Torey Hayden is one of my favourite authors to read. Her books are absolutely heart-wrenching but beautifully inspiring. Hayden, an educational psychologist, writes accounts of her real-life experiences of teaching and counselling children with special needs. Her speciality is selective mutism but she has dealt with many conditions including autism, Tourette syndrome, sexual abuse and foetal alcohol syndrome. Hayden is passionate and dedicated, and through her writing she reminds us of how precious life is: so fragile and yet so resilient. The beauty of the human spirit is uncovered through her intense encounters with the afterbirth of the dark and destructive side of human nature. The reality of what many children endure is all too real but with the help of people who genuinely care; these children can overcome their tragic realities. But not always. (more…)