Behind Closed Doors

Why We Break Up Families - and How to Mend Them

Behind Closed Doors
Polly Curtis
RRP:
NZ$ 50.00
Our Price:
NZ$ 40.00
Hardback
h220 x 140mm - 320pg
3 Feb 2022 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9780349014531
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
' BRILLIANT . . . I LOVE THIS BOOK' LEMN SISSAY' EXTRAORDINARY' OLIVER BULLOUGH' EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK' HILARY COTTAMMeet the mother whose children were taken away, and the father who fought for his son. Listen to the radical social worker, the judge, the lawyer. See inside the homes of foster carers, adoptive parents and children in care. Because behind closed doors, a scandal is ongoing. We now remove more children from their parents than ever before, more than any other western country. Not because of a rise in physical or sexual abuse, but because of complex factors that are overlooked and misunderstood. Children' s Care is a system where fathers are ignored, and mothers are punished for experiencing abuse. Rife with prejudices about race, ableism and class, determined by a postcode lottery. Blind to poverty and its effects on family life. And, at its very worst, an exercise in social engineering that can never replace parental love. This is not a soft issue. Not a ' women and children' problem. It is a prism through which we can understand the deepest issues at play in politics, economics and society today, and it is happening behind closed doors. Because of legal restrictions against reporting in family courts, the uneasy work of social care and the shame poured on parents, these problems remain out of our sight. They are the subject of horror headlines or stale statistics. But family life is at the heart of who we are as people, and it is they who can help us understand. From North to South, rich and poor, Black and white, these are the people who know, first-hand, what is going wrong - and how we can fix it. These are their stories. ' IMPORTANT' IAN BIRRELL' VITAL' HANNAH JANE PARKINSON' ONE OF BRITAIN' S BEST JOURNALISTS WRITING ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE' MARIANA MAZZUCATO
A riveting investigation into how society looks after its greatest and most valuable vulnerable asset: the child. Behind Closed Doors is a page-turner on one hand and a thoughtful meditation on the other: dispassionate, balanced and brave. Curtis goes where most do not and draws surprisingly frank testimony from judges, social workers, parents and children. Every parent, every politician, every social worker should read this brilliant book on our present state. * Lemn Sissay, author of My Name is Why * A must-read book. It' s a brilliant examination of the Care system, with thoughtful suggestions of how it can be improved. Polly Curtis is refreshingly honest, sensitive and never shrill. * Jacqueline Wilson, author of The Story of Tracy Beaker * This extraordinary book reveals a hidden side of Britain we should all know about. It' s sympathetic, and passionate, and an absolute must-read. * Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland * We have invisibly re-written the rules of family life creating one of the biggest child removal systems in the world. In this balanced, forensic and compelling book Polly Curtis shows what is happening to the most vulnerable families in Britain, how we are all complicit and what we could do about it. Everyone should read this book. * Hilary Cottam, author of Radical Help * Gandhi claimed that ' The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members' . This book, by one of Britain' s best journalists writing about social justice, provides a damning indictment of just that: a dysfunctional society that is punishing victims instead of investing in the roots of the problem. Anyone interested in the social and economic solutions to the system that is failing children and their families must read this book. * Mariana Mazzucato, UCL Professor, author of Mission Economy * An important book that poses profound questions for our society * Ian Birrell, winner of the 2020 Orwell Prize for Investigating Social Evils * A fascinating and much-needed study into the UK' s opaque and Kafkaesque child protection system. Curtis explores the stories beyond sensationalist headlines and gives voice to the children and parents so often reduced to statistics. Whether it is shadowing a judge, explaining the difference between public and private family proceedings, or interviewing politicians, Curtis walks us through every aspect of the care apparatus. Behind Closed Doors is equal parts characterful, narrative drive and impeccably researched guide. Much in this book is shocking and surprising, some is motivating and inspiring: all of it is vital. A book which should be read by anybody who has ever been a child. * Hannah Jane Parkinson *
Polly Curtis is an author and journalist dedicated to reporting on social justice. Having worked at Tortoise, HuffPost, the British Red Cross and for sixteen years as Education Editor, Whitehall Correspondent, News Editor and Digital Editor at the Guardian, she was a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford' s Reuters Institute and was most recently Managing Director of PA Media. Born in Camden, she still lives there, with her husband and two children.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780349014531
Published: 3 Feb 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Virago Press
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Format: Hardback
Height: 220mm
Width: 140mm
Spine: 32mm
Weight: 440g
Pages: 320

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information