No One to Miss Me by Cathy Glass
No One to Miss Me by Cathy Glass
A True Fostering Story
by Cathy Glass
| Genre: | True Story / Memoir / Fostering |
| Published: | September 10, 2026 |
| Publisher: | HarperElement |
| Type: | True Story — Non-Fiction |
| Author: | 30+ Years Foster Carer |
| Children Fostered: | 150+ Children |
| My Rating: | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
5 out of 5 — Heartbreaking, Hopeful and Completely Unforgettable!
Late on Boxing Day night, a teenage girl appears shivering on Cathy Glass’s doorstep — a girl she barely remembers fostering years ago. What happens next is one of the most heartbreaking, powerful and ultimately hopeful true stories Cathy Glass has ever told.
The latest title from the author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Damaged — No One to Miss Me is published by HarperElement on September 10, 2026. The brand new, long awaited book from the multi-million-copy bestselling author Cathy Glass — ONE REMARKABLE WOMAN. OVER 30 YEARS OF FOSTERING. CARER TO MORE THAN 150 CHILDREN. This is a true story — and it is one that will stay with you forever.
About the Author — Cathy Glass
Cathy has been a foster carer for over 25 years, during which time she has looked after more than 100 children, of all ages and backgrounds. She has three teenage children of her own; one of whom was adopted after a long-term foster placement. The name Cathy Glass is a pseudonym. Cathy has written 16 books, including bestselling memoirs Cut, Hidden and Mummy Told Me Not To Tell.
She is the author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Damaged. Cathy Glass’s book ‘Mummy Told Me Not to Tell’ was a Sunday Times bestseller. Her extraordinary career as both a foster carer and a memoirist has given her an unmatched ability to tell the stories of vulnerable children with both honesty and deep compassion. No One to Miss Me is her most powerful and personal book yet.
“Can Cathy help troubled Lily sort her life out and piece together the truth? Late on Boxing Day night Cathy hears a strange noise outside her house.” — No One to Miss Me
Book Summary — What is No One to Miss Me About?
Late on Boxing Day night Cathy hears a strange noise outside her house. She is in bed and gets up and looks out of the window but she can’t see anyone. She goes downstairs and gingerly opens the front door to find a teenager huddled in her porch. ‘I’m Lily,’ the girl says, her teeth chattering from the cold. ‘I stayed here years ago for two weeks.’ Cathy is dumbstruck and stares at her in utter disbelief.
And so begins Lily’s story which is far from easy to tell. She has fallen through the cracks in the social care system and has ended up on a virtual stranger’s doorstep in the middle of the night. What was Cathy to do with her? She hadn’t a clue, but then Lily shares a secret and Cathy tries to help her as best she can.
But Lily is no longer the vulnerable child Cathy once knew. Withdrawn and on edge, she has nowhere else to turn — and it soon becomes clear she is hiding something far more serious than she first admits. Can Cathy reach her in time, or has Lily’s past already caught up with her?
What unfolds is a deeply moving story about a young woman who has been failed by every system that was supposed to protect her — and one extraordinary foster carer who refuses to give up on her. No One to Miss Me is a book about the invisible children who slip through the cracks, and the determined, compassionate people who refuse to let them disappear entirely.
Main Characters
Cathy Glass — The Foster Carer
One of the most remarkable women in British memoir writing — a foster carer for over 30 years who has opened her home and her heart to more than 150 children. When Lily appears on her doorstep on Boxing Day night, Cathy’s instinct to help — even without any official framework, even with no idea what she is getting into — is a testament to everything that makes her extraordinary.
Lily — The Lost Girl
A teenager who has fallen through every crack the social care system could offer — ending up on a near-stranger’s doorstep in the middle of a cold Boxing Day night with nowhere else to turn. Lily is withdrawn, guarded, and hiding a secret that will break your heart when it is finally revealed. Her story is a damning indictment of a system that too often fails the most vulnerable.
5 Reasons No One to Miss Me is a Must Read
1. A True Story — Every Word Really Happened
Unlike fiction, No One to Miss Me is a true account of real events — which makes every moment of Lily’s story all the more powerful and all the more heartbreaking. Cathy Glass does not dramatize or sensationalize — she simply tells the truth, with compassion and clarity. And the truth, as always, is more devastating than anything fiction could invent.
2. The Boxing Day Opening — Instantly Gripping
There are few more compelling opening images in memoir than a teenager shivering on a doorstep in the middle of Boxing Day night — and Cathy Glass makes the most of it. From the very first page, you are completely invested in Lily and desperate to know her story. This is memoir writing at its most immediately gripping.
3. A Damning Portrait of the Social Care System
Lily’s story — a girl who has fallen through every crack in the system — is an important and urgent portrait of how the UK social care system fails its most vulnerable young people. Cathy Glass tells this story without anger or sensationalism, but the indictment is clear — and it is impossible to read without feeling the weight of it.
4. Cathy Glass — A True British Hero
Over 30 years of fostering. More than 150 children welcomed into her home. Cathy Glass is one of the most remarkable people in British public life — and No One to Miss Me shows us exactly why. Her patient, determined, unconditional love for a girl she barely knows is genuinely inspiring.
5. Perfect for Fans of Cathy Glass & Fostering Memoirs
Perfect for fans of Cathy Glass, especially readers of Hidden, Mummy Told Me Not to Tell and Helpless. If you have already discovered Cathy Glass’s extraordinary memoir writing, No One to Miss Me is essential reading. And if this is your first time — welcome to a body of work that is among the most important in British non-fiction.
What I Loved & What Could Be Better
What I Loved
- Gripping Boxing Day opening
- Lily — unforgettable character
- True story — every word real
- Cathy’s compassion is inspiring
- Important social care message
- Hopeful and life-affirming ending
Minor Issues
- Very emotionally heavy
- Trigger warnings needed
- Not for light reading
Trigger Warnings
No One to Miss Me deals with child neglect, the failures of the social care system, and the traumatic experiences of vulnerable young people. Please be aware of these themes before beginning the book.
Who Should Read No One to Miss Me?
- Fans of Cathy Glass’s previous fostering memoirs
- Readers who loved Hidden and Mummy Told Me Not to Tell
- Anyone interested in fostering and social care
- Readers who enjoy powerful true stories
- Anyone who cares about vulnerable children and young people
- Fans of Casey Watson and Maggie Hartley foster care memoirs
My Final Rating
5 out of 5 — Heartbreaking, important and ultimately hopeful. Cathy Glass at her very best.
Final Verdict — Is No One to Miss Me Worth Reading?
Without any question — yes. No One to Miss Me is Cathy Glass at her most powerful — a true story that is both deeply personal and urgently important. Lily’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of how easily vulnerable young people can slip through the cracks of systems designed to protect them — and Cathy’s response to finding her shivering on that Boxing Day doorstep is a testament to what one compassionate, determined person can do.
This is not comfortable reading. Lily’s story will make you angry, sad, and deeply moved in equal measure. But it is also, ultimately, a story about hope — about the difference one person can make to a life that feels utterly without hope. Cathy Glass’s extraordinary humanity shines through every page.
If you have never read Cathy Glass before, No One to Miss Me is a perfect introduction to one of the most important writers working in British non-fiction today. And if you are already a fan — this is essential, unmissable reading. Pre-order your copy today.
Ready to Read No One to Miss Me?
Get your copy of Cathy Glass’s powerful true story — available September 10, 2026 on Amazon.
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