As recently as 1874, no laws yet existed in this country for the protection of children. In New York of the same year, it was the widely publicized case of Mary Ellen Wilson-a nine-year-old girl who had been a prisoner in her tenement home, enduring unimaginable cruelty-that was the first to draw national and worldwide attention to both the social issue of child abuse and to the notion that children are entitled to humane treatment. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) founder Henry Bergh and his attorney, Elbridge T. Gerry, intervened on behalf of the abused little girl. Following this case, the first child protection agency was founded: the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. This examination of the child abuse case begins with a look at Mary Ellen Wilson's life and provides background on the events surrounding the case. It draws upon-and reproduces within the text-numerous primary sources. Mary Ellen's famous court testimony, queries urging Henry Bergh's ASPCA to continue work on behalf of children, articles describing the courtroom scene, pleas from Mary Ellen's family appealing for her custody and published documentation of the trial itself are all offered here for the first time. The extensive amounts of newspaper coverage, family letters, judicial orders and court transcripts presented in this work chronicle the historical case and its effects which have since provided hope for millions of abused and neglected children. The authors also wrote a novelized version of the story entitled "Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson." (Dolphin Moon, 1999)

In 1874, an amazing event took place. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) initiated the rescue of a severely abused child named Mary Ellen Wilson. Little Mary Ellen as she became known, was beaten, burned, and slashed with scissors, her brutal adoptive mother, Mary Connolly locking her indoors for over 7 years. Her rescue initiated the beginning of true child protection in this country, and eventually, the first child protection agency in America was formed, The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) Still in existence today, it is a testement to what caring individuals can do to change the world. Written in a dramatic format, it tells the story of Mary Ellen from her birth to her eventual rescue. This remains the only book on this fascinating case.

In New York City back in April of 1874, a most unusual event took place. A severely abused nine-year-old girl named Mary Ellen Wilson became the first child in America to be rescued from an abusive home. She had been beaten, burned, slashed with scissors, locked in a closet, and had never been outside of her tenement home in over 7 years. Thanks to the concern and dedication of a missionary named Etta Wheeler, the child was finally saved from her cruel captors. Henry Bergh's ASPCA -- yes, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals -- was instrumental in securing her rescue. When no other agencies would become involved, the ASPCA used its power and influence to not only save Mary Ellen, but to charter the first organization of its kind to prevent cruelty to children, the NYSPCC -- the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. This book remains the ONLY book that tells the dramatic story of Mary Ellen's life and rescue.

Some believe time is a curve. The days behind us fall from view as we move forward, rounding the bend to discover what lies in store for us next. Nothing is gone ... it's merely back there, accessible again if we only knew how to reverse course. Others believe that time is a straight line that is obliterated as our present is created, existing only in our memories ... gone forever, never to be seen or heard from again. Luke McCabe wishes the latter were true. He really does. He never wanted to be a serial killer. He never wanted to be The Cowboy. Take a ride in Luke's restored, 1958 Cadillac Sixty Special Fleetwood. Buckle in and feel the desert ground beneath your wheels. Only then will you be fully equipped with the knowledge to decide how time really unfolds. One recommendation: The Cadillac named Adeline holds dark secrets ... stay clear of her trunk. "This book brings to mind Patterson, Iris Johansen, even Jeffrey Deaver. Shelman's works are just as good in my non-professional, yet well read opinion." Avid Amazon.com Reader

A STORM IS BREWING ... Some of our old friends have returned home safely, to be with the ones they love and trust. Even as their warm greetings of welcome are offered, another threat brews on the horizon. It enters their home in the form of a little girl. What the child visitor carries within her is an adversary as single-minded and deadly as the zombie hordes themselves. It is known to have existed over 350 years, and it takes life without consideration of age or innocence. At the same time, another female child, unable to quell her siren call, beckons the Mothers. They, in turn, gather the Hungerers to follow. Join our family of survivors once again, and prepare to brace yourself against the storm's onslaught.