Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
"Sunshine, you're my baby and I'm your only mother. You must mind the one taking care of you, but she's not your mama." Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent nine years of her life in fourteen different foster homes, living by those words. As her mother spirals out of control, Ashley is left clinging to an unpredictable, dissolving relationship, all the while getting pulled deeper and deeper into the foster care system.
Painful memories of being taken away from her home quickly become consumed by real-life horrors, where Ashley is juggled between caseworkers, shuffled from school to school, and forced to endure manipulative,humiliating treatment from a very abusive foster family. In this inspiring, unforgettable memoir, Ashley finds the courage to succeed - and in doing so, discovers the power of her own voice.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
OUTSTANDING AUTOBIO
Customer Rating:
I AM NOT ONE TO PICK UP AN AUTOBIO, SO I JUST HAD TO WRITE A REVIEW! ASHELY IS AN AMAZING YOUNG LADY THAT TRUIMPHS OVER ALL THE ODDS ONE COULD FACE. WELL WRITTEN AND HEARTFELT! THIS BOOK WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY. THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO SHARE YOUR JOURNEY IN EFFORT TO HELP OTHERS BE MORE COMPASSIONATE TOWARDS THOSE THAT ARE LESS FORTUNATE. ONE SHOULD NEVER TAKE THEIR LOVING FAMILIES FOR GRANTED. ANY MAY YOU TOUCH THOSE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CARE UNCONDITIONALLY. I PRAY FOR YOUR QUEST TO SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT! AND MAY WE NEVER FORGET - HURTING PEOPLE - HURT PEOPLE... ****ASHLEY - YOU WILL BE GIVEN YOUR CROWN OF JEWELS SOME DAY!****
Must read for all involved in foster care and adoption
Customer Rating:
I could not put this book down. This is a story of a young woman's journey though foster care and adoption. Though there are plenty of bad things that happened, this is ultimately the story of resiliency and hope. It depicts the tragedy that can happen when there is no accountability in the foster care system. It is also a tribute to the court appointed volunteers who advocate for the best interest of children within "the system". Even for those (like me) who have worked for years with the Child Welfare system, there is a lot to glean from this sensitive and comprehensive view of foster care and adoption.
A must have book if you are involved with social services or children in the system
Customer Rating:
I have purchased over a dozen copies of this book. I literally give them away to people. Ashley Rhodes-Courter is a success story. Unfortunately not all kids in foster care get to have a success story. Ashley aptly shows the reality of living in foster care in an engaging and spellbinding way. I have adopted 3 children out of foster care, 2 of them older child special needs adoptions with RAD. It is a tough life plan, but so necessary and more importantly, fulfilling. Many people will ask us about our adopted children's stories but we have to always answer, "that is confidential." Ashley provides us with a book that we can give people and say this is what it is like to be an older child waiting in the system for a forever family - and watching "forever" families disrupt. Older child adoptions are NOT easy, but they are worth it. Ashley travels and lectures so keep your eyes open (or check her web-site) and take the opportunity to meet her in person and get your book signed. Don't buy just one copy of this book, buy two and give one to a friend.
True Life Story of A Foster Child
Customer Rating:
When I read the last few chapters of this book I couldn't stop crying. What a wonderfully inspiring true story! Sometimes, dreams do end up coming true, even for foster children.
The first part of the book asks some important questions: what makes someone fit to be a mother - or a substitute mother? Ashley was nurtured and loved by a dysfunctional grandfather and his enabling girlfriend, and actually, that was where she should have stayed. These two people loved her dearly but weren't exactly model citizens; grandpa drank a little bit too much, and did engage in some questionable behavior when he drove drunk with his toddler grandson in the car.
It would have cost taxpayers and society far less if the family had been kept together. I am not an advocate of family reunification programs in general, but in this family's case, the outcome would have most likely been positive. Ashley's mother was incapable of raising her children, but her relatives were far more able, and completely willing to accept the responsibility. And a drunk grandpa would have been paradise compared to the hell that Ashley and her brother Luke endured over the next decade of their lives. They were taken away from their grandfather and placed with abusive foster parents, including one foster mother who punished her wards by making them drink hot sauce.
When Ashley dared to confide in someone about the abuse, she was tagged as a liar and a manipulator. She learned to keep quiet and to silently endure whatever was done to her by her foster parents. Her only savior was her court-appointed CASA advocate, also called a guardian-ad-litem, an unpaid volunteer who represents the best interests of children in foster care. However, there aren't enough advocates to meet the needs of every child, and it was several years before Ashley was assigned a CASA volunteer.
Some parts of Ashley's story may prove difficult to read if you've walked in her shoes and you have unresolved personal issues, abandonment, abuse, etc. Don't expect to get much sleep the night you finish reading this book.
A series of improbable coincidences would lead Ashley out of foster care and orphanages. What happened to her was nothing short of a miracle. She won the foster care child lottery, and was given a second chance at a new life. I highly recommend this book.
A Story of Courage and Hope
Customer Rating:
I real a lot of fiction, and this book was a departure from my usual literary fare. I was not disappointed. I listened to the book on CD during a long drive and was hooked. As a CASA, I understand how the system works, and how often children are under-served. On the flip side, I have encountered wonderful foster/adoptive families who have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of children. This book is refreshingly honest. Ashley Rhodes-Courter is articulate, passionate, and courageous. I recommend this read to everyone.
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