Synopses & Reviews
In the spirit of
A Child Called "It" comes an amazing story of resilience from a woman who triumphed over child abuse, cancer, and alcoholism to become founder of A Place Called Home. "I began life, it would seem, as some kind of Grimm's fairy tale creature, large and oafish, undesirable, grossly imperfect. Neatly penned in my baby book were the words, 'Debbie was a fat, unattractive baby. 'Fat and ugly aside, my life was fairly normal for a couple of years. It would be a while before the abuse began. Before the smoking and pills, the rage and rebellion, the alcoholism and cancer, the broken marriages.
In those first uncomplicated years I could have set out on any of a dozen different paths toward an orderly life . . . it was not to be. . . . But this is not a story of defeat."
This is a book about surviving. It's about hope. It's about how each of us-ordinary, imperfect, damaged-can dream and heal. This book weaves the humorous, often outrageous, always courageous tapestry of Debrah Constance's life. Voted Woman of the Year by the State of California Legislature for founding A Place Called Home, (APCH) an organization providing services to at-risk inner-city kids in South Los Angeles, she proves that anyone can rise above life's obstacles and make a better life for themselves-and others.
Synopsis
- Board of directors of APCH includes Will Smith, Jaida Pinkett Smith, Janet Jackson, Jasmine Guy and Arianna Huffington
About the Author
Debrah Constance founded A Place Called Home in 1993. APCH now offers its youth members many programs including an all-day school in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District; computer lab; music; art; dance; tutoring and mentoring. In September of 1996, with a growth in membership to 400, APCH moved to its present location-a 10,000-square-foot facility that serves over 4,000 children. J.I. Kleinberg is a freelance writer whose clients include individuals and corporations in the travel, healthcare, and design/print industries as well as a wide range of other businesses.