Author: Michael Berg

ISBN: 1-58982-300-1

This is the heart-wrenching tale of two sisters, seventeen-year-old Irene and twelve-year-old Rita, who are separated from their mother, and each other. From this moment on, their life together will only be a distant memory. One moment the girls are bickering over who has breakfast dishes and the next, are being whisked away by some social service worker. Their tour in hell has begun.

The Cobb girls and their momma aren't bad. Momma is a liaison for women who want outlawed abortions -- the girls, victims of Momma's career decision. So Momma is arrested and the girls are off to Trench. Trench, the place for abandoned children -- where nightmares visit those who are asleep or awake.

While Momma is away, Irene is to watch out for Rita. At Trench's nursing in-take, the girls are separated. It would be the last time Irene ever saw her baby sister. In fact, the family of three would never be together again.

Although written in a fictional setting, the story smacks of reality. Children are being taken from their parent(s), thrown into an environment that reeks of greed, corruption, abuse, and experimentation, and becoming wards of the state, for what seems like, pawns for the entertainment of the lower-than-low employees of the state at Trench. Foster homes run by insensitive, greedy, peddlers who exploit children are supposed to be a step up. For Rita, it is the step that ends her young life.

While Rita is forced to sell drugs in middle school, Irene shares a hell with the other girls at Trench. Rape, forced medications, lies, restraining the orange jumpsuiters, and the "OK" rule is just the beginning. It's not a place that cares for children -- it's a business where the innocent children are merely gears that generate income to keep the nightmares alive.

Irene learns how to survive. Her friend, Gabby who works in the cafeteria, offers advice that will be beneficial to Irene as she walks the tightrope of the insane structure at Trench. But, as anything good at Trench, it's over. Her friend is fired and Irene is alone again.

Irene's last roommate provides the information about Rita that the infrequent-visiting social workers could never seem to do -- her sister is dead; a drug deal gone badly. Irene is released to a group home -- the next step before being completely on her own. She is tricked into joining the same group her mother had worked for. In a flash, and only a short time before her mother's release from jail, Irene is arrested. She receives a year in jail, loses track of Momma and loses custody of the child born from the last Trench Center rape. Baby Cheryl is whisked off to Trench -- and so the cycle continues.

Michael Berg captures a horror story that's all too real. As long as the insanity of the system and policies continue -- there will be victims like Rita and Irene.

The above review was contributed by: Sue Vogan, Writer & Author of NCO-No Compassion Observed: To read more of Sue's reviews Click Here