Helpful Score: 1
A fantastic book! Terribly insightful - the children that need the system the most are who we fail at protecting.
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Hope's Boy
Hope's Boy
Author:
"Critics Choice . . . Shocking, inspiring, unforgettable." — --People magazine "Andrew Bridge has written an affecting, moving memoir which in the end is a poignant cry for rethinking our foster care system. Hope's Boy will stay with you long after you've put it down." — --Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children ... more » and The Other Side of the River From the moment he was born, Andrew Bridge and his mother, Hope, shared a love so deep that it felt like nothing else mattered. Trapped in desperate poverty and confronted with unthinkable tragedies, all Andrew ever wanted was to be with his mom. But as her mental health steadily declined, and with no one else left to care for him, authorities arrived and tore Andrew from his screaming mother's arms. In that moment, the life he knew came crashing down around him. He was only seven years old. Hope was institutionalized, and Andrew was placed in what would be his devastating reality for the next eleven years--foster care. After surviving one of our country's most notorious children's facilities, Andrew was thrust into a savagely loveless foster family that refused to accept him as one of their own. Deprived of the nurturing he needed, Andrew clung to academics and the kindness of teachers. All the while, he refused to surrender the love he held for his mother in his heart. Ultimately, Andrew earned a scholarship to Wesleyan, went on to Harvard Law School, and became a Fulbright Scholar. Andrew has dedicated his life's work to helping children living in poverty and in the foster care system. He defied the staggering odds set against him, and here in this heart-wrenching, brutally honest, and inspirational memoir, he reveals who Hope's boy really is.
Author:
"Critics Choice . . . Shocking, inspiring, unforgettable." — --People magazine "Andrew Bridge has written an affecting, moving memoir which in the end is a poignant cry for rethinking our foster care system. Hope's Boy will stay with you long after you've put it down." — --Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children ... more » and The Other Side of the River From the moment he was born, Andrew Bridge and his mother, Hope, shared a love so deep that it felt like nothing else mattered. Trapped in desperate poverty and confronted with unthinkable tragedies, all Andrew ever wanted was to be with his mom. But as her mental health steadily declined, and with no one else left to care for him, authorities arrived and tore Andrew from his screaming mother's arms. In that moment, the life he knew came crashing down around him. He was only seven years old. Hope was institutionalized, and Andrew was placed in what would be his devastating reality for the next eleven years--foster care. After surviving one of our country's most notorious children's facilities, Andrew was thrust into a savagely loveless foster family that refused to accept him as one of their own. Deprived of the nurturing he needed, Andrew clung to academics and the kindness of teachers. All the while, he refused to surrender the love he held for his mother in his heart. Ultimately, Andrew earned a scholarship to Wesleyan, went on to Harvard Law School, and became a Fulbright Scholar. Andrew has dedicated his life's work to helping children living in poverty and in the foster care system. He defied the staggering odds set against him, and here in this heart-wrenching, brutally honest, and inspirational memoir, he reveals who Hope's boy really is.
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I was expecting so much more from this book based on the reviews and the press I'd read. Even while reading this book, I watched a couple of interviews with the author and found that I liked him very much and wanted to feel more for his story. Perhaps it was because I listened to this book instead of reading it, but it felt very unemotional to me. Of course, I could tell that this was a childhood filled with loneliness and pain, but it did not translate through the writing and certainly not through the monotone narration of the reader of this audio book (David Drummond). I found gaping holes that begged to be filled throughout the story, that never did get reconciled to my satisfaction. I found it a boring and lacking in emotion throughout. This is one of those books I wish I had read instead of listened to. Maybe I'll give it another shot if my pile 'o books ever dwindles.
Not what I expected, but not a bad story. I think he focused a lot on putting down the family who took him in and kept him for his whole time in foster care. Worth the listen.
Interesting, yet boring. This is the story of Andy Bridge's life in foster care. This book was long winded and I found myself ready to be done with it halfway through, but I kept reading to find out what happened to him. I would not read this book again.
Genres:
- Biographies & Memoirs >> General
- Biographies & Memoirs >> Professionals & Academics >> Educators
- Biographies & Memoirs >> Memoirs
