Regina Calcaterra Etched in Sand

Last updated: January 8, 2024


In "Etched in Sand," Regina Calcaterra recounts her brutal and often abusive childhood and how its impacted her in adulthood. Readers won't be able to help but be moved by Calcaterra's emotional story. Her novel also contains some invaluable empowerment messages about children in the foster system.

Regina Calcaterra Etched in Sand

We looked at the top Biography & History Books and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Biography & History Book you should buy.

Product Details

In our analysis of 42 expert reviews, the Regina Calcaterra Etched in Sand placed 4th when we looked at the top 10 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

In this story of perseverance in the face of adversity, Regina Calcaterra recounts her childhood in foster care and on the streets—and how she and her savvy crew of homeless siblings managed to survive years of homelessness, abandonment, and abuse Regina Calcaterra’s emotionally powerful memoir reveals how she endured a series of foster homes and intermittent homelessness in the shadow of the Hamptons, and how she rose above her past while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together. Beautifully written and heartbreakingly honest, Etched in Sand 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.

Expert Reviews


What reviewers liked

Calcaterra narrates her story in the present tense, which adds a painful immediacy and urgency to an already gut-wrenching account.
This true story of a woman surviving domestic abuse as a child, emancipating herself as a teenager, and then becoming a successful attorney is courageous and fascinating, written with a descriptive restraint that recalls moments of tragedy and perseverance with simplicity and subtlety.
It’s heartbreaking and unimaginable that an human being could treat another in such a vile way, but Regina and her siblings are an amazing story of a family who does its best to look out for each other, individuals who pursue their own paths to a happier life and one woman who works hard to become a part of the system that failed her as a child, empowered to make the changes needed so that future foster kids don’t have to suffer the way she did.
View our Biography & History Book buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

From our partners