"A poignant, dazzling debut novel about a woman who longs to be a mother and the captivating yet troubled child she and her husband take in"-- Publisher.

Cedar has nearly forgotten what her family looks like. Phoenix has nearly forgotten what freedom feels like. And Elsie has nearly given up hope. Nearly. After time spent in foster homes, Cedar goes to live with her estranged father. Although she grapples with the pain of being separated from her mother, Elsie, and sister, Phoenix, she's hoping for a new chapter in her life, only to find herself once again in a strange house surrounded by strangers....

When foster carer Cathy Glass is asked to look after Darcy-May, a two-day-old baby, she is very concerned. The baby is coming to her straight from hospital and will have no contact with her teenage mother, Haylea. Even more worrying, Darcy-May will be brought to Cathy with a police escort, as it's vital her extended family doesn't know where she is. Cathy and her family quickly bond with little Darcy-May, although they must accept she will eventually...

Enjoying his loving family and promising career as a green contractor, Mike Wingate is targeted by an adversary and is unable to get police help because of his troubled youth, a situation that fornces him to turn to a dangerous man from his past.

Growing up in foster care, Muir has lived in many houses. And if she's learned one thing, it is to pack light. Carry only what fits in a suitcase. Toothbrush? Yes. Socks? Yes. Emotional attachment to friends? foster families? a boyfriend? Nope! There's no room for any additional baggage. Muir has just one year left before she ages out of the system. One year before she's free. One year to avoid anything--or anyone--that could get in her way. Then...

Heather O'Neill dazzles with a first novel of extraordinary prescience and power, a subtly understated yet searingly effective story of a young life on the streets-and the strength, wits, and luck necessary for survival. At thirteen, Baby vacillates between childhood comforts and adult temptation: still young enough to drag her dolls around in a vinyl suitcase yet old enough to know more than she should about urban cruelties. Motherless, she lives...

Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet who wields her luminous beauty to intimidate and manipulate men. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery - but their idyll is shattered when Astrid's mother falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, Ingrid murders the man, and is sentenced to life in prison. White Oleander is the unforgettable story of Astrid's journey...

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Hope series comes another heartwarming, inspirational story for the holidays. Thirty-two-year-old Amy Denison volunteers at Glory's Place, an after school program where she meets seven-year-old Maddie, a precocious young girl who has spent her childhood in foster care. Unbeknownst to Amy, Maddie is a mini-matchmaker, with her eye on just the right man for Amy at Grandon Elementary School,...

Pakak is in a new foster home, with new people, new food, and new smells. Feeling alone and uncertain, Pakak finds comfort in a secret shared with him by his anaanattiaq, his grandmother, and in the knowledge that he is loved no matter how far away his family may be. Written as a gift for Inuit children in care by foster parents Kevin and Mary Qamaniq-Mason, this book is lovingly imbued with cultural familiarities that will resonate with children...

Jackson's mother, Kayla, can no longer cope. Having tragically lost her husband and son, Kayla is crippled with grief and unable to manage Jackson's challenging behaviour. Aggressive, confrontational, and often running away, Jackson's mother puts him into foster care. He remains volatile. Cathy, his carer, encourages Jackson to talk about what has happened but he won't engage. His actions continue to test and worry everyone. Adrian, Cathy's son, fears...