Hope's Boy | 
 enlarge | Author: Andrew Bridge
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: EBooks
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $7.96 (44%)
Rating:  53 reviews
Sales Rank: 3776
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.733092
Publication Date: February 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
At 7-years-old, Andrew Bridge was forced into foster care after authorities declared his mother Hope unfit to raise him. Barely an adult herself and with little money, Hope's mental instability made for an unsound and unpredictable home environment -- yet regardless of her illness, the deep and impenetrable love she shared with her son was the one thing they both clinged to. Andrew had to literally be pulled from his mother's arms -- a nightmare immensely painful, as there was nothing they both wanted more than to just be with each other. Though he had not desired or sought escape from the home he had known, the reprieve that foster care was intended to be for Andrew was no such thing -- it was a cruel and loveless environment, and without his mother, he felt more lost and alone than ever. Andrew endured 11 years in foster care -- an unfortunate irony, as he wasn't provided with any care at all. The abuse he suffered at the hands of the very adults designated to offer him a better life tried and tested his faith and confidence day after day. With all odds working against him, Andrew discovered that success in academia would bring him the escape he needed from the constant hell of his foster home, and he resisted any urges to run away or give up. The HOPE he never let go of and his relentless hard work through his teenage years ultimately earned him a scholarship to Wesleyan, followed by a law degree from Harvard.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 48 more reviews...
 An Amazing Story September 27, 2008
Lori Paris (California)
I am a fan of PBS, particularly Tavis Smiley. It was on Tavis' show that I listened to Andrew Bridge talk about his story and his book. His comments were so genuine, so heartfelt, I couldn't get him out of my mind. Although I don't normally read memoirs, I knew I wanted to read his book.
I don't know much about foster care, but I do know about being adopted back when records were sealed and information was hidden. I suspected there may be some shared experiences and feelings between the two, and I was right. As I read Bridge's account, I was moved to tears many times when he said that he never forgot his mother and he never stopped loving her. He writes with such depth and feeling, but also with such simplicity and honesty about growing up in a foster family that may have shared space, but never shared love.
His story is one of triumph, over his circumstances, and over an uncaring system. He is now an advocate for children and for change, and I believe is a remarkable writer and human being. I could not recommend this book any higher, it is a masterpiece.
Terrific book that is hard to put down! September 11, 2008
happy listener
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A wonderfully written book. I could hardly put it down. I enjoyed the book from the beginning until the end. This book has a message that isn't only about foster children, I think seniors should take heart. As I read the book I started to realize that my 90 year old mother who passed away last year experienced similar treatment by the social worker profession and it was a great challenge for me to deal with them over my mother's care. I think this book should not only be read by those interested in a very good read, or about by those who want to understand the plight of foster children, but also should be read by children of advanced age seniors to see how the social worker group functions.
A must read!
 Interesting book but also raises some questions abouth author September 6, 2008
sarah (kansas city)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book was very interesting, and it was fascinating to learn more about foster care and the perspective of the foster child. What disturbed me, however, was the author's absolute lack of appreciation and/or affection for the foster parents who provided him a home for 11 years. They may have been eccentric, and may not have been ideal, but he doesn't suggest that they were abusive. They could have been more loving and more interested, but there was still good about these people that he never acknowledges. Ms. Leonard was a Holocaust survivor, and he talks about how she buries her pain with food. He also discusses how ill treated she is when she leaves the house. Yet Ms. Leonard still does so to attend his 6th grade graduation, where she is subsequently made fun of. Why is it that he can forgive all of Hope's many transgressions, including using her 5 yr. old to commit a robbery, but have no empathy for Ms. Leonard? The Leonards provided him a stable home with his basic needs met for over a decade- that was admirable and generous on their part. Someone should give them credit for it.
perfect selection and service August 30, 2008
Marianne Marra (Selden, NY)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
HOPE'S BOY arrived in a timely manner and was in perfect condition when it arrived. I recommend this book and mine!
 A voice of quiet perseverance against all odds August 20, 2008
Joanna Mechlinski (CT, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Altogether, Andy only had two short years of his childhood with his beloved mother. As Hope had married and divorced at a very young age, Andy spent his early childhood in Chicago with his grandmother Kate. She relinquished him reluctantly to his mother's care in California -- a move that proved disastrous.
Not only did Hope struggle with poverty and single-parenthood, she also began showing clear signs of mental illness. By the time Andy was seven, he found himself torn from both mother and grandmother, and stuck within the foster system.
Unlike many other children, Andy at least was fortunate enough to stay with the same family for the next decade. Many other foster children came and went, yet Andy was never sent away, much to his confusion. His foster mother, especially, was a bully, who threatened and emotionally abused all the children in the household -- including her biological ones -- and made Andy's day to day survival a nightmare.
Yet somehow, the boy managed to hold on until he turned 18. An excellent student, Andy won a scholarship to college and is now involved with legal issues for foster children.
Bridge's life is quietly motivating, clear proof of what a person can do and what he can overcome if only he is persistent and optimistic. He is an inspiration to us all.
|
|
|