Prologue Summary and Analysis

In this brief introduction to the book, Torey Hayden explains her motivation for writing this story. Torey is motivated by a pure love for her students. While most people view her work as frustrating and sad, Torey refuses to pity mentally ill children. Instead, Torey views them with awe for what they can show her. She agrees that her work can be exhausting and that there is often very little reward for all the long hours, but one brief moment of peace, of learning, of understanding, is worth everything that she puts into her students. Rather than view her students as hopeless cases that she must somehow shove through the system, Torey Hayden genuinely cares about these children. Sheila is just one of the many children that have touched Torey's life, but the bond Torey manages to establish with this little...