Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Sunflower Forest | 1984 | Torey Hayden | Buy |
| 2 | Overheard in a Dream | 1996 | Torey Hayden | Buy |
| 3 | The Very Worst Thing | 2003 | Torey Hayden | Buy |
| 4 | Innocent Foxes | 2011 | Torey Hayden | Buy |
Torey Hayden’s fiction draws on the same psychological insight that runs through her non-fiction memoirs. The Sunflower Forest (1984), her first novel, was inspired by a newspaper article Hayden read in Wales about a woman who had been part of the Nazi Lebensborn program. The story follows Lesley, a teenager whose mother Mara suffers from deep psychological scars left by the war. When Mara’s instability leads to tragedy, Lesley goes to Wales looking for answers.
The three later novels continue to explore the inner lives of young people caught in difficult situations. Overheard in a Dream (1996) centers on a child psychologist working with a troubled young boy and his mother, a bestselling children’s author. The Very Worst Thing (2003) tells the story of a nine-year-old refugee boy adjusting to life in America. Innocent Foxes (2011) is set in the American West and deals with a kidnapping that brings together characters from very different backgrounds. All four books reflect Hayden’s professional experience with children who have been hurt, and her belief that even the most damaged people can change.