Search
Log in
  • Home

  • Categories

  • Audiobooks

  • E-books

  • For kids

  • Top lists

  • Help

  • Download app

  • Use campaign code

  • Redeem gift card

  • Try free now
  • Log in
  • Language

    🇳🇱 Nederland

    • NL
    • EN

    🇧🇪 Belgique

    • FR
    • EN

    🇩🇰 Danmark

    • DK
    • EN

    🇩🇪 Deutschland

    • DE
    • EN

    🇪🇸 España

    • ES
    • EN

    🇫🇷 France

    • FR
    • EN

    🇳🇴 Norge

    • NO
    • EN

    🇦🇹 Österreich

    • AT
    • EN

    🇨🇭 Schweiz

    • DE
    • EN

    🇫🇮 Suomi

    • FI
    • EN

    🇸🇪 Sverige

    • SE
    • EN
  1. Books
  2. Family life
  3. Family and relationships

Read and listen for free for 30 days!

Cancel anytime

Try free now
4.6(394)

The Saddest Girl in the World

The Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of Damaged tells the true story of Donna, who came into foster care aged ten, having been abused, victimised and rejected by her family.

Donna had been in foster care with her two young brothers for three weeks when she is abruptly moved to Cathy’s. When Donna arrives she is silent, withdrawn and walks with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down. Donna is clearly a very haunted child and refuses to interact with Cathy’s children Adrian and Paula.

After patience and encouragement from Cathy, Donna slowly starts to talk and tells Cathy that she blames herself for her and her brothers being placed in care. The social services were aware that Donna and her brothers had been neglected by their alcoholic mother, but no one realised the extent of the abuse they were forced to suffer. The truth of the physical torment she was put through slowly emerges, and as Donna grows to trust Cathy she tells her how her mother used to make her wash herself with wire wool so that she could get rid of her skin colour as her mother was so ashamed that Donna was mixed race.

The psychological wounds caused by the bullying she received also start to resurface when Donna starts reenacting the ways she was treated at home by hitting and bullying Paula, so much so that Cathy can’t let Donna out of her sight.

As the pressure begins to mount on Cathy to help this child, things start to get worse and Donna begins behaving in erratic ways, trashing her bedroom and being regularly abusive towards Cathy’s children. Cathy begins to wonder if she can find a way to help this child or if Donna’s scars run too deep.


Author:

  • Cathy Glass

Narrator:

  • Denica Fairman

Format:

  • Audiobook

Duration:

  • 9 h 50 min

Language:

English

Categories:

  • Family life
  • Family and relationships
  • True stories
  • Heroism and survival

More by Cathy Glass

Skip the list
  1. Unwanted : The care system failed Lara. Will she fail her own child?

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  2. A Family Torn Apart: Three sisters and a dark secret that threatens to separate them for ever

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  3. Een verschrikkelijk geheim

    Cathy Glass

    audiobookbook
  4. Innocent : The True Story of Siblings Struggling to Survive

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  5. Mama ik mis je : het waargebeurde verhaal van een klein meisje dat wanhopig graag naar huis wil

    Cathy Glass

    book
  6. Neglected : Scared, hungry and alone, Jamey craves affection

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  7. A Life Lost : Jackson Is Haunted by a Secret from His Past

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  8. A Baby’s Cry

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  9. Will You Love Me? : The story of my adopted daughter Lucy

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  10. An Innocent Baby : Why would anyone abandon little Darcy-May?

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  11. Helpless : Are Riley and his two little siblings in danger?

    Cathy Glass

    audiobook
  12. Waar is mama? : Een hartverscheurend waargebeurd verhaal over een meisje dat bezorgd is om haar moeder

    Cathy Glass

    audiobookbook

Others have also read

Skip the list
  1. Too Young to be a Mum

    Maggie Hartley

    audiobook
  2. Torn : A terrified girl. A shocking secret. A terrible choice.

    Rosie Lewis

    audiobook
  3. Tiny Prisoners

    Maggie Hartley

    audiobook
  4. Abby's Story : Thrown Away Children Book 2

    Louise Allen

    audiobook
  5. Who Will Love Me Now?

    Maggie Hartley

    audiobook
  6. Thrown Away Child

    Louise Allen

    audiobookbook
  7. Skin Deep : All she wanted was a mummy, but was she too ugly to be loved?

    Casey Watson

    audiobook
  8. A Stolen Childhood : A dark past, a terrible secret, a girl without a future

    Casey Watson

    audiobook
  9. Groomed : Danger lies closer than you think

    Casey Watson

    audiobook
  10. Taken

    Rosie Lewis

    audiobook
  11. Nowhere to Go : The heartbreaking true story of a boy desperate to be loved

    Casey Watson

    audiobook
  12. The Little Ghost Girl

    Maggie Hartley

    audiobook

  • 52 books

    Cathy Glass

    Cathy has been a foster carer for over 25 years, during which time she has looked after more than 100 children, of all ages and backgrounds. She has three teenage children of her own; one of whom was adopted after a long-term foster placement. The name Cathy Glass is a pseudonym. Cathy has written 16 books, including bestselling memoirs Cut, Hidden and Mummy Told Me Not To Tell.

    Read more

Help and contact


About us

  • Our story
  • Career
  • Press
  • Accessibility
  • Partner with us
  • Investor relations
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Explore

  • Categories
  • Audiobooks
  • E-books
  • Magazines
  • For kids
  • Top lists

Popular categories

  • Crime
  • Biographies and reportage
  • Fiction
  • Feel-good and romance
  • Personal development
  • Children's books
  • True stories
  • Sleep and relaxation

Nextory

Copyright © 2025 Nextory AB

Privacy Policy · Terms ·
Excellent4.3 out of 5