The message of SCARS OF LOVE, TEARS OF HOPE is simple. Become a 'keeper of hope' and change the life of a child forever. SCARS OF LOVE explores the world of education in a surprising new light by using as a back drop the stories of numerous at-risk kids Debbie Goforth has taught and counselled over her 27-year-career by exploring the remarkably effective approach she has developed in giving them hope for their futures. SCARS OF LOVE is based upon eleven attributes that an effective 'keeper of hope' must demonstrate, from being approachable and dependable to creating hopes and dreams and showing compassion. It represents the tools that have helped the author to acknowledge and validate her kids, to make them feel good about themselves and their places in the world, and, most important by far, to show them how much she cares for them as people and individuals, not just as warm bodies.