Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island

Regina Calcaterra grew up on Long Island, New York, one of five children of a mother who abandoned and abused them. They were often homeless, hungry and neglected, living in cars, shelters and foster homes, and Regina fought to keep her siblings together. She later attended college and law school and became a lawyer, even working in New York government. The book recounts those years in a direct style and describes how the siblings found help, including a kind teacher, and how they stayed close in adulthood.

Readers who are interested in resilience stories and in the problem of child neglect will find a harrowing, hopeful memoir.

Practical, inward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.

Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?