Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I started reading this book as a reluctant reader, having so many books on my bucket list to read and never wanting to waste my time spending an hour reading something that doesn’t enrich, educate, inspire. Having a preconceived notion about any book I begin to read, this one was no different. Having said that, I’ll start by saying what this book is not: it’s not a casual read about the coming of age of women in a man’s world, or another tale of rags-to-riches. It’s not another story about someone behind the 8 ball who is given a second chance at life. This story will beggar your imagination in an attempt to wrap your mind around how a human being in the 20th century could possibly treat her children the way she did, and how those children could possibly withstand the deprivation and degradation that they were exposed to. I constantly had to remind myself that this was taking place in American and in and around the same neighborhoods I grew up in. I was literally brought to tears to see how these sisters and their brother continually elevated their sibling relationship by loving each other on increasing levels that made me realize what my own sibling relationships had entirely lacked. It revealed with clarity the importance of the teacher in our society, and the now almost extinct neighbor-to-neighbor relationship. If you are a teacher, you need to read this book to renew your acquaintance with the power you have in your sphere of influence. If you are a parent, your parenting will change for the better – no doubt. If you are a social worker, for god sakes, please read this book. In fact, my suggestion to any and all social work courses and degree programs – make this a mandatory read! The images that I have in my head from reading this book will never go away. This book has so many cogent lessons to teach, so many words of wisdom to inspire….in short, it will change the way you think about children, parents, government bureaucracies, school, neighbors, and the American culture in general.