Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Child | 1980 | Torey Hayden | Buy |
| 2 | The Tiger’s Child | 1995 | Torey Hayden | Buy |
One Child (1980) is Torey Hayden’s first and best-known book. It tells the true story of Sheila, a six-year-old girl placed in Hayden’s special education class after she kidnapped, tied up, and badly burned a three-year-old neighborhood boy. Sheila barely spoke, had been abandoned by her mother on a highway, and was being raised by an alcoholic father in an abusive home. Over five months in Hayden’s classroom, Sheila slowly began to open up and show the sharp intelligence hidden behind her silence and rage.
The Tiger’s Child (1995) picks up seven years later. Hayden had not seen Sheila since their original time together, and when they reconnect, the teenager remembers almost nothing about those months. The sequel covers the next decade of Sheila’s life, from ages six to sixteen, as Hayden tries to rebuild their relationship. Sheila later dared Hayden to write the book, saying she never thought she would. Together, the two memoirs form one of the most widely read accounts of a teacher’s bond with a troubled child.