No Broken Bones is a true story of a little girl who is placed with an emotionally abusive family by an irresponsible children’s agency director and an interfering Indian tribe. The maternal grandmother’s narration follows the battles she and her husband experience as they try to work with child-protection agencies, only to be told the abuse isn’t bad enough.
This is a story for those who have felt the same anger, the same frustration with bureaucrats who are so careful to follow policy that their intended purpose is lost. It is relevant to anyone who has witnessed cases where egos or preconceived notions got in the way of reason, or where victimization was recognized only if it fit the mold.
A pro at the victim game is the other grandmother, who manipulates the baby’s parents and, because she claims a tribal heritage, is given custody. Gail Morellen tells how, amidst the hostility and injustice, she and her husband hang on by remembering their love for their grandchild, their daughter, and for each other.
Besides dealing with authorities who wield power beyond expected abilities and acceptable ethics, the couple is confronted with misapplied laws, prevalent mental illness, false accusations of sexual abuse, and unpredictable courtroom proceedings that produce perplexing results.