HIDDEN

Top Ten Bestseller! 71 weeks in the bestseller lists.

Betrayed, exploited and forgotten. How one boy overcame the odds.

A powerful and shocking memoir of a young boy whose good behaviour and excellent manners hid a terrible past.

Tayo arrived with only the clothes on his back. Calm, polite, and very well spoken, Tayo was nothing like the children I normally fostered. Surprisingly, the social worker had no records for Tayo: no school files, family history, or medical records. It was as if Tayo didn’t exist. Tayo wouldn’t answer any of my questions about his past. Only when I saw a scar on his arm did he begin to tell me his dreadful story. It was unbelievable, but I had never met a child before (or since) with such loyalty, strength, and inner resolve.

Reviews for Hidden:

“Like Tayo I was abducted by my father. He had me for 12 months before my mother found me. I was luckier than Tayo though, I didn’t suffer at the hands of my father as Tayo did with his mother. There should be more people in the world like you Cathy, who do make a difference. I can’t wait to read your other books.”
Kelly, Australia, 10/10/2008

“…her style of writing is gripping and the issues she deals with completely engrossing. I won’t give the ending away, but I was in tears, just like I was with Damaged. I shall be buying her next book as soon as it’s out. It’s unusual to find a writer this good! I just can’t get enough.”
Amazon Review, Martha, UK

“Hidden is a fantastic read – a great page turner, totally absorbing, and real eye-opener. I had no idea such things could happen in this country…a glimpse of an underworld that no child should ever be aware of, let alone be part of. MPs and those in government…read this book and take note! This is a side of illegal immigration we don’t see and there could be as many as 1 million children living as Tayo had to!”
Amazon Review, Robert, UK

“I couldn’t stop crying while reading Hidden and felt compelled to write. I am the mother of a 10 yr old girl whose father is from abroad. My daughter’s fate could have been so similar to Tayo’s. As a baby her relatives tried to take her to their home country without my knowledge or permission. Fortunately they were stopped at the airport. It was a parent’s worst nightmare.”
Emelia, UK, 22/05/08

“I read your book Hidden. It was amazing. I am from Africa and I know there are thousands of children from my home country who are in England and aren’t in the system. Your book inspired me to further my education so that I can work with children.”
Ms Lasisi, 08/07/08

“…Hidden plays out like an ITV drama. The tragedy is no fiction, but a true story. A life-affirming read…that proves sometimes a little hope is all you need.”
Heat magazine. No 4 in their top ten books.