James Balestrieri

Alina's Story: Learning How to Trust, Heal, and Hope (The Orp Library) James Balestrieri

Based on dozens of intensive interviews with parents, clinical psychologists, teachers, therapists, and more, Alina's Story shows the journey of Alina, a little girl adopted from Russia. After living in an orphanage during her early life, Alina is confused and scared by the outside world. There are so many people, so much noise . . . Her new family loves her, but Alina finds it hard to trust them. What if they hurt her? Or go away and leave her alone? It is hard for Alina to talk about her feelings, so when she is upset or worried, she throws big tantrums that scare her family. Luckily, her mama and papa won't give up on helping Alina. They take her to nice doctors and finally a special school so that Alina can learn new skills. Slowly, Alina begins to trust other people and gets better at expressing her feelings and solving problems. For the first time in her life, she realizes she is truly safe and loved . . . and she loves her new family in return. This book is part of the ORP Library series of disabilities books.