A Place Called Home
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4.9 • 21 Ratings
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
This memoir that "will take your breath away" chronicles a harrowing journey through homelessness and poverty in New York City, followed by a turbulent experience in foster care (Jeanette Walls, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle).
This powerful memoir exposes the harsh realities faced by countless children living in poverty and highlights Ambroz's extraordinary resilience and transformation. As young children, David and his siblings should have been focused on school, but instead they wandered the streets searching for shelter, food, and warmth while their mother struggled with mental illness. When David is placed into foster care, he initially sees it as a beacon of hope, only to find that it brings its own set of dangers. Shuffled between abusive homes and enduring the cruelty of those who rejected him for his emerging sexuality, David's experience paints a stark picture of systemic failure. Amid the turmoil, David found refuge and hope in libraries, schools, and the kindness of a few compassionate adults. His unyielding determination and resilience earned him a scholarship to Vassar College, marking the beginning of his escape from poverty. He later graduated from UCLA Law with a mission to reform laws impacting children in poverty.
A Place Called Home is a poignant journey from despair to hope. It is both a gripping personal story and a compelling call to action, urging readers to move beyond sympathy and advocate for meaningful change.
Customer Reviews
Beautifully impacting so many!
I am in awe after listening to this audiobook. I am excitedly amazed how brave David was to be so vulnerable with his experiences. I have worked in many social service positions for 10+ years and I feel I have made a few impacts in many lives but not to the extent of David. I have been inspired and encouraged to work that much more to be a part of the improvement for OUR LGBTQIA+ youth. I appreciate you David and hope to one day have the honor of meeting you!
A Place Called Home
Dear author,
I am intrigued to listen to your story and your thoughts regarding the foster care system. I also have strong feelings about how the system is run and improvements that are crucial for the children who have the unfortunate experience of becoming a product of the system. My personal experience is not the typical story you hear and has provided me with a unique perspective on flaws in the system that may be invisible to others. Despite not having any previous encounters with CPS, my son was removed from my home at age 15. Like many families with teenagers this age, my son’s teenage years were challenging, and our once peaceful home felt more like the operation headquarters for terrorist negotiations. I should have handled things differently and will not claim to be a perfect parent. However, the manner in which CPS handled our case was a tragedy in itself, and in the end, my son got exactly what he wanted. He was placed in the home of a very close family member, but not actual family. Our case worker lied and filled out all documents stating he had been placed with an actual family member. I was unfamiliar with the system and thought nothing of it at the time. At some point during the case, this “family member” went through the necessary requirements to become a foster parent. -which btw were an absolute joke in my opinion
Thus, my son was “in the foster care system” when he turned 16 and therefore qualified for all kinds of financial benefits- including college tuition. I strongly felt that the financial assistance set in place for children who have grown up in the foster care system was meant for exactly that. -children who have spent the majority of their life in and out of the system, who didn’t have parents that were financially capable of paying for their child’s college education, and for children who never dreamed they would have the opportunity- My son did not face any of these challenges, and yet “the system” is currently paying his college tuition along with many other expenses. I tried to bring this to his attention, as well as the attention of our case worker, his foster mom (aka “family member”) he was placed with, and our family therapist. Our family therapist was the only person I spoke to about my feelings that showed any type of concern herself that the there was a flaw in the system that was obviously being exploited. She encouraged me to try talking to my son and his “foster mom” about it. She said just because he “qualifies” for the financial benefits available, did not mean he HAD to use them. This made me feel somewhat better- until I was told by my son’s “foster mom” that she thought he “deserved it.” I tried to raise my son with a sense of strong moral values, and this goes against everything I hoped to instill in him. The exploitation of the allocation of the funds available for children who are true products of the foster care system is no different than stealing food stamps. I hope this review will reach someone who has the appropriate platform to bring this to the attention of those necessary in order for change to happen.
Powerful and a must read!!
David Ambroz has written a moving book about his life, shedding light on the issues of poverty, mental health, the foster system and how being a member of the LGBTQ+ community exacerbated them all. This memoir is a wonderful balance of critical analysis of systems that fail children struggling in the US, while educating the reader as to ways these systems could realistically change and be made better. This is not a political rant but a touching story challenging us to re-examine how we treat the poor and those placed in the foster system. As a teacher it has given me a lot to think about regarding both how students and parents are treated. Highly recommend it to everyone.