Authors' Helpline discussion

Here is my book preview/excerpt. Please tell me what you think, wether good or bad.

Every morning I woke to a new day I'd be reminded of how inferior I was. How unwanted in this world I had become. And how much I wished to understand everything that was going on around me. I would ponder all that mind didn't understand and let the thoughts stew in my mind before tucking them away where they belonged. I hid those thoughts in the most secret corner of my mind, never allowing them to surface or show on my face. There was a reason for this, and though it pains me to admit my faults so frankly, I know it’s time for me to surrender.
My family had forsaken me, though by no fault of their own. I had been abandoned in an unfamiliar land, alone and afraid. No one there to comfort and protect me. What else was there for me to do but find a way to survive the pain so I could keep going?
And so I shrank into myself. Protecting my heart from even more hurt, and greatly despising the pity people often showed toward me. I made my demeanor hard and cold to deter sympathetic acts of kindness that would probably lead me to even greater anguish. Neither sun nor rain could erase my feverish thoughts. I would sit still, doing nothing, but at the same time be panting in exertion. My mind was a constant whirlwind of action. My heart an encased tomb of hurt I never let go.
I finally found a place I called home, but I never felt at home there. I held on, I waited, for what, I didn’t know. I kept to myself, had few friends and trusted no one. This ended up being the basic existence of my life. I hated that I didn't seem to have any control over what happened to me. I hated everything back then, It seemed like it would be my fate in life. I embraced that possibility as much as my hate would allow, and I survived.
As I look back on those days, I’m surprised I managed to live with the despair that had taken a hold on my heart. It was truly a miracle that brought me through those times. I was only a girl, not yet eighteen. I yearned to understand why everything had gone so wrong. I remember those first days well. So lonely. So afraid. I still can’t believe all that I went through. Sometimes I even wonder if everything was just a bad dream, so horrible it seems to me now.
Yet in darkness there may sometimes be found a glimmer of light. And in despair there may often be found a glimpse of peace. So it was with me, as well as others I have known. I tell you this so you don’t lose your aim like I once did. For there’s nothing in this world without hope. Without hope you can't possibly live in peace, and without peace there can only be despair.
You may be wondering how I could have found hope in such a miserable existence. I will tell you. But first you need to hear my story from the beginning. For without a beginning there can’t possibly be an end...

Hi Tamara.
This looks, at first glance, well written. What is the name of the book? I think knowing the name of the book will help to understand the nature of this piece of writing.
Just check that first word 'mind' in the first paragraph, it's the only bit I don't understand. The sentence would make sense without that word.
But the story sounds interesting, compelling the reader to find out more about what did happen to the girl.
Good luck with it.

Thank you Leon. I don't know the name of the book yet. I haven't gotten that far. I had tentatively named it 'The Summons', but I don't think that will keep. On the first sentence it was actually supposed to be 'my mind' not just 'mind'. That was a mistake on my part, thanks for pointing it out to me. :)