and ultimately, the grit and tenacity that thousands of children exhibit each day just to make it through.

157 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 26, 2019

Reviews

[Barbara Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to my good friend for gifting me this book. Not knowing what to expect I picked it up, started reading and was immediately hooked. How inspiring for Michelle Mays to be able to share her childhood with us the readers. She truly had a difficult childhood(which really is an understatement), but I don’t know how else to describe it without giving things away. This truly is a inspiring book that just makes you realize how certain people can change a child life without even really trying. Michelle has become a truly amazing woman and I hope she continues to inspire young girls everywhere to understand that there really is hope.

[Joel Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having a wife as an elementary school principal, a lot of the subject matter of this book hit me hard. There are so many children that are affected by the foster care program, both positively and negatively. There are also so many young students that are affected by issues with negligent parents. Michelle has hit one out of the park in describing in perfect detail the aspects of the first twelve years of her life that molded her into the person she is today. The depth and descriptive examples really made it feel like you lived this life alongside her. The fact that she was able to endure such physical and psychological hardships and survive and literally become a princess is one of the most amazing aspects of this book.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelles’ story is heartbreaking but an eye-opener on the child abuse that goes on in our society. This book also touches on how Great foster parent can impact a child’s life. This book is very well written. It is a difficult read, but not because of the way it’s written, but because of the events that occur within the book. I highly recommend this book. It’s definitely an eye-opener.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very rare is the book that I will ever pick up more-so due to the author rather than the subject matter; however, Michelle Mays is the wife of a supervisor of mine at my current job who I have a ton of respect for & who now I feel like I understand a lot more than I ever did before. With "Dumpster Doll: The Early Years", Mays describes the first 11 years of her life which were full of sexual abuse, parents who argued, drugs, alcoholism, and a foster system that at times failed individuals because the birth parents tended to have more rights than the children themselves. This book is fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time simply because of the horrors this young child had to endure which show a sense of character & strength that give me a ton of respect for her as a person and the woman she eventually became. This book is an absolute must read for anyone who feels that the world is totally against them & they cannot survive. It will have you all over the place emotionally & is honestly a book I will never forget. While I have yet to purchase the sequel, I look forward to being able to follow her journey even further through that book as well as the planned finale.

[Edith Coley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this highly readable true-to-life account of Michelle Mays' first twelve years. She and her four siblings were born to struggling parents who didn’t function as a unit to provide protection and nurturing during the formative years. The children all were neglected by an unfit, alcoholic mother and a mostly absent military father. The children were eventually abandoned by their mother after their parents divorced. Michelle, the oldest girl, suffered unfathomable abuse because of this neglect and abandonment. This effectively diminished her early childhood. The children were eventually rescued from their deprived and hellish existence by the Foster Care System of Florida.

This reader came to admire Michelle's spunk and resilience in the face of mounting, potentially tragic occurrences. This child, who found treasure within a dumpster, could teach us all a lesson on survival against the odds. She is truly unforgettable as is her story.

I highly recommend reading Dumpster Doll: The Early Years. Find out Michelle Mays’ secret to beating those odds. She does have a few Guardian Angels up her sleeve.

[Jen Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly an eye-opening, jaw dropping book that, many times, had me shaking my head as my eyes filled with tears. The writing is superb and captivated me from the beginning.

I work in a Superior Court and have seen the parents of these types of cases in countless court hearings but reading the descriptive recounting of Michelle and her siblings real life situations of abuse and neglect just breaks my heart.

I finished the book a few minutes ago and immediately googled “Dumpster Doll: Adolescence”; Book Two. I’m interested to read it and find out what happens with Michelle and Gayle, and Andy and basically everyone.

Thank you so much to Michelle Mays for sending me a signed copy.

[Julia Alberino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very hard book to read because of the subject matter, but it is well worth the reader's time. Michelle Mays tells the story of her abusive childhood and her largely positive experiences in foster care in a forthright and engaging narrative. The book ends at the point of her and her brothers' reunification with their father, so readers will have to wait for the next volume to find out how that goes.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Knowing Michelle personally makes this book feel like an absolutely surreal experience. She is not at all the kind of person she is presenting herself as and it's sad to see that she has resorted to telling stories to seek the sympathies and money of strangers who don't know any better. This woman is a narcissist of the highest order.

[Sarah Vowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look into the mind and heart of severely abused and neglected little girl with her siblings that has left me convicted. And so very grateful for people stepping up in the foster care system.... 5 stars because this one will stick with me for a very long time.

[Kaylee Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

As hard as it was to see the trauma building page by page, there was so much value in Michelle’s story. As a foster mom, and a guardian ad litem, hearing the stories from former foster youth is truly invaluable.

[Reynolpa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's difficult to rate a book about such a difficult topic but it is not written very well. However, my heart went out to Michelle and her siblings as no child deserves their horrific childhood.

[Amanda McGeehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A awesome book that pulls at your heart strings! Makes you really think about the foster system. Highly recommend!

[Sally S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I have no clue how someone.s life could be like this, and turn out to be one of the nicest people out there! Such strength. Can’wait to read the next segment.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Rina Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING

This book has brought tears to my eyes. I am honored to know michelle Mays personally and I just couldn’t put this book down. I finished it in one day!

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to take intermittent breaks from the emotional intensity.

[Jennifer Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My psych doctor recommended this book and I rushed to the library to borrow. Michelle's story is brutally honest, relatable and heartbreaking, yet written with glimmers of hope.

So well written and leaves me wanting to read the sequel about her adolescent years.

Kudos to both Michelles for the writing, stories and philanthropy. Thank you from many who understand and care.