The Child Bride

Cathy Glass

Sep 2014 · HarperCollins · Narrated by Denica Fairman

About this audiobook

Cathy Glass, international bestselling author, tells the shocking story of Zeena, a young Asian girl desperate to escape from her family.

When 14 -year-old Zeena begs to be taken into care with a non-Asian family, she is clearly petrified. But of what?

Placed in the home of experienced foster carer Cathy and her family, Zeena gradually settles into her new life, but misses her little brothers and sisters terribly. Prevented from having any contact with them by her family who insist she has brought shame and dishonour on the whole community, Zeena tries to see them at school. But when her father and uncle find out, they bundle her into a car and threaten to set fire to her if she makes anymore trouble. Zeena is too frightened to press charges against them despite being offered police protection in a safe house.

Eventually, Cathy discovers the devastating truth from Zeena, and with devastation she believes there is little she can do to help her.

Ratings and reviews

very moving but insightful. hard to believe this is still going on in Britain today, to so many young girls but it is, as is fgm (female genital mutilation), or in other words, female castration, to children of a very young age. Cathy's story of Zeena was at times very hard to ĺisten to but had to be heard.

About the author

Cathy has been a foster carer for over 30 years, during which time she has looked after more than 150 children, of all ages and backgrounds. She has three teenage children of her own; one of whom was adopted after a long-term foster placement. The name Cathy Glass is a pseudonym.