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Skin Deep can either be read as a full-length eBook or in 3 serialised eBook-only parts. This is PART 3 of 3. You can read Part 3 on release of the full-length eBook and paperback. Rejected by her mother and excluded by her school, Flip is a little girl desperate to be loved. ‘Am I ugly, Mummy?’ are the first words that little Phillipa says to Mike and Casey as she stomps into their lives on a hot August afternoon. She has a Barbie doll in one hand and a pink vanity case in the other and the bemused Watsons can only stare in amazement at this tiny eight year old girl who is being guided into the room by her social worker. Phillipa, known as Flip has Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and life with her single mother has come to an abrupt end after a fire burned the house down. When Casey meets Flip, the child seems remarkably unfazed by what has happened and the thing that seems to worry her is that Casey might find her ugly. Casey has come across children with FAS in her previous job in a high school behaviour unit, but is now realising that fostering Flip is going to be full of challenges which will test her and Mike’s skills to the limit.
When a young girl with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome enters the lives of foster parents Mike and Casey, the couple must navigate the complex emotional and behavioral demands of a child who has experienced profound trauma. The narrative follows Casey, a former behavior unit worker, as she attempts to provide stability for Flip, a child who is struggling with feelings of rejection and self-worth. The story explores the friction between the child's needs and the foster parents' capacity to provide care, highlighting the strain placed on their household. Told through a realistic lens, the narrative examines the day-to-day challenges of fostering and the long-term impact of early childhood instability.
This work is characterized by its grounded approach to the complexities of the foster care system and the specific challenges associated with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. The narrative structure suggests a focus on the incremental progress and setbacks inherent in building a new family dynamic. Readers likely find the portrayal of the foster parents' internal and external struggles to be a central thematic thread throughout the story. The book appears to prioritize a realistic depiction of domestic life over dramatic artifice, aiming to provide an authentic look at the realities of caregiving.
Page Count:
224
Publication Date:
2011-01-01
Publisher:
Thorsons
ISBN-10:
0007404514
ISBN-13:
9780007404513
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