Troubled

A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class

By: Rob Henderson

Narrated by: Rob Henderson

Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

In this raw coming-of-age memoir, in the vein of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, The Other Wes Moore, and Someone Has Led This Child to Believe, Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities, and pioneering the concept of “luxury beliefs”—ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class while inflicting costs on the less fortunate.

Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. Divorce, tragedy, poverty, and violence marked his adolescent and teen years, propelling Henderson to join the military upon completing high school.

An unflinching portrait of shattered families, desperation, and determination, Troubled recounts Henderson’s expectation-defying young life and juxtaposes his story with those of his friends who wound up incarcerated or killed. He retreads the steps and missteps he took to escape the drama and disorder of his youth. As he navigates the peaks and valleys of social class, Henderson finds that he remains on the outside looking in. His greatest achievements—a military career, an undergraduate education from Yale, a PhD from Cambridge—feel like hollow measures of success. He argues that stability at home is more important than external accomplishments, and he illustrates the ways the most privileged among us benefit from a set of social standards that actively harm the most vulnerable.

©2024 Rob Henderson (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

A beautiful and important memoir for our times

Well written and well read by the author, Troubled is an excellent memoir and an important testament to the critical role that families play in our broader social challenges.

Wow! This book was a non-stop listen.

I loved this book! It explores personal growth and societal issues in a powerful and thought-provoking way. The author's insights and storytelling kept me engaged throughout, providing a fresh view on overcoming challenges and promoting positive change. I recommend this book to those seeking inspiration and profound insights into personal and societal matters. It's a gem that will linger with you after finishing the final page.

Captivating

Clear-headed, captivating, and thought provoking. Great commentary on elite school thinking. Highly enjoyable read.

An unforgettable read - a MUST for any parents or teachers

Incredible story and insight. I can’t remember the last time I read a book this meaningful.

Worth your time

The story Rob tells here was very captivating. I remember knowing some kids who were in the foster care system when I was growing up. I didn't quite realize what it might be like to be in their shoes. The insights he has gained from his upbringing and education are very valuable. I really appreciate the effort that went into sharing them with us. I'm sure most others will too.

Gripping and Elucidating Journey

Henderson brings the reader along on the soul bearing journey of his life. In relating the tragedies and people/facts, Troubled examines the current Foster Care system’s flawed design which primarily benefits bureaucrats and many exploitive “parents”.

The authors time at Yale and the observation of the passive-aggressive game of public “virtue” for personal gain was insightful. This helped me understand why so many of our institutions are failing as they are led by many self-serving, low-character Ivy grads devoid of real world life experiences.

This book also changed my concept of child development by exploring how chaos/trauma at a young age can make it almost statistically impossible to become a self-sufficient, high contributor to strengthen our society.

Grateful for the authors self-reflective life story that inspired an examination my own..

A Story of Struggle, Inspiration and Luxury Belief Lies

The sad outcomes to the struggling personal life stories of many of Rob's friends reveal the need for improvement to our foster system, yes. But the abandonment of beneficial, traditional social structures and its effects also needs continued analysis. Rob's analysis of "luxury beliefs" is an eye opening exposé of one telling source of hypocrisy and damaging lies that undermine possible solutions.

I grew up with anger and pain.

Even though our upbringing was different the trauma that stays with us shapes us into people we at one point don’t want to be. There’s a lot of anecdotes but more importantly, feeling unloved and not good enough is pain. Currently I’m dealing with my trauma while my mother is slowly passing away in a hospital. This book by Dr. Henderson gives me hope that’ll even though I have no support system currently in my life, I’ll be okay.

Proof that nobody is doomed to victimhood

There are not many stories that would overshadow Rob's in terms of an inevitable screw up. However, I love that he pulled himself up by the bootstraps and refused to be labeled by his circumstances. A powerful lesson for us all.

An Insightful Memoir

His story is the story of many neglected and abandoned kids in this country. But what makes this more than a memoir is his realization that the classic values of honoring the two-parent family, now being pushed aside by those in those families, are that which will most offer children stability.