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149 reviews for:
Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island
Regina Calcaterra
4.21 AVERAGE
149 reviews for:
Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island
Regina Calcaterra
4.21 AVERAGE
I don't know what caused me to buy this when I saw it on sale through Bookbub, but I read an excerpt and it was captivating. It was unbelievable at first... a sort of life I didn't think actually existed. You hear about parents mistreating children or being unfit parents, but you don't (or at least I didn't) realize it meant leaving the kids alone to fend for themselves in a horrible place for months at a time. I could not believe the maturity of these kids. I could not believe the odds the author overcame to be the successful person she is now. I could not believe how they built lives for themselves even in the aftermath. And I could not put this unbelievable book down.
Books like this bring a hidden truth to light and I love it when I stumble upon one because I feel like that's a book doing its job right by broadening the reader's mind.
Books like this bring a hidden truth to light and I love it when I stumble upon one because I feel like that's a book doing its job right by broadening the reader's mind.
This is a well-written and heartbreaking book about abuse, poverty, and how our child protection systems failed a family of children, as well as the triumph of those children breaking the cycle and becoming healthy people with happy homes.
I became infuriated listening at times because the lies told by Cookie, her abuses of her children, and the failings of the system to protect the children involved. It's an unflinching and stark view of poverty and child abuse. It's amazing how her children were able to survive and ultimately thrive, despite all of the horrors that were placed in their ways.
Regina Calcaterra's narration of the book is very well done. Many times authors shouldn't read their stories, but Calcaterra is a natural storyteller.
I became infuriated listening at times because the lies told by Cookie, her abuses of her children, and the failings of the system to protect the children involved. It's an unflinching and stark view of poverty and child abuse. It's amazing how her children were able to survive and ultimately thrive, despite all of the horrors that were placed in their ways.
Regina Calcaterra's narration of the book is very well done. Many times authors shouldn't read their stories, but Calcaterra is a natural storyteller.
A solid memoir framed around an important issue but I never felt connected to the author or her story.
Oof. A series of gut punches. So difficult, but so important - especially for those of us who grew up in loving, stable homes. It's so hard to fathom that parents like this exist, and the foster care system is often no better (and often worse). Ultimately, though, it is a story of resilience.
It's sad that the government kept ignoring the signs and continue to give the kids to an abusive alcoholic mother. At the same time, this is a great book for encouragement and to show that perseverance will pay off in the end. Glad to see that all the kids have become great adults. She did not mention her brother Norman after she emancipated from her mom. I was wondering if he ever was the victim of her beatings and if he stood up to defend his younger sister Rosie.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced