Tattoo girl

the long version

"Tattoo Girl is an evocative story of perseverance and discovery in the face of insanity and corruption. A young girl is found alone in an Ohio mall long after closing hours, unable to speak, and covered head to foot in fish-scale tattoos. Her identity presents an enigma. She is adopted and named Emma by Lucy, a former circus fat lady. Warned that Emma may be in danger from whoever gave her the mysterious tattoos, Lucy goes in search of Emma's real identity, a quest that leads Lucy to a confrontation with the demons haunting her past.". "Tattoo Girl is the story of a woman and her adopted daughter, who undertake a difficult journey into salvation's dark heart in order to rediscover their identities - identities that were crushed by evil men. By turns surreal, nightmarish, and heartwarming, Tattoo Girl is ultimately an affirmation of the powerful bond between two people overcoming adversity."--BOOK JACKET.