Mayo shop stocks book about life as a foster-girl

THE Tertulia Bookshop on The Quay in Westport, run by Neil Paul and Brid Conroy, has taken stock of Sadie Harpur’s new autobiography, The Hidden World of a Foster-Girl.

Sadie is currently recording a number of podcasts for the Irish Foster Care Association, and her book is dedicated to the memory of her much-missed foster-brother Gary and the official launch included a short ceremony to honour his memory.

Born and raised in Dublin but now living in Wexford, Sadie went through turbulent periods of high anxiety as a foster-child. Suffering from learning difficulties resulting from undiagnosed dyslexia, she was described as mentally below average, and suffered bouts of depression, suicidal thoughts and was repeatedly bullied.

She endured serious teenage problems, including self-harming, violent outbursts, zero self-esteem, and the eventual suicide of her foster-brother Gary.

Sadie says: “Writing The Hidden World of a Foster-Girl was hugely therapeutic for me. It helped me look deep into my past and unlock thoughts and experiences I had hidden away in a dark place. I hope others might take comfort from the fact that I survived.”

Sadie was assisted in writing her book by Jackie Hayden who topped the Irish book charts with two editions of My Boy, his book about the late rock star Philip Lynott based on exclusive interviews with Lynott’s mother Philomena.

“The Hidden World of a Foster-Girl is a gut-wrenching read, pulling at every heart string. Hugely powerful, it’s a memoir about the anxieties of growing up in foster care in Ireland.” (Niamh Browne-Hot Press)

Grace O’Reilly on www.writing.ie wrote: “Sadie is an inspiration to many and I sincerely hope that she is proud of both how far she has come in her life, and of her writing her true-life story in this book to help others both now and in the future … overall my heart ached for her.”

The Irish Foster Care Association have described her book as 'inspirational'.

The Hidden World of a Foster-Girl by Sadie Harpur is available from bookshops for €15.