Unwanted: The care system failed Lara. Will she fail her own child?

by Cathy Glass

Lara was seven when her birth mother died from a drug overdose. With no extended family to look after her, she was put into foster care. The care system failed Lara and now she is failing her son. Lara and her one-year-old son, Arthur, are brought to experienced foster carer, Cathy Glass, by their social worker. Lara has fled an abusive relationship and Arthur has suspected non-accidental injuries. Cathy must monitor Lara whenever she is with her son, day and night. She cannot let them out of her sight for a minute. Lara loves her son, but she puts her own needs first. Cathy must teach Lara how to care for Arthur, but will it be enough to allow her to keep him? Cathy Glass' book 'A Family Torn Apart' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10-10-2022.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fostering, Audiobook, Biography, Memoir

336 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 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

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cathy Glass has fostered over 150 children during a 30 year timeframe. She lives in the UK and has written more than 30 memoirs about her experiences with different foster children. Unwanted: The care system failed Lara. Will she fail her own child? is about a single twenty-year old mother and her one-year old son who are placed in Cathy's home. Cathy has to assess the bond between the mother and son, as well as the parenting capabilities of the mother. And, by-the-way, it's in the midst of the COVID pandemic.

Quite an interesting read!

On a side note, I learned that in the UK there is a phrase that referred to the pandemic requirements of face masks, sanitizing and washing hands, and social distancing....it's known as the "face, hands, and space" rule.

[Erica⭐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unwanted is a Mother and Child placement where Cathy takes in a young mum Lara and a baby boy Arthur. Lara and Arthur have escaped an abusive relationship and gone to stay with Cathy for care and assessment to see if Lara can keep her baby, and to determine whether or not she will be able to take care of her baby and provide the constant care that babies need. This is a story of a young woman Lara learning to become a mother. She must learn to think of her child first.

[Katie Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading cathy glass books for years now and have loved every single one so far. This one definitely didn't disappoint. It certainly puts into perspective how lucky we are sometimes and that not every child has a loving home to be brought up into. So interesting hearing all the different stories and all the children cathy glass has helped. And of course it has the happy ending we all hope for.

[Klare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flowed well and finished it quickly.

[Miloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really well written and as usual I like
Cathy's books

♡ Wow, I really do not want to talk bad about a mother but i dident like
Arthur's Mom at all
She is a young woman with a
Great self-reflection
Poor Arthur😢
I give this book
💔💔💔💔 of 5
really broken hearts💔💜

[Ian Mcnamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book by Cathy glass. She is a fantastic author and her books are always well written. Lara and Artha’s story was hard to read in parts and it was great how Cathy did everything she could to support. I am glad Lara got the ending she deserved.

[Charlotte Nickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by Cathy!

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent as always.

[Gail murray · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's the worst cathy Glass book I've ever read

[Selina Litt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cathy is like the Mary Poppins of fostering. There is something about her memoirs that makes me read them without fail although the perfection makes you wonder how real the books actually are.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books by Cathy glass are always good.
Too much talk of Covid though

[Tamsynsbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check trigger warnings before reading.

Author: Cathy Glass
Page Count: 306 pages
Published Date: 19th January 2023
Genre: Autobiography, Biography
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐
SYNOPSIS:
Lara was seven when her birth mother died from a drug overdose. With no extended family to look after her, she was put into foster care. The care system failed Lara and now she is failing her son.
Lara and her one year old son Arthur are brought to experienced foster carer Cathy Glass by their social worker. Lara fled an abusive relationship and Arthur was suspected non-accidental injuries. Cathy must monitor Lara whenever she is with her son, day and night. She cannot let them out of her sight for a minute.
Lara loves her son, but she puts her own needs first. Cathy must teach Lara how to care for Arthur, but will it be enough to allow her to keep him?
MY THOUGHTS:
As always I enjoyed this book as I like this author and the way she writes and what she writes about. I enjoyed this book because you learn about what these children have gone through having to go into foster care although this story was a little different because it was a mother and baby foster placement also this is during the pandemic of Covid so it's a little different because of all the rules they had to follow. I have rated this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good story from Cathy Glass. Great insight into the circular nature of the care system that is sadly a reality for some individuals, however also showed how a good foster carer really can make a difference to lives. Really gives an insight into how not everyone gets the privilege of being shown good parental role models, and how society takes it for granted. Also, loved the inclusion of Sammy the cat in the story!

[Haylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Really enjoy Cathy Glass books!
This one kept me wanting to read more to learn about how Lara’s progress is going parenting Arthur and growing as a person. I feel so invested into Lara and Arthur’s wellbeing! Thoroughly enjoyed it, easy to read.

[georgia elderkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by Cathy Glass

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books but can be emotional

[taghread jaidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Love all your books. Opens my eyes and makes me remember that not all children are fortunate. Thank you for a wonderful read

[Novelle Novels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring

[Emma Bunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very touching story from Cathy Glass. I don’t think Ill ever tire of hearing her stories about fostering, and each time I read one, I thank the Lord for people like Cathy who make thousands of children’s lives better by being there for them 💕

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always a fantastic read.

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite Cathy Glass books, happy to report not to much mention of covid & Tiny repetitive details in this one unlike the last and more focused on the story of Lara, Frazer & Arthur. Lovely ending without going into to much spoiler territory.

[Rachel C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cathy Glass books are a slightly guilty pleasure of mine. The way that Cathy portrays herself as taking 'damaged' children and 'fixing' them after they have suffered somehow reassures me that even the most evil situations can be somewhat remedied. Although I recognise that the suffering of the children can, tragically, never be properly healed.
Initially I thought all her stories were true, and very much set in the past. However her writing is now describing fostering during the pandemic, so I feel like these stories cannot possibly be true, and how horrid for the fostered individuals to have their dirty laundry aired in such a way.
In this tale Cathy also comes across even more preachy, as she is fostering a mother-child placement, and the struggling mother is 21. Cathy has no shame in describing herself and her daughter monopolising the care of the child, then barating the young mother for not taking responsibility for their care, and criticising her for taking her son into bed with her in the morning after and exhausting night, or wanting some 'time off' from being a mum, which I think all parents need sometimes.
She also barates the young mum, who will need to survive on benefits during a pandemic, for trying to feed her son baked beans for two meals. whilst being quite happy to not baby proof the house fully and has formally allowed two two year olds to nap on the sofa (not following a routine, and posing a falls risk).
I will probably continue to read Cathy's books as she releases them, but the hypocritical nature of her work, the fo-realisum and (lets face it) the pretty poor writing, indeed make these a guilty pleasure for me.

[Vicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bit disappointed with this. Once again it appeared to have much unessesary detail, which appeared to have the sole purpose of bulking it out. I also wonder if it was actually aimed at a British audience? I say this as I found much of the details about COVID regulations etc tedious as I knew all about them all of it being so recent. Finally I was not a fan of the way it was written, some of it coming across as patronising. Sorry, as I did hope to find this book interesting, but found it tedious.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew me away. Not because of the writing. It was good writing. That's just not why it blew me away. What blew me away was finding out that the UK actually takes care of young mothers. Unlike the US. In this book, a young mother is put into foster care with her baby and taught how to be a proper mother. And when her and her baby are released from foster care, they're put into socialized housing, and the baby was put in nursery school. The US would have taken her baby and left her in an abusive home. And with no support, she probably never would have gotten her son back. This is the second book I have read by this author where she's taken in a young mother and her baby. And the concept is just mind-blowing to me.

I was a teen mom with absent parents, and when my baby was 6 months old, I attempted suicide as a way out of an abusive relationship. But nobody intervened. My baby was left with the man who had left bruises all over me. When I was released from the hospital, I was sent home with them. With no after care at all. After reading this book I am imagining a world where me and my baby would have been removed from our abusive home and placed into foster care together where I could have been taught how to be a mother like this young mother was. It could have saved both me and my daughters' lives. It's just unbelievable to me that in other countries, I wouldn't have had to suffer the same fate as I do here in the US.

[Kelly Ferrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unwanted. by Cathy Glass.
Cathy gets a phone call about taking a one year old, Arthur who is suspected of being abused! Strange and unexplained bruising on him bring him to the attention of the authorities after a check up at the doctors.
She agrees only to find out a few days later it is not just Arthur but also his mother Lara who they decide needs to be put on a parenting plan where Cathy needs to observe and help in the way of letting Lara know what she needs to do in different circumstances…
Lara seems to love her son and Cathy can see that but still having to follow the guidelines of never leaving the two together unsupervised.
Lara has not had a great life .. she had been in and out of foster homes almost all her life after losing her mum at a early age .. never feeling loved always feeling a burden and unwanted!
Can Cathy help turn everything around for her and show her that anything is possible when you ask for help and get it.
Great read again by Cathy Glass who captures the reader into being there too!

[Daryl]

I've put off writing my thoughts about this one. I've read a couple of Cathy Glass' other books in the past, and enjoy the way they're written. These stories help to improve understanding of others circumstances. Nothing is black and white, and we never know what other people have been through. They also give valuable insight into the care system.

That said - I have mixed feelings about these stories being told. Whilst names are changed for privacy reasons, I wonder how many of the children/adults are aware that their private life stories are being published and how they feel about this.

On a separate note - if you don't want to be reading about covid restrictions so soon after the pandemic, give this one a miss! This can't really be helped as Lara was in Cathy's care at that point in time, but the constant mentions of covid/lockdown can get a bit tedious.

I won't give the book a star rating. I don't feel that rating a true story of somebodies time in foster care is appropriate.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review: Cathy Glass is a foster carer based in the UK and has written countless books detailing some of her experiences caring for the children under her guardianship. This book follows Lara and her son Arthur in a Mother and son placement as they navigate life in uncertain circumstances. Lara herself was in the care system growing up so managing being a mother without a mother figure herself is a struggle - the trials and tribulations of this are explored throughout the novel.

My review: I always feel as though reviewing audiobooks is so small minded as I can only review the story and in this case, the story is non-fictional. However from an audio perspective, the narration was clear and easy to follow when dipping in and out, it was great to see the character arc of Lara grow and develop but I’m not sure I would have remained interested if I was reading a physical copy.

[Chelsea May xxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book within a day as it was gripping and so interesting to read as Cathy takes a mother and baby into her care to help them. I really liked how Cathy told the story and how she managed to help the mother Lara out and make sure her and her son Arthur have the best chance in life but I also like the relationship Lara makes with Frazer as they ended up living together ad a family which I loved and Kara has her live to life and she has a good home and partner to do that with. The only bit that annoyed me was the mention and reference Cathy kept saying about Covid as we didn’t need to hear about it in every chapter yes some chapters I understand by not most of the book this is why it ended up getting 4 stars. Cathy is a good author and a amazing foster carer she has a heart of gold xxx

[Bianca Duthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathy Glass's fostering memoirs never fail to hit all the emotions. I've read all her books, and each one touches me with its raw, honest, emotion.
Fostering during lockdown has new challenges, and it's fascinating recounting this time through someone else's view, as I always feel that how everyone handled the pandemic was deeply personal.
The story of Lara and little Arthur was really interesting. I both felt for and got very frustrated with Lara.
It was lovely to read more of Cathy's family, although they didn't play as big a part as normal, naturally they couldn't help during this period of lockdown.
I hope there are still more tales to come from Cathy and wish Lara, Arthur, and Fraser lots of luck for their future.

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

Cathy’s latest book is as good as the rest. I couldn’t stop reading, and I found myself invested in Lara and Arthur.

It was lovely to read about Lara. She was placed with Cathy to learn how to care for her son independently. Although she struggled (as lots of single mothers do!), she really showed how much she loved little Arthur.

I love the updates on Cathy’s family, which we get during every book. Paula is such a huge help!

This book focuses quite heavily on the coronavirus, which of course, is relevant to the story, but it did throw me off a bit as I struggled to read past it.

However, it was still another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read to me.