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The Story
“It Had To Happen: Memoirs From A Foster Child” tells the harrowing story of Tameena, a teenage girl who endured a traumatic journey through the foster care system after being taken away from her abusive biological family. After experiencing physical abuse at the hands of her mother and being separated from her beloved sisters “Lyfe, Sophia, and Sephora,” Tameena is placed in a foster home, where she finally finds safety and begins to develop a genuine bond
with her new family.
However, her fragile sense of security is shattered when she becomes a victim of sexual abuse by her foster uncle, P. Terrified of losing her newfound family and desperate to protect them, Tameena’s unimaginable pain and anguish in silence weight of her traumatic experiences become increasingly difficult to bear.
Throughout her suffering, Tameena keeps the abuse a dark secret for years, holding on to her newly found faith in God as a source of solace and strength. While journaling becomes her sanctuary, a private refuge where she can release her pent-up emotions, Tameena finally reaches a breaking point. Overwhelmed by her secrets and suffering, she decides to confide in her social worker, who takes immediate action to protect her. Tameena is placed in a new foster home, hoping for a fresh start and a chance at a brighter future.
As the legal process unfolds, Tameena finds the strength to testify against Uncle P in court, facing the family she once believed to be her refuge. Through these distressing times, to cope with her emotional turmoil, Tameena turns to unhealthy habits, including smoking, alcohol consumption, and burying herself in work and church activities. However, despite her attempts to mask her pain, the scars from her abuse continue to haunt her.
Unfortunately, her journey through the foster care system becomes a cycle of repeated abuse, as she falls victim to different men in subsequent placements. The vicious cycle leaves her feeling hopeless and abandoned. Eventually, Tameena takes matters into her own hands and emancipates herself from the foster care system before
starting college.
"It Had To Happen" is a heartbreaking and powerful exploration of a young girl's resilience, highlighting the indomitable spirit that drives her to survive despite unimaginable circumstances. It sheds light on the failings of a system meant to protect vulnerable children and emphasizes the importance of providing safe environments and support for abuse survivors.
"It Had to Happen" Book 2 Launches Soon!!
It Had to Happen is an inspirational memoir of the good, the bad, and the worst of domestic violence that many children face in the adolescent years of their lives. It is a revelation that encourages young children, teenagers, young adults, and adults to advocate for themselves even against the people they trust and love the most.
This story is about a young girl "Tameena", who was physically abused by her mother. Tameena was manipulated and pimped out by one of her older sisters "Lyfe" for money. With all that was going on in Tameena's home, she was bullied at school and as a result, resorted to violence which contributed to the separation of her family.
Third Place Book Fest Winner
Non-fiction Memoir/Personal Genre
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
MM
"This will encourage others, thank you for being vulnerable. Just writing this will give hope to others in dark experiences, it’s not your fault."
Kindle Customer
Amazing and Interesting Book. This book give you an insight on a life of a child that had the strength to overcome even with everything that happened to her she found a way to be kind and loving to others and being an inspirational voice to anyone that went through this kind of pain that there is hope.
Gina Cross
Emotional and heartfelt. I loved how Mattie was vulnerable when writing. She shared her thoughts, actions, and feelings in a raw yet authentic manner. It brought so many emotions out! It made me feel their pain and emotions of the "oh crap, here we go again!" The exhaustion of constantly being in survival mode at home and school. Mattie is so descriptive when describing the beatings you want to jump in the story and rescue the girls. You can sense their fear and plea for it to stop while imagining the scars and welts from the extension cord. Great read, anticipating book two.
Jessica Feldman
I read this book in 2 hours. It was mesmerizing and I couldn’t put it down. I worked with the author for a number of years. While I had known Mattie had a difficult childhood, I had no idea just how bad it truly was. The suffering she and her siblings endured is hard to believe. I am looking forward to reading the 2nd and 3rd books. I am so proud of the woman, wife, mother, teacher, etc…Mattie has become.