Lovey: Part 1 of 3

By Mary MacCracken

Lovey can either be read as a full-length eBook or in 3 serialised eBook-only parts.

This is PART 1 of 3.

You can read Part 1 three weeks ahead of release of the full-length eBook and paperback.

This deeply moving memoir tells the story of Hannah: a child who has been beaten and abused; a girl full of loneliness and rage; a student no one but learning disabilities teacher Mary MacCracken could reach.

Mary had reservations about eight-year-old Hannah joining her class. The three emotionally disturbed boys she was currently looking after had been making steady progress, and Hannah, who had a reputation for being a withdrawn and incredibly troubled child, would only be a disruptive influence.

For the first fortnight Hannah retired to a cupboard and refused to come out. Howling almost non-stop she was displaying the worst symptoms that Mary had ever seen.

How could Mary help a child who had been shut up in closets and treated like an animal? What could she say to a child who had been locked out of her own home, and beaten by both her brother and her father? How could she reach this lost girl?

This is the remarkable story of Hannah and Mary’s journey together. Deep within Hannah, Mary recognises an amazing strength. And with love, skill and patience, she gradually starts to make a difference. It’s a long road to recovery, but Mary never gives up.

As this moving true story unfolds, we feel Mary’s joy, we share her hope and, in time, her faith that Hannah will be okay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Mar 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9780007577187

Mary MacCracken

Mary MacCracken, an internationally best-selling author, has written four books about her work with autistic and learning-disabled children: Circle of Children, Lovey, City Kid, and Turn-About Children. Her books have been published in fourteen countries and the first two were made into movies for television, starring the actress Jane Alexander. Mary spent her last years with her husband, Cal, an inventor with eighty patents, at Kendal at Hanover, a Continuous Care Retirement Community in Hanover, New Hampshire, and the decade after his death writing about their experiences dealing with his disease.

Book preview

Chapter 1

‘Wait just a minute, Mary. I want to talk to you.’ The Director covered the phone and nodded towards the coffeepot. ‘Pour yourself a cup. I’ll be right with you.’

I hesitated, juggling the armload of books and old magazines I’d brought in. I didn’t want to stop now. This was the first day of school and the children would be arriving in a few minutes. I wanted to get down to my room, put away these last things, and make sure everything was ready.

‘Well, now, everything set?’ the Director said as she hung up.

‘I think so, except for these books and maybe a few travel posters that I’ll tack up until the kids get some paintings done.’ Our children were even more sensitive than most to the climate of their surroundings. I wanted no rush, no hurry, no helter-skelter when they first arrived. The Director understood this as well as I did. Why was she keeping me here, diddling around and chatting?

‘Uh, Mary, I wanted to tell you … there’s been a change in your class.’

‘A change? What do you mean? What’s wrong? Has something happened to one of my children?’

‘No, no. Nothing like that. It’s just that I’ve rearranged things a little.’

I was instantly on guard. Euphemisms from the Director were always a danger sign. ‘Rearranged things?’

‘Yes. Last night when I went over the class lists I decided to put Hannah Rosnic in with you and move Carolyn –’

‘Hannah Rosnic!’ I interrupted. ‘How can that work? Brian and Rufus are almost ready for regular school – Brian’s twelve; this is his last year – and even Jamie is able to sit long enough to do some reading. Carolyn will fit in beautifully, I know she will. We took her on trips with us last year. I know she’s withdrawn, and her fantasies –’

‘I’ve put Carolyn in Ellen’s class,’ the Director interrupted in her turn. ‘I realised last night that it was asking too much of Ellen to take on Hannah. Ellen’s too new. She’s right for her other three and she’ll be good with Carolyn. But Hannah will be better off with you.’

‘Listen,’ I said, ‘what about the boys? And I don’t even know Hannah – except what I heard from down the hall last year. I don’t have any rapport with her. How am I going to get anything going between her and the boys? What makes you think they’ll accept her at all?’

The Director sipped her coffee and lit a cigarette, fanning the smoke away from her eyes. She looked exactly as she always had, cheerful, dynamic, the strong sinewy cords in her neck softened by her feathery white hair. ‘I’ve thought about it. The boys will be good for her, give her a nice balance.’ She paused and smiled at me. ‘And Hannah’ll stir them up a little – give your room a little more excitement.’

‘Excitement? What do we need with excitement? We’ve all come a long way, but it’s possible that we could lose everything we’ve gained so far with Hannah in there.’

‘Anything’s possible,’ the Director said coolly. The phone rang. She picked up my untouched coffee and her half-empty cup and headed back to her desk, nodding to me and dismissing me at the same time. ‘Well, that’s set, then. Fine, I’ll send Hannah down when she arrives.’

I gathered up my books and magazines and went out into the hall. What was I going to do? All I knew about Hannah Rosnic was that she had come to our school sometime in the middle of last year and had been in Shirley’s class at the end of the hall. I’d seen her, fat, dumpy, and dirty, on the playground, and I’d heard her, screaming and howling from her classroom. But that was all, except for a few dim memories of discussions at staff meetings. And now she was going to be one of my four!

A last-minute change like this was unprecedented. Ours was a school for children with severe emotional disturbances. Each of our children was unique, with such individual problems as well as strengths that what was planned to help one child deal with anger and hurt and isolation would be useless to another. What I had prepared for Carolyn would never work for Hannah.

And yet, this was what was going to happen. Once the Director had made up her mind, she wouldn’t argue and there was no point in trying to discuss it. If she had decided to move Hannah

Reviews for Lovey

[heather19_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a wonderful book, made even more wonderful by the fact that it's a true story. It follows a special education teacher who helps Hannah, a wild supposedly non-verbal girl who is prone to hiding in closets, rocking, and hitting her head on the floor. Through Mary's persistent attention and devotion Hannah flourishes, comes into her own and begins learning not only school-type stuff like reading, but the very important social skills that she had been lacking.

[tracie_shepherd-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was given to me in high school when I was shadowing a special education teacher. I was hooked from the beginning and have read more of Mary MacCracken's books. It is frightening to know children are so mistreated but heart warming to know there are special educators in the world who can draw them out of their darkness and rejoice in blue dessert!

[littlebirdreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a veteran 6:1:1 middle school teacher of students at a residential treatment center (think: "at-risk", emotionally disturbed, mental health diagnosis, behavior issues, juvenile delinquent, etc etc... give me an acronym or diagnosis, I've probably experienced it), this book was put into my hands. I found it in our library as books for staff and upon cracking the spine, I realized why. That first moment where Mary realizes her class is changing?- yea, that happened to me the week prior. This book hits home for me. I have been immersed in this field for so long that sometimes I lose perspective and find myself drained of all hope. Winter break seemed like the best time to recharge my batteries and read this book to remind myself why it is that I teach the kids I do.
Lovey is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of a woman dedicated not to her job, but to her students. Mary is a first class teacher. I've read some backlash and hard judgment she has gotten and I can tell you that until you've been in shoes like hers, you have no clue. It is a whole other world. Maty does a superb job!
While reading, I kept finding bits of my kids in her students... I found ideas to modify and put into practice... I found drive, love, and hope. Lovey is a perfect representation of why I do what I do. It changes lives and it changes you.
Highly recommended.

[AshleyWinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Where's part two?

[completely_melanie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would give this book a 3.75 if I could. It was such sweet story and it not only showed the amazing impact a good teacher can have even with the most difficult of students, but it also gives you a peek into the workings of a child's mind and how incredible they are.