Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island

#1 International Bestseller

Regina’s Calcaterra memoir, Etched in Sand, is an inspiring and triumphant coming-of-age story of tenacity and hope.
 
Regina Calcaterra is a successful lawyer, former New York State official, and foster youth activist. Her painful early life, however, was quite different. Regina and her four siblings survived an abusive and painful childhood only to find themselves faced with the challenges of the foster-care system and intermittent homelessness in the shadows of Manhattan and the Hamptons.
 
A true-life rags-to-riches story, Etched in Sand chronicles Regina’s rising above her past, while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together through it all.
 
Beautifully written, with heartbreaking honesty, this inspiring memoir is an unforgettable reminder that regardless of social status, the American Dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed.

This story of five siblings determined to stay together against all odds explores:

• The Foster Care System: The heartbreaking reality of being a ward of the state, and the constant fight to keep five siblings from being separated.
• Child Abuse Survival: An unflinching account of surviving a profoundly troubled and abusive mother and the intermittent homelessness that followed.
• From Homelessness to Hope: A true rags-to-riches journey from wandering the beaches of Long Island to becoming a successful lawyer and New York State official.
• An Unbreakable Bond: How Regina and her four siblings―Cherie, Camille, Norman, and Rosie―relied on each other as a scrappy pack, creating their own family when no one else would.

Regina Calcaterra is an attorney working for the State of New York. She formerly served as executive director of New York State's Moreland Commission on Utility Storm Preparation and Response by Governor Andrew Cuomo after she assisted in the recovery of Superstorm Sandy in her capacity as chief deputy executive for Suffolk County. She has provided commentary on politics and policy on national and local media outlets since 2000 and is a passionate advocate for the adoption of older foster children.