Tags:biography
A Family For Christmas
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
Too Scared to Cry
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
Battered, Broken, Healed
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 HARTLEYWhen 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 Sister for Christmas
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.'Jazmin was only thirteen when she was taken into care, after asking to be removed from her mum herself. Tired and worn down by her mum's drinking and relationships with men who would threaten Jazmin, she spent her teenage years in care. Now, at eighteen, she is finally settled with her own place and a job as a teaching assistant. With an on-and-off relationship with her mum, Jaz can't help feel concerned when she hears she is pregnant again. Desperate for a relationship with her new half-sister, Pearl, she is hopeful the baby will provide a second chance for her mum. But when history starts to repeat itself, Jaz is forced to step in and, with Maggie's help, make a decision that will change the rest of her life...From Britain's most-loved foster carer, a new and incredibly inspirational short story of love for this Christmas.Readers LOVE Maggie Hartley:'Wow! I did not want this book to end. This story was unlike any other' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader review'Gripping and powerful read... makes you see what can be going on behind closed doors' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader review
Where's My Mummy?
'Mum and Dad. Gone?' asked Louisa. 'Yes,' I nodded. 'They're gone.' After a horrific car crash, thirteen-year-old Louisa is left fighting for her life in hospital. She wakes to find that her loving, happy family has been shattered overnight, with both of her parents now dead. With no one to care for her, Louisa is entirely alone. Britain's most-loved foster carer Maggie Hartley is called in to help Louisa cope with her devastating new life. Can Maggie find a way to bond with Louisa, overwhelmed with anger and grief? Or will she regret making decisions that will affect both her and Louisa for the rest of their lives?A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.'Excellent read. Didn't want it to end' 5* Amazon reader review
Nobody Loves Me
'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.'Three young siblings arrive at Maggie's door after being taken into care. Teachers of eight-year-old Bobby spotted distinct hand-shaped bruises on his arm and his dad and stepmother are uncooperative and hostile to Social Services. While they investigate, Bobby, as well as Melodie and Poppy, are looked after in Maggie's home.As the children settle in, a thought won't let Maggie go. While Melodie and Poppy are clean, well-fed and immaculately dressed, Bobby is pale, severely underweight and extremely quiet. What looks like a case of neglect is actually something much more sinister. Bobby and his half-sisters are hiding a cruel secret, but can Maggie find the truth?A new true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.
Please Help My Mummy
'It's ok, Felix, don't worry. We're going to find your mummy.'When newborn baby Felix is found abandoned at a train station, the police launch a desperate search for his mum. It doesn't take long for their inquiries to lead them to Emily.While baby Felix is placed in Maggie's care, the police and Social Services try and work out why Emily, a single mum, who has gone through fertility treatment to get pregnant, has suddenly resorted to abandoning her much longed-for child.But it's only when Maggie wins her trust that Emily reveals the extent of her secret. Can Maggie help a desperate mother and her baby reunite?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
Please Give My Baby Back
'Please don't take him. Let him stay with me. Please don't take my baby.'When a health visitor notices a bruise on her newborn son's leg, Robyn's world quickly falls apart. Before she knows what's happening, police are called and three-week-old Quinn is being taken to hospital to be examined. As Robyn can't give them any definite explanation as to what's caused the bruise, Quinn is immediately taken into care and given to Maggie to foster while Social Services investigate.With no idea how long the investigation will take and in total shock and distress that her newborn son has been taken from her, Robyn appeals to Maggie for help. But is Robyn really telling the truth that she hasn't harmed her baby? And if so, can Maggie help her prove her innocence and convince Social Services and the courts to let her bring Quinn home?A true story of hope from Sunday Times bestselling author Maggie Hartley, a foster carer for over 20 years.'Sad but brilliant read' 5* Amazon reader review
I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A big-hearted, no-bullshit memoir from the TikTok superstar about her journey from living paycheck to paycheck to creating a multi-million-dollar business that offers a compassionate alternative to capitalism • Includes no-nonsense life and money advice, from negotiating pay and building credit to putting home ownership within reach"Madeline's life is unique yet wildly relatable...Readers will be thoroughly engaged, as every hardship comes with a lesson that Madeline skillfully shares with us. A thought-provoking, mind-tingling reading experience."—Mercury Stardust, the Trans Handy Ma’am and author of Safe and SoundImagine a job where you work four days a week and earn as much as the CEO. You also get full benefits, a gym membership, free lunch, and unlimited time off, no questions asked. Hard-won profits don’t just end up in the CEO’s pocket—they’re distributed equally among all employees. The company even buys you your very own car. It sounds too good to be true, but this is the reality at Tunnel Vision, the clothing company that Madeline Pendleton built from the ground up.Like so many Americans, Madeline used to struggle to make ends meet. Raised by a punk dad and a goth mom in Fresno, California, she spent her teens intermittently homeless, relying on the kindness and spare couches of the local punk community to get by. By her twenties, she was drowning in student loans and credit card debt, working long hours and sick of her bosses treating her as disposable. Then her boyfriend, struggling with financial stress, died by suicide. Capitalism was literally killing her loved ones—she knew there must be a better way.Madeline decided to study the rules of capitalism, the game everyone is forced to play. She used what she learned to build a new kind of business, one rooted in an ethos of community care.Millennials and Gen Zers like Madeline are facing an unprecedented financial reality: Stagnant wages, skyrocketing housing costs, a student debt crisis. I Survived Capitalism is essential reading for anyone searching for hope and stability in an unjust world.
Zodiac
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this beautifully illustrated and deeply philosophical graphic memoir, legendary artist Ai Weiwei explores the connection between artistic expression and intellectual freedom through the lens of the Chinese zodiac.ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEARAs a child living in exile during the Cultural Revolution, Ai Weiwei often found himself with nothing to read but government-approved comic books. Although they were restricted by the confines of political propaganda, Ai Weiwei was struck by the artists’ ability to express their thoughts on art and humanity through graphic storytelling. Now, decades later, Ai Weiwei and Italian comic artist Gianluca Costantini present Zodiac, Ai Weiwei’s first graphic memoir.Inspired by the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac and their associated human characteristics, Ai Weiwei masterfully interweaves ancient Chinese folklore with stories of his life, family, and career. The narrative shifts back and forth through the years—at once in the past, present, and future—mirroring memory and our relationship to time. As readers delve deeper into the beautifully illustrated pages of Zodiac, they will find not only a personal history of Ai Weiwei and an examination of the sociopolitical climate in which he makes his art, but a philosophical exploration of what it means to find oneself through art and freedom of expression.Contemplative and political, Zodiac will inspire readers to return again and again to Ai Weiwei’s musings on the relationship between art, time, and our shared humanity.
Goddamn Attitude
Attitude: are you born with it or can you learn it?That was the question on a family Zoom call after mom’s passing. The follow-up question on everyone’s mind was then, “And if I wasn’t born with it and we can learn it, how do I do it?”For this book, I reached out to mom’s friends and family. The responses I got back make up the bulk of this book. “...it wasn't just because she was a very attractive girl---it was also because of the irrepressible energy that was such an appealing part of who she was.”Again, OK, attractive, maybe she’s born with that but then what’s really interesting for this guy? Her irrepressible energy. -- Attitude-- EnergyWe can learn and build and grow both of those. This book is how my mom did it--and how you can, too.