So, yesterday was the official kick-off of the Keep Portland Weird festival here in Paris, which meant that I had a reading/screening in the...
Continue »
I found the book compelling reading into the "street family" the author investigates. There is some strong journalism/reporting here, and I think it is important to question the efficacy of agencies that help homeless youth. Such discussions are important. On the other hand, the book loses credibility once Denfield assumes an argumentative stance and strays from reporting. Her conclusions rest on a hasty generalization. The "street family" she describes is an extreme example of such social units. One could argue reasonably that this was a "street family" only because it was self-described as such by it's members, and this is where the author is led (and leads her audience) astray. In the end, she doesn't do enough homework to merit taking her conclusions seriously, which is too bad. A look into a horrible tragedy that befell a vulnerable girl with special needs is the true heart of the story and the author seems to lose sight of both her subject and context. Sadly, we end up with a sensationalized rendering of reality and with lots of blood driping. Read her book with a decerning eye.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
Evan50 has commented on (1) product.
All God's Children: Inside the Dark and Violent World of Street Families by Rene Denfeld
Evan50, March 23, 2010
I found the book compelling reading into the "street family" the author investigates. There is some strong journalism/reporting here, and I think it is important to question the efficacy of agencies that help homeless youth. Such discussions are important. On the other hand, the book loses credibility once Denfield assumes an argumentative stance and strays from reporting. Her conclusions rest on a hasty generalization. The "street family" she describes is an extreme example of such social units. One could argue reasonably that this was a "street family" only because it was self-described as such by it's members, and this is where the author is led (and leads her audience) astray. In the end, she doesn't do enough homework to merit taking her conclusions seriously, which is too bad. A look into a horrible tragedy that befell a vulnerable girl with special needs is the true heart of the story and the author seems to lose sight of both her subject and context. Sadly, we end up with a sensationalized rendering of reality and with lots of blood driping. Read her book with a decerning eye.(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)