A Place Called Home

A Memoir

De: David Ambroz

Narrado por: David Ambroz

There are millions of homeless children in America today and in A Place Called Home, award-winning child welfare advocate David Ambroz writes about growing up homeless in New York for eleven years and his subsequent years in foster care, offering a window into what so many kids living in poverty experience every day.

When David and his siblings should be in elementary school, they are instead walking the streets seeking shelter while their mother is battling mental illness. They rest in train stations, 24-hour diners, anywhere that’s warm and dry; they bathe in public restrooms and steal food to quell their hunger. When David is placed in foster care, at first it feels like salvation but soon proves to be just as unsafe. He’s moved from home to home and, in all but one placement, he’s abused. His burgeoning homosexuality makes him an easy target for other’s cruelty.

David finds hope and opportunities in libraries, schools, and the occasional kind-hearted adult; he harnesses an inner grit to escape the all-too-familiar outcome for a kid like him. Through hard work and unwavering resolve, he is able to get a scholarship to Vassar College, his first significant step out of poverty. He later graduates from UCLA Law with a vision of using his degree to change the laws that affect children in poverty.

Told with lyricism and sparkling with warmth, A Place Called Home depicts childhood poverty and homelessness as it is experienced by so many young people who have been systematically overlooked and unprotected. It’s at once a gripping personal account of deprivation—how one boy survived it, and ultimately thrived—and a resounding call for listeners to move from empathy to action.

©2022 David Ambroz (P)2022 Legacy Lit

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A story destined to end in tragedy that magically rewards an indomitable determination to succeed. Beautifully written."—Ted Koppel

important, imersive, incredible

Thank you for sharing your story. You motivate me to try harder for my patients and community. I feel so deeply for the little Hugh. I pray for peace in your soul. I am so proud of what you've become. Thank you for sharing your hope.

To Thrive Despite Adversity

One of the most powerful books I have ever read, this memoir offers an emotional insight into poverty so powerfully that you may have to pause reading it (or listening to it) to fully grasp the depth of feelings and physical pain experienced by the author. Ambroz's desire to get out of poverty gives him a will and a determination very rarely seen, especially when one realizes he could have used anything in his life to justify giving up at an early age. It brings me joy to know he is working to make the foster system a better one so that foster kids can have the brilliant future all of us deserve.

Excellent read

Liked character development, how well it was written and told. Really opened my eyes to issues of foster homes told by someone who experienced it.

Very heart wrenching read, BUT

BUT BUT BUT.... you have to know there are a lot of F bombs dropped in this memoir. I understand why and how, given the story and complexities of poverty in America and his experiences,,,, but I wasn't prepared and truthfully, I wish they could've been bleeped out or done away with those all together. I have pretty hard ears for most profanity, but repeated usage of the F word just gets to me. I'll be sadly, returning this book even though I'm only half way through. It's just one too many

Powerful, vivid and engrossing

This remarkable autobiography, narrated with warmth and energy by the author, is moving and engrossing. Ambroz shares his story (stories) in a way that brings homelessness into focus that you won’t soon forget. Insights on the foster care system and on the challenge of children coping with the unstable adults in their lives help paint a more vivid and realistic picture of the challenges we face in supporting all kids. Told with candor, warmth and honesty.

I’m a frequent doubter when it comes to readers of audio books. They can make or break an experience. Too often the effect is mechanical. David Ambroz is the opposite. I couldn’t have imagined Ed a more effective reader.

Captivating

A remarkable story of triumph in the face of systemic and bureaucratic adversities. Thank you for shining a light on a system that continues to fail the children and families it’s supposed to help.

Absolutely amazing!!!!!!!

Loved everything about the book, the passion, thre resilience, the underline humor to certain parts. And of course his honesty.

Shining a light into the darkness

A Place Called Home is heartbreakingly beautiful and triumphant. Every moment spent in David Ambroz’s world was eye-opening and helped inform me, inspire me, and soften my heart. Thank you, David, for sharing your journey with the world and shining your light in the darkness for those who need it most. Recommending this book to everyone I know.

Re-ignite Your Passion for Advocacy!

This heart-crushing story of unimaginable hardship and system failure was so well organized for the reader to take in. The ending captured the victory of Ambroz overcoming almost insurmountable obstacles in order to graduate college. Ending at this point in his career, Ambroz then challenges the reader to get involved and possibly help other youth on their journey in overcoming the barriers and challenges of poverty, abuse, neglect, and mental illness. I loved practical activities and steps readers can take to help youth achieve success as they transitioned to adulthood. 🙏🏽 Thank you for your story, David.

Inspiring story

This story was very hard to listen to but also inspiring at the same time! David's struggles being homeless and in foster care has opened my eyes to the many problems these kids in the system face.