Andrew Bridge's childhood was never stable. His dad was never in the picture, and his young mom, Hope, was so overwhelmed with him when he was little that she sent him to live with her mother in Chicago, while she lived in southern California. Andy loved living with his grandma, and he was happy. Then, when he was five, his mother decided she wanted him back. As much as he adored his grandmother, he was excited about being with his mother. It didn't take long, however, for it to become clear that Hope was not ready to be a mother. In fact, she could barely take care of herself. In only a few years, Andrew is taken into foster care, where he remains until he becomes an adult. Here, he chronicles his rocky time with his mother and subsequent journey through the foster care system.
Andrew has a heartbreaking story, and it's totally inspiring how he came out of his situation and used education to make a better life for himself, and how he works to help foster children now that he's an adult. It's a story that's been told before, but I think it's important for people who have been in these circumstances to tell their stories so the rest of us know what happens to these children. It makes the statistics seem more real. It's not a book that I enjoyed reading--it made me sad--but I am glad I did.
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