The Girl With Two Lives

by Angela Hart

The Girl With Two Lives is the fourth book from well loved foster carer and Sunday Times bestselling author Angela Hart, in which she tells the story of one of her toughest placements yet.Twelve year old Danielle has been excluded from a special school and her former foster family can no longer cope. She arrives as an emergency placement at the home of foster carer Angela, who soon suspects that there is more to the young girl's disruptive behaviour than meets the eye. Can Angela's specialist training unlock the horrors of Danielle's past and help her start a brave new life?Another true story from the experienced and bestselling foster carer – sharing the tale of one of the many children she has fostered over the years. A story of the difference that quiet care, a watchful eye and sympathetic ear can make to those children whose upbringing has been less fortunate than others.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Fostering

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 22, 2018

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful memoir it is people like you Angela Heart who I admire when it comes to Foster care in my short 32 years I have come to meet one Foster parent and two people who have been in the system, (not for myself ) and I highly admire you as a foster parent and I think you were a very good influence for Danielle and the other children who came into your care it is people like yourself and Jonathan who should be foster carers It is unfortunate things did not work out with Danielle but thats life! and I think the illness' Danielle had really took over I can only hope for you that the next child that sets foot in your house realises how truly lucky they are! I aso give credit to Deidre and Hatty and Iris and Kenneth for being there for Danielle! I think reuniting her with her first foster family was truly remarkable of you and jonathan! you gave her back something someone one else took away they say when your traumatized that you feel like you've lost control, so giving her back people who are so speciasl to her was very good on your part! I think you are a very good person! and Foster carer

[angela bestwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad

I too am a foster carer and have also had to move a traumatised child on, it's very sad and you never really get over it, but to read the lack of support, training, knowledge and understanding of multiple personality disorder, no knowledge of therapeutic parenting or home education as an option for this traumatised child is unbelievable and it still goes on, children are placed with foster carers and the social workers step back and let it happen, hoping the child will disclose, the crisis intervention may then happen, but not until many months have passed.
Reading that she eventually ended up in a straight jacket broke my ❤
Well done for sharing your fostering memory, my heart goes out to you

[debbie styler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly amazing.

I'm so glad I chose this book to read,but I'm sad I did,its an amazing story of two very brave people,looking after one young girl with severe problems,I would say well done Angela and Jonathon,to do what you did, for so long,you are truly two perfect foster parents,with love,patients,very sad book ,but we see how one young girl travels through life struggling with her demons, beautifully written,but very sad,

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very disappointed with the author. I felt she had written this book as justification to herself that she hadn’t let this girl down. There were lots of references throughout about how others viewed her as a foster carer. The book was almost like a foster carer review document and was predominantly about the author as opposed to the abused child.

[Kate Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Angela Hart’s The Girl With Two Lives, is true life biography of Danielle’s child abuse trauma, written by her foster carer. Danielle is moved in with Angela and her husband after she is excluded from her school and her former elderly carers don’t feel they can cope with her behavioural issues any longer. Although her stay is meant to be a temporary, emergency placement, Danielle stays for much longer – this commonly happens with looked after children. Danielle struggles with her personal hygiene and violent outbursts as a result of her abuse, and I wish she had access to mental health services earlier to try and improve her wellbeing. This book is similar to all the rest in this genre, Angela and her husband portray themselves as saints, willing to deal with Danielle’s outbursts when no one else will. She regularly includes other people’s descriptions of how angelic and inspirational they are, this is so unnecessary. If she believes they’re so incredibly kind and wonderful, it would have been better to show us that, rather than having different characters gushing to tell us. Their egos are huge, and these descriptions are overdone and overplayed, it’s embarrassing to read at times. I really struggle when this ‘abused children’ genre when it is written by a previous foster carer. I strongly feel that they’re profiting off a child’s trauma, and I personally feel this is incredibly wrong. As a looked after child, I would have been horrified if someone had sold my trauma as a novel to make extra money, name changes or not. There are some serious moral/ethical questions brought up from this type of book, when authors present themselves as saviours and godlike for their kindness. Danielle’s character is right about one thing, they are paid to care, then paid again to reveal her worst nightmares for people to gush over. Stupidly, like with reading Cathy Glass’s books, I know these stories will annoy me and the focus isn’t on the child, (David Pelzer’s The Lost Boy autobiography is an example of this genre done RIGHT) the focus is on the foster carer and how they struggled looking after children with serious needs. Although Danielle ends up slightly better than the beginning of the novel, like the majority of foster care children, she doesn’t really get a happy ending.

[Jenny McAteer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable

What a story. Absolutely tragic but what wonderful people Angela and Jonathan are. I was surprised to read that they felt they could save this girl but I guess that's human nature, we hope love is enough. What this young girl has been through in life is devastating. I'm so impressed at A&J keeping in contact for years to come. They made the difference to this young girls life. This was a very interesting and moving read

[Maryshell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, and Very Well Told

This was an excellent book. It seems awkward saying it was “excellent” when the story itself was so tragic, but Danielle’s story was told very well, and it was very interesting. Anyone who reads Cathy Glass and Casey Watson will like this book. In my opinion, this is one of Angela Hart’s better books.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

Another good read by Angela , I find it hard to say I enjoyed it as this is a true life story of a broken girl caused by evil people who were supposed to protect her!!
I look forward to the next one.

[Kelly Ferrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A horrendous insight to how hard being a foster carer can be. The way Angela and her husband handle the child and all the emotional baggage that she came with .... A lot of it not know at the time.
A great read .... But have the tissues handy.

[Beverley Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty but good

This book was amazing I just couldn't put it down. Hold abuse is always difficult to read about but Angela has done a sterling job in this book. Just a shame that things didn't go the way that she wanted

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish Danielle would have gotten mental health treatment sooner, it’s clear she had profound issues. But of course not everyone is able to recognize this. Angela and Jonathan did the best they could and changed her life for the better.

[Janet Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a really sad story of a girl Danielle who was abused by her father and their pedofile friends. This is the sad sort of abuse from an early age that left Danielle in a secure unit for the rest of her life such a shocking book but Angela has wrote it very well a must read

[mrs avril l murrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows what foster carers do and how challenging the children in their care can be. I admire Angela for enduring this placement and for keeping in touch with Danielle.

[Lisas Books, Gems and Tarot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hard to read. It is a shocking what some children have been through, and this foster carer gives a stunning insight into the world of fostering.

[Chloe Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great and had a lovely ending! It brings mental health to the front line and shows the importance of dealing with it properly and not discarding it.

[mrs ingrid smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly amazing

Such a sad story. Couldn't stop thinking about what that poor girl went through at such a young age. And how her life turned out with the right diagnosis.

[Ali Mayes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t really get into this book, not as good as other authors I have read

[Kate Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoirs

It was a very good read thoroughly enjoyed it, as I love reading these type of books I enjoy them

[Tayy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad. Had to take breaks at times because of the intense and heartbreaking content. Really got down to the core. But I just could not put it down.

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to read a story about a child with so much trauma and difficulties. :-(

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Guusje Zuiderent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book, not all books have an happy ending, but its a shame what happened to her and that they tired there best to help her

[Cheryl Buckworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad

Spool sad but the foster couple should be given an award they kept up with her. They for sure have a heart of gold

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sad read.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Fionna Judith Kinghorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

I have liked every 1 of this authors books. Most of them are horrific stories but you cannot put the book down.

[NAOMI FOWLES · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh gosh, I have read many, many of these books & am not a crier, but oh this one brought a few tears to my eyes at the end.

[Ruth Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

If nothing, it made me realize I am not cut out to be a foster parent!

[christine willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had o

I had a girl who is in a secure hospital, she is giving her Nanna a dog's life, bring this and that without please or thank you, she is a nightmare

[Maureen H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling but sad read

I couldn't put this book down, a very distressing story and an insight into a carers life as well as a child's. Very well written. Admiration to Angela & Johnaton for the great job they do