Beautiful Child: The True Story of a Child Trapped in Silence and the Teacher Who Refused to Give Up on Her

“Fresh and compelling...[Hayden] spins out the story with gusto and a storyteller’s art.” (Chicago Tribune)

“Page after page proves again the power of love and the resiliency of life.” (Los Angeles Times)

“Torey Hayden gives one hope for the future of public schools, indeed for the future of the human race.” (Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People)

“The world needs more like Torey Hayden.” (Boston Globe)

“Hayden is a fine storyteller.” (Washington Post)

“A rich tapestry of a group of special needs youngsters and the adults who try to help them.” (Publishers Weekly)

“It has been a long time since you read a book with the emotional impact of One Child.” (New York Times)

Seven-year-old Venus Fox never spoke, never listened, never even acknowledged the presence of another human being in the room with her. Yet an accidental playground “bump” would release a rage frightening to behold. The school year that followed would be one of the most trying, perplexing, and ultimately rewarding of Torey Hayden’s career, as she struggled to reach a silent child in obvious pain. It would be a strenuous journey beset by seemingly insurmountable obstacles and darkened by truly terrible revelations—yet encouraged by sometimes small, sometimes dazzling breakthroughs—as a dedicated teacher remained committed to helping a “hopeless” girl, and patiently and lovingly leading her toward the light of a new day.