Maggie Hartley – författare

Misshandlad, utsvulten och försummad. Ruth är näst intill osynlig när hon kommer till Maggie Hartleys familjehem.

Den 11-åriga Ruth har sett och upplevt saker som inget barn någonsin borde behöva. Hon är blek, svag och skygg. Med en barndom hos en fruktansvärd styvmor och far har hon blivit utsatt för våld, svält och ignorans. Den lilla flickan är i desperat behov av hjälp, men kan Maggie få Ruth att öppna upp sig och dela med sig av den mörka hemlighet hon bär på?

Med ingen kvar i världen som älskar Ruth, är det upp till Maggie att hjälpa henne finna sin röst att inte längre vara osynlig och ställa dem som har skadat henne inför rätta.

''Please don''t take him. Let him stay with me. Please don''t take my baby.''

''Mum and Dad. Gone?'' asked Louisa. ''Yes,'' I nodded. ''They''re gone.''

''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

''I''m very, very bad. I don''t deserve to have nice things. Nobody loves me.''

''I think this is one of the best books I have read by Maggie Hartley'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader reviewTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, a new powerful true story from Maggie Hartley, foster carer for over 20 years.

''Mummy! Where did you go? Please come back, Mummy.''

Her sister was in danger. Jazmin knew there was only one option if she wanted to make sure she was safe.''Come on, Pearl,'' she whispered. ''Let''s get you out of here.''

''Please help me,'' he said in a small voice. ''Will you help me?''

* The new Sunday Times bestseller *

''It''s ok, Felix, don''t worry. We''re going to find your mummy.''

''Don''t leave me here! Please, don''t leave me.''

Evie and Elliot are scrawny, filthy and wide-eyed with fear when they turn up on foster carer Maggie Hartley''s doorstep. Aged just two and three years old, this brother and sister have hardly set foot outside their own home. They have been prisoners, locked in a terrifying world of abuse, violence and neglect.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.A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.*Tiny Prisoners was originally published in 2016*''I truly recommend anyone to read her books'' 5* reader review

Ruth was a ghost of a girl when she arrived into foster mother Maggie Hartley''s care. Pale, frail and withdrawn, it was clear to Maggie that Ruth had seen and experienced things that no 11-year-old should have to, that she''s been conditioned to ''see no evil, speak no evil''. Ruth is in desperate need of help, but can Maggie get through to her and unlock the harrowing secret she carries? Through love, reassurance and patience, Maggie starts to unravel Ruth''s painful past - a past defined by cruelty and abuse by the very people who should have protected her. Raised by a cruel stepmother and her father after her own mum abandoned her, Ruth was abused, underfed and ignored, while her half-siblings lived a life of luxury. It''s up to Maggie to help Ruth find her voice; to be a ghost no more, and bring those who''ve harmed her to justice. A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.*The Little Ghost Girl was originally published in 2016*''Captivated from beginning to end'' 5* Amazon reader review

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. With love and affection, they are no longer scared to be themselves. A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.''Such a beautiful book'' 5* Amazon reader review

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?A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.''Didn''t want it to end'' 5* Amazon reader review

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?A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.''A lovely, heartwarming story'' 5* Amazon reader review

The Sunday Times BestsellerAt 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...A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.*Who Will Love Me Now? was originally published in 2017*''Impossible to put down'' 5* Amazon reader review