A Place Called Home: A Memoir

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David finds hope and opportunities in libraries, schools, and the occasional kind-hearted adult; he harnesses an inner grit to escape the all-too-familiar outcome for a kid like him. He and his two older siblings and his mother are walking around New York City, hungry, not dressed for the weather, with nowhere to sleep. Even tho, like a hallmark movie, some of the dialog was rather cheesy at times, and the bad guy didn't get his comeuppance till the end (literally the last page), it was still a fantastic story that I will gladly take out and read again and again.

Ambroz’s memoir describes his life from age 4 through his twenties, and opens on a freezing winter day. When one trauma recedes, another rolls in, and often there is a relentless sea of adversity to overcome that leaves marks, both physical and psychological scars. One of 450,000 children in foster care, Ambroz managed—with the help of sympathetic supporters and his own fierce determination—to escape the system that threatened to relegate him to the same “slide from poverty to disaster” that dogged his youth.

And then when it was learned that he was gay, he was mistreated not just by his mother, but by those in the school. Since Harland's death, Beth has worked to create a home for Harland's two young children, Cassie and Lucas.

Previously he led Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Television and served as the President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, where he has led the efforts to pass groundbreaking policy, including the Mobility 2035 Plan, Home Sharing Ordinance, Cannabis Regulation, Linkage Fee for affordable housing, Permanent Supportive Housing Ordinance, and the Hotel/Motel Conversion Ordnance for homeless housing. Now, afraid of what might happen, she was obeying a note she had received saying she was in danger and must leave town immediately.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Not only was it beautifully and engagingly written, but it was utterly heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. I am very disappointed to hear that she stopped writing novels, because I think even a crappy book written by her is worth reading. Through circumstances she could have done without, but which turn out to be a blessing in disguise, Christine finds employment and a place to live.