At three years old, Sharonda Rose entered a system that was supposed to protect her. What followed was a childhood marked by separation, fear, and abuse behind closed doors. In A System That Failed, Sharonda shares her deeply personal account of foster care, adoption, and the painful distance between being placed in a home and feeling safe in one. From her earliest memories in Charlottesville, Virginia, to the escape that brought her to a hospital, she recounts the experiences of a child struggling to be heard. This first installment is an honest, emotional memoir about childhood trauma, survival, and finding the courage to tell your own story. Contains descriptions of child abuse that may be distressing to some readers.