Etched in Sand
Regina Calcaterra
16 min
7 Key Points
4.6 RateWhat's inside?
Dive into a heart-wrenching yet inspiring true story of five siblings' resilience and unity as they navigate and overcome a childhood filled with abuse and neglect.
You'll learn
1. Bouncing back from tough times2. Family matters in hard times3. Foster care: the good, the bad, the ugly4. Childhood trauma's lifelong impact5. Healing and forgiving after abuse6. Education: your ticket out of poverty and abuseKey points
01Regina Calcaterra and her siblings had a tough childhood full of abuse
Regina Calcaterra's memoir paints a vivid picture of her and her siblings' childhood, a far cry from the idyllic upbringing one might imagine. Regina, Rosie, Norm, Camille, and Cherie, each born to different fathers, were raised by their mother, Cookie, in Long Island, New York. Their life was anything but stable. Their mother, a fugitive, was always on the run from the law due to her criminal activities. This meant that the kids' living conditions were always in flux. One day they might be in a homeless shelter, the next, they could be sleeping in their car in a random parking lot. The instability was made worse by their mother's lack of affection and care. Cookie was far from the nurturing figure a mother should be. She was often abusive and emotionally distant, her moods swinging wildly from manic highs to extreme lows. She would also vanish for weeks on end, leaving the kids to fend for themselves. Despite these harsh conditions, the three older girls, Regina, Camille, and Cherie, made a pact to do everything they could to keep the siblings together and look out for each other. This commitment was tested time and again, as they faced countless challenges. One such challenge was when they had to move again. They crammed their few belongings into their old, beat-up car and drove across Long Island. The car was in such a sorry state that the doors didn't work, forcing them to climb in and out through the windows. After a long drive through the back streets, they arrived at a house that seemed decent compared to their previous homes. But any hope of stability was quickly shattered when Cookie disappeared again, this time for six weeks. Left to their own devices, the kids had to resort to begging for food, washing cars for money, and doing their best to keep clean. Through this detailed account, you get a glimpse into the harsh realities that Regina Calcaterra and her siblings had to endure. Their story is a testament to their resilience and the strength of sibling bonds in the face of adversity. By the end of the story, you might find yourself appreciating your own family and the love and stability they provide.
02The kids were put into foster care after enduring constant abuse
In "Etched in Sand," Regina Calcaterra shares her heart-wrenching childhood story. The main focus of the tale is how she and her siblings were finally rescued from their abusive home and placed into foster care. Regina's mom, known as Cookie, was a ticking time bomb of a woman, always putting herself first. She didn't hesitate to physically and emotionally harm her kids. Take for example the time when Rosie, the baby of the family, accidentally shattered a glass. Instead of worrying about Rosie's safety, Cookie flew into a rage. She hurled insults at Rosie and even shoved her onto the broken glass. This wasn't a one-off incident, but a snapshot of the daily terror the kids lived in. Most kids feel safe and loved at home, but for Regina and her siblings, home was a place of constant fear. Their bruises and injuries were often spotted by others, like their schoolteacher. But the kids had become experts at making up stories to explain away their wounds, like tripping down the stairs or walking into doors. They did this to avoid drawing attention and risking being split up. One day, Regina came home from school to find a social worker waiting for them. The usual fibs and excuses didn't work this time. The social worker told them they were being taken away from Cookie for their own safety. This was a pivotal moment in their lives, filled with both relief and shame. Even though they lived in an abusive home, Regina felt like she had failed because she couldn't keep her family together. The kids were put into foster care, but there weren't enough homes for all of them, so they were split up. The youngest two, Norm and Rosie, were sent to a different home than Regina and Camille. Their older sister, Cherie, had already left the family home a few months earlier because she was pregnant. In their new homes, Regina and Camille had to deal with the stigma of being foster kids, often seen as 'troublemakers' until they could prove otherwise. In a nutshell, the main focus of the story is how the kids were taken from their abusive home and their experiences in foster care. Despite the trauma and challenges they faced, the siblings' story is one of survival and resilience.
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03Social Services started buying into Cookie's lies
04Regina's dad rejected her again when she tried to reach out
05Rosie's rescue attempt didn't work out
06Regina showed that a foster care background doesn't mean a bleak future
07Conclusion
About Regina Calcaterra
Regina Calcaterra is an American author, attorney, and advocate for foster children. She is best known for her memoir "Etched in Sand," which recounts her abusive childhood and her journey to success. Calcaterra also serves on the board of several non-profit organizations dedicated to helping foster children.
