Maggie Hartley

Aged just two and three years old, Evie and Elliot have experienced a lifetime of abuse and neglect. Scrawny, filthy and wide-eyed with fear when they turn up on foster carer Maggie Hartley's doorstep, these young siblings have hardly set foot outside their own home. They have been prisoners, locked in a terrifying world of abuse and violence. Maggie soon realises that Evie and Elliot are lacking the basic life skills we all take for granted. The outside world terrifies them; the sound of the doorbell sends them into a panic that takes hours to abate. Gradually unlocking the truth of their heart-breaking upbringing, Maggie tells their shocking true story. From emotionally scarred and damaged little children, we see how - with warmth and dedication - Maggie transforms their lives. As this moving story unfolds, we share Maggie's joy when these children finally smile again, when they realise they do have a future after all. Discover why readers have fallen in love with Maggie Hartley "I absolutely loved this book. It is up there with one of the best. I have laughed and I have cried. I would give it ten stars if I could." - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars "If you haven't read Maggie's books they are a must read." - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars "Such a heart-breaking story you just can't put this book down. I have read many books of this genre and this is one of the best. Hard hitting and real... don't miss this one!" - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars

Two siblings trapped in a world of abuse. One woman determined to free them.

Tiny Prisoners

Abused, starved and neglected. Ruth was a little ghost of a girl when she arrived into foster mother Maggie Hartley's care. As soon as Ruth arrived on her doorstep, it was clear to foster carer Maggie Hartley that Ruth had seen and experienced things that no 11-year-old should have to. Pale, frail and withdrawn, Ruth had been conditioned to 'see no evil, speak no evil'. Raised by a cruel stepmother and father, Ruth had been abused, underfed and ignored, while her half-siblings lived a life of luxury. Ruth is in desperate need of help, but can Maggie get through to her and unlock the harrowing secret she carries? With no one left in the world to love Ruth, it's up to Maggie to help her find her voice; to be a ghost no more, and bring those who've harmed her to justice. An uplifting and ultimately redemptive read, perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, Casey Watson, Angela Hart and Rosie Lewis. Discover why readers have fallen in love with Maggie Hartley "I absolutely loved this book. It is up there with one of the best. I have laughed and I have cried. I would give it ten stars if I could." - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars "If you haven't read Maggie's books they are a must read." - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars "Such a heart-breaking story you just can't put this book down. I have read many books of this genre and this is one of the best. Hard hitting and real... don't miss this one!" - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars

Abused Starved and Neglected. A Little Girl Desperate for Someone to Love Her

The Little Ghost Girl

Sunday Times bestselling foster carer Maggie Hartley faces one of the toughest challenges of her career when she is forced to choose between two children in her care. A heartbreaking true story perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, Casey Watson, Angela Hart and Rosie Lewis. ***** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER At just ten years old, Kirsty has already suffered a lifetime of heartache and suffering. Neglected by her teenage mother and taken into care, Kirsty thought she had found her forever family when she is fostered by Pat and Mike, who she comes to see as her real mum and dad. But when Pat has a heart attack and collapses in front of her, Kirsty's foster family say it's all her fault. They blame her temper tantrums for putting Pat under stress and they don't want Kirsty in their lives anymore. Kirsty is still reeling from this rejection when she comes to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley. She acts out, smashing up Maggie's home and even threatens to hurt the baby boy Maggie has fostered since birth. Social Services must take Kirsty's threat seriously and Maggie is forced to choose between eight-month-old Ryan, who she's grown to love, or angry Kirsty, who will most likely end up in a children's home if Maggie can no longer care for her. Maggie is in an impossible position, one that calls in to question her decision to become a foster carer in the first place... An inspiring and heartwarming read, perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, Casey Watson, Angela Hart and Rosie Lewis.

Neglected, unloved and rejected. A little girl desperate for a home to call her own.

Who Will Love Me Now?

When foster carer Maggie Hartley meets Sean and Sheila, they're facing every parent's worst nightmare. A split-second decision to leave toddler Edward alone for a few short minutes results in a tragic accident, and Edward is left fighting for his life. He survives, but is tragically left severely brain damaged. Wracked with guilt, destroyed by blame and struggling to accept that their perfect toddler has gone, Sean and Sheila go to pieces. Maggie steps in to foster Edward while his parents battle with the unspoken fear that he may have to be adopted permanently if they cannot cope with their son's needs. Will Maggie be able to help this family grieve for the son they've lost and learn to love the little boy he is now? And will Edward have a family to go home to at Christmas?

When a tragic accident scars a family, will it take a miracle to heal them?

A Family For Christmas

A new challenge faces foster carer Maggie Hartley: this time it's not a child that's at risk, it's her mother. Can Maggie help Hailey to escape her abusive husband, and reunite her with her baby daughter? A heartbreaking true story perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, Casey Watson, Angela Hart and Rosie Lewis. ***** A TRUE STORY BY THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR MAGGIE HARTLEY When six-week-old Jasmine is placed in her care, foster mother Maggie Hartley is delighted to have a baby in the house again. Maggie's been given temporary custody of Jasmine after social services were concerned that the baby was failing to thrive and develop. With Maggie's love and care, Jasmine soon flourishes into a healthy, happy baby - but it is clear that all is not quite as it seems with her mum, Hailey. Timid, pale and withdrawn, Hailey looks as though she is carrying the weight of the world onher shoulders. Maggie fears she may be suffering from postnatal depression until late one night she discovers Hailey on her doorstep, her body battered and broken, her spirit crushed. Hailey admits that her husband has been abusing her for years, but this revelation places Maggie in an awful situation: there's no way Hailey can regain custody of Jasmine until her husband is off the scene. But after years of physical and emotional abuse, can Hailey find the strength to leave him? An uplifting and ultimately redemptive story by Sunday Times bestselling foster carer Maggie Hartley. Perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, Casey Watson, Angela Hart and Rosie Lewis.

A mother separated from her daughter. Only a painful truth can bring them back together

Battered, Broken, Healed

When sixteen-year-old Jess arrives on foster carer Maggie Hartley's doorstep with her newborn son Jimmy, she has nowhere else to go. Arriving straight from the hospital having just given birth, Jess is like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Scared, alone, and practically a child herself, she is overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for a newborn without the support of a loving family or her beloved boyfriend. With social services threatening to take baby Jimmy into care, Jess knows that Maggie is her only chance of keeping her son. Maggie can see that Jess loves her boyfriend and wants to be a good mother to her son. Can Maggie help Jess learn to become a mum? Will the family ever be allowed to live together?

Can Jess learn to be a good mummy, when she is only a child herself?

Too Young to be a Mum

Groomed to Be a Bride

Fourteen-year-old Hannah comes to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley after her mum pleads with Social Services to take her into care, unable to cope with her daughter anymore. Previously a good student, a loving daughter and sister, Hannah is now playing truant, drinking, and taking drugs. Angry and mistrustful, it seems that nobody can reach this troubled teenager. Maggie is used to difficult teenagers, but Hannah's behaviour brings into question everything Maggie has ever learnt in all her years as a foster carer. Determined to push away everyone around her away, Hannah's life seems to be spiralling out of control. But when Hannah finally breaks down and confides a shocking secret to Maggie, the truth behind her chaotic behaviour is finally revealed. Can Maggie help this vulnerable young girl overcome the trauma of what's happened to her and set her free from the demons that haunt her?

The heartbreaking true story of a teenage girl trapped in a world of abuse and violence

Exploited

The powerfully moving new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author, Maggie Hartley. Fourteen-year-old Shazia has been taken into care after a conversation at school leads her teacher to suspect that the teenager's family are planning to send her to Pakistan for an arranged marriage. To her family's fury, Shazia is sent to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley whilst social services investigate. But with Shazia denying everything and social services unable to find any evidence to support the teacher's fears, Shazia is allowed to return home. But a few weeks later, Maggie is woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call from a terrified Shazia, who has managed to escape the family home through a window. Sobbing, she confesses to Maggie that her parents are planning to send her to Pakistan to be married in a few days, and have threatened to kill her if she speaks out again. Returned to Maggie's care, Shazia is petrified that her parents will track her down and kill her, and Maggie must be on constant alert. But the worst is yet to come when it emerges that Shazia is the victim of FGM. Can Maggie help this damaged and traumatised young girl understand what has happened to her and to find a way to heal? In this new book, Maggie Hartley taps into the highly topical issues of FGM and arranged marriage, and presents a sensitive and unique insight into the effect these practices have on their young victims.

Only a determined foster carer can stop a terrified girl from becoming a child bride

Sold To Be A Wife

Too Little Too Late

Quiet and polite, obsessively neat, clean and tidy, eight-year-old Tom is unlike any child Maggie has ever fostered before. Tom has been taken into care following concerns that his dad is struggling to cope after the death of Tom's mum. At first, Maggie doesn't know what to make of this shy, nervous little boy who never cries and is terrified of getting dirty. But as Tom's cleaning rituals start to get more extreme, Maggie fears that there's something more sinister going on beneath the surface. When she meets Tom's dad Mark, a stern ex-soldier and strict disciplinarian, it's clear that Tom's life at home without his mummy has been a constant battlefield. Can Maggie help Mark to raise a son and not a soldier? Or is little Tom going to lose his daddy too?

When home is a war zone, who can little Tom trust?

Daddy's Little Soldier

When Maggie's latest placement arrives on her doorstep, it is clear that Sean, Dougie and their big sister Mary have been through unspeakable traumas in their short?lives. Violent and malnourished,?the siblings have been left to fend for themselves by their drug-addicted parents. Maggie must use all of her skills and experience as a foster carer to help these damaged siblings to learn to be children again. With much love, care and patience, their behaviour gradually starts to improve and social services start looking for a forever family for them. But alarm bells start to ring when Maggie meets the couple who have been matched to adopt the siblings. It is clear that they're looking for the perfect, ready-made family, and they're not going to get it with these vulnerable brothers and sister. Despite raising her concerns with social services, Maggie is powerless to prevent the adoption from going ahead and she must put aside her own fears to help the siblings settle in with their new parents. But she can't shake the feeling of dread as she waves them goodbye. A few months later, Maggie's worst nightmares come true when she learns that the children have been handed back to the care of social services following the breakdown of the adoption. Maggie must fight to get the children returned to her, but is it too late to undo the damage that has been done?

The heartbreaking story of three little children searching for someone to love them.

Denied a Mummy

Foster carer Maggie Hartley is used to receiving placements at short notice, but the arrival of seven-year-old Paris sees her handling one of her most heart-breaking cases yet. Paris arrives at Maggie's house with the police, after the traumatised little girl is found wandering the streets alone, sobbing that she can't wake up her baby brother. When the police eventually discover where Paris lives, they make a shocking discovery: her mum and stepdad are in a heroin-induced coma, and it's too late to save five-month-old baby Joel. Paris is convinced it's all her fault but slowly, through love and care, she begins to open up to Maggie and reveals the horrendous neglect and abuse she and her brother endured. Maggie is stunned to discover that Paris knows exactly how to make a bottle and change a nappy, and it soon becomes clear that this little girl was forced to shoulder the responsibility of looking after her baby brother singlehandedly. With both parents on remand in prison and charged with neglect, Maggie must slowly try to break down the wall of guilt surrounding this damaged little girl and help her heal from the trauma of her brother's death.

A little girl locked in a prison of guilt. A loving foster carer determined to free her

Is It My Fault, Mummy?

A digital short story from author and foster carer Maggie Hartley. Also contains a sneak peek chapter from Maggie's highly anticipated debut memoir, TINY PRISONERS. Brothers Ben and Damien are shockingly quiet when they arrive on Maggie's doorstep. They don't shout or play like normal three and four year olds. They hardly dare make a sound, so much have they been conditioned to be 'seen and not heard' by their mother and controlling stepfather. More disturbingly, their little baby half-brother Noah is completely unresponsive. He doesn't play, he doesn't smile, he doesn't crawl - he doesn't even cry. In a state of blankness brought about by emotional neglect, poor baby Noah is disconnected from the world. Maggie has never seen such a young life so affected before. Yet with time, love and care, Maggie gradually unpicks what has caused this terrible void. She teaches the children to play and laugh and to not be afraid to make noise. We see Ben, Damien and Noah take steps towards a positive future and their journey reaches a happy conclusion when they are adopted by a loving family. With love and affection, they are no longer scared to be themselves. They are free to make their voices heard.

A True Short Story

Too Scared to Cry

Three-year-old Lexie, five-year-old Amelie and thirteen-year-old Leo come to Maggie after Leo confesses to a teacher that his mother's addiction problems and her latest violent relationship has left him as the sole carer to his younger sisters. Maggie welcomes the three children into her home, and is touched by the gentle care Leo shows to the two little girls. It is clear that Lexie and Amelie adore their big brother, and rely on him for comfort and reassurance. But Leo has experienced the neglect and abuse of his mother and her partner for far longer than his sisters, and is struggling with an eating disorder and showing signs of OCD. When Social Services begin to look at adoptive families for the children, Maggie is horrified when they suggest that the two angelic little girls will have a much better chance of being adopted without their damaged older brother. Knowing the impact that losing his sisters forever will have on vulnerable Leo, they face the ultimate dilemma. Should the children stay together and dash the hope of them ever having a forever family? Or do they sacrifice the close bond between the siblings to give the girls a chance to be adopted?

The heartbreaking true story of a young boy terrified of losing the only family he has left

Please Don't Take My Sisters

Teenager Carl arrives on foster carer Maggie Hartley's doorstep following a terrible row with his father. Quiet, withdrawn and unhappy, Carl refuses to talk about his home life, and Maggie finds herself at a loss as to how to help this vulnerable, lost boy. It's clear that there's a very heavy burden resting on Carl's young shoulders, but with the boy refusing to confide in anyone, and with concerns about his mental health growing by the day, Maggie begins to feel desperate. A chance discovery in Carl's room finally reveals the truth behind the boy's anguish, and despite all her years of experience as a foster carer, Carl's secret is unlike anything Maggie has ever had to deal with before. Can Maggie help this confused and unhappy boy share the truth behind his misery? And can Carl ever find a way to move beyond his pain to live a happy, normal life?

The Lost Boy

'Don't leave me here! Please, don't leave me.' What possesses a mum to kidnap her own child? That's what Maggie asks herself when she's asked to foster 13-year-old Saskia, the subject of a bitter custody battle between her parents. When Saskia's mum Rosa fears the courts are going to favour her ex-husband, James, she takes matters into her own hands. With Rosa facing criminal charges, and Saskia refusing to live with her dad, her future looks uncertain. Will Maggie be able to step in and discover the bombshell that will tear this family apart? From Britain's best-loved foster carer, a new and inspiring true story of secrets and hope. ***** Readers LOVE Maggie Hartley: 'Wow! I did not want this book to end. This story was unlike any other' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader review 'Very gripping and powerful read... makes you see what can be going on behind closed doors' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader review

Saskia’s true story of secrets, kidnap and abuse

Don't Leave Me Here

Twelve-year-old Meg arrives at Maggie's after a fire destroys the children's home she's been living in. Terrified and having lost most of her possessions, Maggie must work hard to make the vulnerable young girl feel at home. But traumatised by the fire, and angry and vulnerable, having been put into care by her mother, Meg is lashing out at everyone around her. Can Maggie reach this damaged little girl before it's too late? And before Meg's destructive behaviour puts Maggies life - and the lives of the other children in her care - at risk?

Rejected by her family, Meg is lashing out. And now Maggie and her other foster children are in danger...

A Desperate Cry for Help

A powerful, moving true story from Sunday Times bestseller, Maggie Hartley, Britain's most-loved foster carer. Perfect for fans of Cathy Glass and Casey Watson. Foster carer Maggie Hartley is finally enjoying a well-earned holiday from fostering, savouring time with her brand new baby granddaughter. One night, though, the peace and quiet is interrupted by an urgent call from Social Services. A man has been stabbed, and Social Services need to find an emergency placement for his little girl. Maggie is used to children arriving on her doorstep at all times of the day and night, but nothing can prepare her for the sight of eleven-year-old Nancy. The little girl arrives in her pyjamas, covered in blood, and mute with shock. With her mother missing and her father in intensive care, the police are desperate for answers. Who stabbed Nancy's father? Where is her mother? And what is Nancy hiding about her seemingly perfect family? The longer Maggie spends with her little girl, the clearer it becomes that all is not as it seems. Can Maggie discover the terrible truth of what's been happening behind closed doors?

Maggie Hartley

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