"Etched In Sand"

"Etched In Sand" is a remarkable memoir by Regina Calcaterra.   Check out her web site at www.reginacalcaterra.com or find her on facebook.  This book has been selected as St. Petersburg College's 2015 One College/One Read book.

At the time this book was published Regina was serving for Governor Andrew Cuomo as the executive director of the New York State Moreland Commission on Utility Preparation and Response.  She has her law degree and an impressive work resume but what I like most is her service as a board member to "You Gotta Believe," an organization that works toward finding forever homes for older foster children.

"Etched in Sand" tells the true story of Regina and her 4 siblings growing up with a very dysfunctional mother who basically left them to fend for themselves for long periods of time.  How they survived and coped is an amazing story and who they have all become as adults is a tribute to their resilience and strength.

Regina had two older sisters, a younger brother and a younger sister.  What they endured is nothing any child should ever endure.  I have always had a soft spot for child welfare issues and this story reinforces the need for caring adults to be there for children in similar situations.  Never underestimate the power that you might have in your role as a welfare worker, foster parent, caring neighbor, or teacher to influence a young life and make a difference to them when they don't have functional parents.

This story is also the story of Regina's need as an adult to confirm that the man her mother always told her was her father be made to face that fact and to acknowledge that he knowingly left her in an intolerable situation. As a result of her persistence, her father's name is on her birth certificate and she was able to forge a relationship with an aunt and uncle and learn more about her roots.   If you read no other book this year, make sure you read this one!