Book review: Cruel to Be Kind

AUTHOR Kathy Glass has been a foster carer for over 25 years, and has looked after more than 150 children, while raising two of her own, and adopting another.
Cruel to Be Kind is one of the stories from her fostering experience, and tells the tale of six-year-old Max. He is placed with Cathy when her mother is recovering in hospital after having two toes amputated, and his teenage sisters have left him home all alone.
Expecting a normal little boy, Cathy is shocked to find Max grossly overweight. He has difficulty moving, his teeth are decaying from too many sweets, and he wears clothes sized for 12-year-olds. Turns out the whole family is obese.
But Max is intelligent and charming, and desperately wants to be like other little boys, but his mother is hostile and opposes Cathy’s every attempt to help.
It’s not easy being a foster carer, especially when the parents are out to sabotage well-meaning attempts to help, and your heart goes out to both Max and his carer as you get involved with the story.
You marvel at how well some children cope and at how Glass handles all kinds of situations thrown at her. There are feelings of indignation mixed with relief, and tears of pity and joy all rolled into one.
This is a good book that would keep you turning the pages. And to think this is not a work of fiction!