| Hope's Boy |  | Author: Andrew Bridge
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: eBooks
In Stock
Rating:  74 reviews
Sales Rank: 48,688
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.733092
Publication Date: February 5, 2008
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Product Description
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 heartwrenching, brutally honest, and inspirational memoir, he reveals who Hope's boy really is.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 74
 Heartfelt and Inspiring... May 20, 2010
Anna Bedford
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As an educator, this book helped me to truly understand I really do not know the circumstances of a child's home life. Hope's Boy opened my eyes to the foster care system in this country and gave me something to think about...is it always best to take the child from their parent(s)? The love between a parent and child is so strong and Andrew Bridge demonstrates this in his book. He overcame unbelievable odds and is now making a positive impact despite the tragic circumstances of his childhood. Hope's Boy is eye opening and truly heartfelt...a great read.
A Important Book and A Critical Contribution for Everyone May 13, 2010
Mike the Good Read
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have worked within the child welfare system for more than 16 years. Hope's Boy is one of the very best books on child welfare that I have read. Hope's Boy is a modestly written, poignant story of what it means to be a child who lives in poverty, one who loses a parent, one who spends years living in and being utterly dependent on a system that too often fails the children and families that it is intended to serve. The book is a forgiving one. One that calls for change in a broken system but that recognizes the good efforts and good people working within it. Moreover, the book stands on its own as a beautifully written story of love and its endurance. It is a reminder that the bond between mother and child exceed any system and THAT is what makes this book a critical contribution to child welfare and to the larger world. It touched me as it has and will continue to touch so many others. A brave and honest work that deserves recognition and honor just as the families and children in our foster care systems do as well. Thank you, Andy. Thank you to your beautiful, fragile, loving mom, Hope.
A must read, especially for social workers May 11, 2010
Katherine Parke (Raleigh, NC)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I read this book last year, and it has stuck with me. As a social worker who matches foster parents and foster children, this book changed me forever. I recommend it to all my social work interns and colleagues. The work we do impacts children more than we will ever know. A constant battle I face is that time after time I hear children tell me how much they "just want to go home," even when home is somewhere that has caused them great pain. Mr. Bridge's journey reminds us how important the maternal bond is. It is a difficult read. I shed lots of tears, but the message is very powerful.
Inspiring, sad and ultimately hopeful May 11, 2010
Darrell Ruffin
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
It's so easy to think that "everything's OK" when you see young children who appear to fit in, who do well in school, who listen to adults, and who "don't make a fuss." Reading Hope's Boy was an eye-opener; being quiet doesn't mean that everything's OK. Hope's Boy tells a very moving story about a young boy who does everything on the outside to "fit in," and do what others expect - all the while living with the hurt inside about being taken from his mother and not knowing if she's OK. I learned a lot about the foster care system and how what we do in the name of "helping" a child can create its own indelible wounds. A great read.
Required Reading for Foster Care Workers May 9, 2010
M. White (Raleigh, NC)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read this when it first came out, and have returned to it time and time again when working with new social workers. I supervise social workers who work with foster parents, and have made it required reading for everyone. We work to find homes for children, and for children to have safe, caring, competent care in those homes. In addition to doing those things, a foster parent MUST also acknowledge and support the love each child has for their own birth family. Otherwise, the caring, nurturing and competence they provide as a foster parent will be diminished. Help kids grow with ALL the experiences they've had and honor the strengths found in their ties to their birth families. Thanks to the author for telling such a powerful story so beautifully.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 74
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