"Sunshine, you're my baby and I'm your only mother. You must mind the one taking care of you, but she's not your mama." Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent nine years of her life in fourteen different foster homes, living by those words. As her mother spirals out of control, Ashley is left clinging to an unpredictable, dissolving relationship, all the while getting pulled deeper and deeper into the foster care system.
Painful memories of being taken away from her home quickly become consumed by real-life horrors, where Ashley is juggled between caseworkers, shuffled from school to school, and forced to endure manipulative, humiliating treatment from a very abusive foster family. In this inspiring, unforgettable memoir, Ashley finds the courage to succeed and in doing so, discovers the power of her own voice.
Ashley Rhodes-Courter is triumphant in her quest to overcome insurmountable odds. I celebrate her courage to seek out the best in humanity in spite of its failings."
"Nine years in the foster care system could ruin a kid. But [Ashley Rhodes-Courter] not only survived, she's thrived."
"The author's ability to form intelligent, open-minded conclusions about her traumatic childhood demonstrates her remarkable control and insight."
"Quiet scenes cut deepest: the author's description of her only after-school visit to a friend's home lingers heartbreakingly in one's mind…Moving and eye-opening."
"Nine years in the foster care system could ruin a kid. But [Ashley] not only survived, she's thrived."
"[Rhodes-Courter] gives voice to thousands of children who continue to be abused, abandoned, and ignored, and one hopes her book will make a positive difference in their lives."
"Ashley gives inspiration to troubled youths who feel as if their lives, actions, and ideas don't matter."
