They Cage the Animals at Night
The True Story of an Abandoned Child's Struggle for Emotional Survival
Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · July 11, 2017
The heartbreaking, iconic true story of an abandoned little boy’s horrific journey through the American foster care system One misty evening, Jennings Michael Burch’s mother, too sick to care for him, left her eight-year-old son at an orphanage with the words, “I’ll be right back.” She wasn’t.
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- Who it’s for
- A painful memoir of instability and neglect, told in a voice that holds space for hope.
- Themes
- Childhood abandonment, Foster care and neglect, Hope and emotional survival
- Genres
- Personal Memoirs, Adoption & Fostering, Child Abuse
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Start with this bookAbout this book
The heartbreaking, iconic true story of an abandoned little boy’s horrific journey through the American foster care system One misty evening, Jennings Michael Burch’s mother, too sick to care for him, left her eight-year-old son at an orphanage with the words, “I’ll be right back.” She wasn’t. Shuttled through a bleak series of foster homes, orphanages, and institutions, Jennings never remained in any of them long enough to make a friend.
Continue reading
Instead, he clung to a tattered stuffed animal named Doggie, his sole source of comfort in a frightening world. Here, in his own words, Jennings Michael Burch reveals the abuse and neglect he experienced during his lost childhood. But while his experiences are both shocking and devastating, his story is ultimately one of hope—the triumphant tale of a forgotten child who somehow found the courage to reach out for love and found it waiting for him.
A Childhood Remembered
A painful memoir of instability and neglect, told in a voice that holds space for hope.
Come here for
- A first-person account of a child moved through foster homes and institutions
- The tender comfort of a stuffed animal in a frightening world
Expect
- Unflinching memories of abuse and neglect
- A story of hardship that reaches toward love
Where it sits
| Child Abuse | 84% |
|---|---|
| Adoption & Fostering | 78% |
| Personal Memoirs | 68% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Personal Memoirs
- Child Abuse
- Adoption & Fostering
- Authors
- Jennings Michael Burch
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- July 11, 2017
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Childhood abandonment · Foster care and neglect · Hope and emotional survival
- Reading lane
- Personal Memoirs