The author sent me a message through my blog telling me that this book was free. I replied back that I was interested to review her book. This is a psychological thriller. The author mentioned in her email that she intentionally wrote the chapter in small portions she called as gulps. She described this book as a quick-read with leaps in consciousness.
The Twilight Tsunami is about the lives of social workers working with foster kids. This chronicled their daily lives as they try to help and make a difference in the world by making it a better place, one child at a time. This talked about their struggles, their pains and the burdens they have to bear trying to make a child's life better. How the emotional toll caused by the stresses at work has taken hold and encroached in their personal lives permanently and irreversibly. This is an eye-opener. Hopefully, people in the government, especially those who can affect the legislation and budget allocations can do something to help these social workers and the kids who desperately needed love and care.
The first few chapters of the book detailed all the horrors of a social workers life. The hurts and the dangers, not to mention the hazard that comes with the nature of the job. Add in a jealous co-worker out to kick every one that comes in her way to the top. The story started as sad and dark. It showed the horrors of the foster-care system right at the start. If you are of a faint heart you would feel disappointed and turned off. It would appear that this was a very sad story and would make you think twice if you want to continue perusing the pages. I was honestly a bit turned off and it kind of started to dampen my spirits as well. I can't help but feel downcast after reading bad news after bad news.
But this book is not filled with all bad news until the end. In fact, what I really liked about this was that everything got resolved. All issues and characters that were having a hard time here eventually find the strength to change things. This story showed a lot of things. It proved that people who work in social services are people with really great hearts. Most of them took on this kind of job because of their genuine desire and wish to help find a home for these abandoned kids. I guess, it's rare for a social worker to have no compassion for their charges. I think Marjorie represents the other side of the coin. Those who think they are helping by following the rules and mandates but also forgetting the most important part of the job--compassion. These kids and their families are not just case numbers but human beings and they need all the help, compassion and support they need to fight their demons to change their lives. And I do agree, I think it is apparent that in all the cases, the kids are always the ones who end up the victims. There are no laws that protect them and cater to their welfare. A lot of things mentioned in here are hard facts and I guess with the author putting them out there is one step of doing something about them. This is the first time I've read about the lives of social care workers. We can never underestimate the power of information getting to the right person who actually has the power to change things -especially about the plight of foster kids.
I think one of the endings should have included Carol starting that youth program and the rest of the social workers like Christine, Gray, Mandy and Karen also helping her with it. I think they would all do what they really set out to do, why they wanted to work as social workers. I give the book 4/5 feeding bottles. Thanks again, Shelby Lyndon-Heath for giving me a chance to read this book. I hope that you continue to write books like this that help spread awareness of issues and subjects that are mostly taken for granted or assumed of less importance. More power to all the authors who make it their life's work to expose the sad plight of the less fortunate and writing about issues that people try so hard not to discuss like domestic violence, bullying, etc.
Where did parents' love go to when their children slipped out of their lives, never to return?
- Shelby Londyn-Heath, The Twilight Tsunami -
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