Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir by Janice Erlbaum

Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir by Janice Erlbaum

It is simply extraordinary that the author is able to write so dispassionately about her own life.
This is a revealing story about a young girl who made many dramatic choices, and so many of them poor and life altering.

In this coming of age memoir that reads like a novel, Erlbaum relates how she managed to survive in a city filled with temptations and pitfalls. She shares with you the wild ride that took her from her mothers home, through a girls shelter and group home. It is a breathtaking ride through several years filled with drugs, sex and a palpable aloneness.

This is can't put it down read from the author of Have You Found Her. This is actually the beginning of her story, well and simply, if shockingly told. highly recommend this book. Read it, and then read Have You Found Her. You will want to know what happened next.

I look forward to more remarkable stories in the years to come. I suspect that whatever or whoever her subject will be, that they will be revealed in a clear and penetratingly honest way.

The Double Bind: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian

The Double Bind: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian

Bohjalian never disappoints. This is a story of a young woman Laurel Estabrook, who is a social worker in a homeless shelter She has a bond to the broken spirits who end up in her care, because she is a broken spirit herself. She endured an horrific attack one day while still a college student. No one really knows just how broken her spirit is, not even Laurel herself. At least, not until it is brought home to her while doing some research.

A sweet and charming mentally ill man who passed through the shelter and was successfully homed and monitored by Laural and her co-workers passes away. He leaves behind a box of photographs. While browsing through these pictures, Laurel finds clues to her own past, and she becomes consumed with the need to learn more.

Thus begins her journey, a journey that will draw you in, bring you to tears, and come finally to a stunning ending.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

This is an incredible read. From the first sentences the reader is filled with emotion.
Imagine looking out of a taxi window and seeing your mother , your homeless mother, digging through garbage while dressed in rags.

This is a story of a unique family. No, it is the story of a very strange family. A family who for many years lived in hovels and allowed the children to go without food, decent shelter and warm clothing. It tells of the indomitable spirit of these children, and the ways each of them found to survive.

The more I read, the more anger I felt. The most dreadful situations were made light of. The children were neither taught boundaries nor given guidance or support. Somehow they managed to grow and learn and thrive.

Just when you begin to feel as if this family has finally made it, managed to climb their way out and make their way, there is another surprise in store. Was it all necessary? All the hungry nights spent sleeping in boxes, trying to stay warm. Did it have to happen? The answer is found at the end of the story, which is really the beginning in so many ways for this family.

I went from despising the author for leaving her mother to dig through the trash, to understanding her, to admiring her with all of my heart. I suspect that you will too.