After by Amy Efaw

A newborn baby is found in a dumpster behind an apartment building. Police canvass the area and discover a teenage girl bleeding out on a sofa in her home. There is other evidence, proof that the baby was hers. The girl first hospitalized near death, then imprisoned facing hearings and trials, has not acknowledged that she was ever pregnant, that the screaming IT in the bathroom sink was a baby she birthed. She, in fact, has disassociated. She remembers nothing of what the lawyers, the doctors are saying is true. Readers learn the horrifying truth as the girl remembers, comes to terms with what she did. Those around her, best friend, coach, teachers never questioned the change in her appearance, her behavior, went along with her denial. They are to blame for what happened as well. Why did she not use safe haven for the baby? Why did everyone go along with her denial, not reach out to help her? The author of this book looks in to such questions, goes a long way to explain dumpster baby syndrome. The story won't stop girls like Devon from dumping their newborns but maybe it we know a girl in trouble we will not hesitate to reach out to her and if we fail to do so maybe we will be compassionate and understanding towards her in the aftermath. This is a powerful story, well written, worth reading. By the way, dumping newborn babies is not limited to teens. Recently a 30 something mother in our area left her newborn outside under some bushes in frigid weather. The baby in this story survived. Not all of them do. JDW 1/5/10