Sep 25, 2007

One Small Boat

The story of a little girl, lost then found
by Kathy Harrison

Kathy Harrison has written two memoirs on her experiences as a foster mother, and this is the second one. The focus is on one girl's troubled past and slow recovery in Harrison's home. There are many other characters each given due attention- the half dozen other foster children, the author's own children, her husband, and various social workers. Harrison is quite blunt about the atrocities suffered by the children before they reach her care, and honest about the failures and successes she faces with them. She explains some of the workings of the social care system, and in the background is her teenage daughter's struggles with newly-diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder. An engaging read, One Small Boat avoids being overly sentimental and comes across as straightforward and candid.

Rating: 4/5               224 pages, 2006

4 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great book. Another one added to my wishlist

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  2. Yes, I'm eager to read her first book, "Another Place at the Table".

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  3. Sounds interesting. I wonder how the kids feel about her writing of their backgrounds so candidly.

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  4. I believe she changed the names of most of the characters, to protect their privacy.

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