Read A Chance in the World An Orphan Boy A Mysterious Past and How He Found a Place Called Home Steve Pemberton 9781404183551 Books
Read A Chance in the World An Orphan Boy A Mysterious Past and How He Found a Place Called Home Steve Pemberton 9781404183551 Books
Download As PDF : A Chance in the World An Orphan Boy A Mysterious Past and How He Found a Place Called Home Steve Pemberton 9781404183551 Books
“Pemberton’s beautifully told story is a rags to riches journey—beginning in a place and with a jarring set of experiences that could have destroyed his life. But Steve’s refusal to give in to those forces, and his resolve to create a better life, shows a courage and resilience that is an example for many of us to follow.”
—Stedman Graham, author, educator
Home is the place where our life stories begin.
It is where we are understood, embraced, and accepted. It is a sanctuary of safety and security, a place to which we can always return.
Down in the dank basement, amidst my moldy, hoarded food and beloved worm-eaten books, I dreamed that my real home, the place where my story had begun, was out there somewhere, and one day I was going to find it.
Taken from his mother at age three, Steve Klakowicz lives a terrifying existence. Caught in the clutches of a cruel foster family and subjected to constant abuse, Steve finds his only refuge in a box of books given to him by a kind stranger. In these books, he discovers new worlds he can only imagine and begins to hope that one day he might have a different life?that one day he will find his true home.
A fair-complexioned boy with blue eyes, a curly Afro, and a Polish last name, he is determined to unravel the mystery of his origins and find his birth family. Armed with just a single clue, Steve embarks on an extraordinary quest for his identity, only to find that nothing is as it appears.
A Chance in the World is the astonishing true story of a boy destined to become a man of resilience, determination, and vision. Through it all, Steve’s story teaches us that no matter how broken our past, no matter how great our misfortunes, we have it in us to create a new beginning and to build a place where love awaits.
Read A Chance in the World An Orphan Boy A Mysterious Past and How He Found a Place Called Home Steve Pemberton 9781404183551 Books
"A Chance In The World by Steve Pemberton just breaks your heart. This true story of a child betrayed by all the people and forces put in place to help him, is a sad commentary on the foster care system. By his own resiliency and fortitude Steve survived, what can only be called a living hell. He did find some along the way to keep a glimmer of hope alive that someday, somewhere there would be a life for him, thank God for those few folks.
There is somewhat of a parallel of this story and that of Antwon's Fisher's, as told in "Finding Fish", especially of the father's family. Both Steve and Antwone were raised within blocks of their father's relatives (who would have rescued the child) yet never knew until adulthood. This is a book I highly recommend and feel it should be required reading for all who work in the foster care system."
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A Chance in the World An Orphan Boy A Mysterious Past and How He Found a Place Called Home Steve Pemberton 9781404183551 Books Reviews :
A Chance in the World An Orphan Boy A Mysterious Past and How He Found a Place Called Home Steve Pemberton 9781404183551 Books Reviews
- This book has entered my heart, mind and soul. I first read the digital copy of it. Then I purchased the cd's to be able to listen to them in my car. Finally, I decided to purchase the hard copy in order to archive my highlights more permanently.
Having spent time in foster care myself, nothing compared to what Steve Pemberton experienced, I am very familiar with the longing for family. He articulates it so eloquently.
The overriding takeaway in this incredible memoir is RESILIENCE. He searches for his family his entire life, amidst horrible abuse and neglect. He works endlessly to earn his college degree from Boston University. Ultimately, he learns the tragic truth that his parents never chose to fight for him. This news is more devastating to Steve than all the years of the horrible neglect and abuse. Worst still, his mother didn't even mention him in a letter he found years later. She mentioned each of his siblings, but not him. She had omitted him from her mind.
The audio book on cd's is extremely good. It is narrated by Steve Pemberton. I had been concerned when I ordered it that there may be strong language due to the nature of the material. But to my great appreciation, there is not a single word of cursing that I've found. He is so articulate, eloquent, and soft-spoken. It's truly miraculous that he survived his childhood. Even more so that he is a devoted husband and father to his three children.
One note about the digital copy vs. the hard copy this is the first time I've noticed a significant difference in a hard copy verses digital. In the paper book, the epilogue is not included. There are also certain lines/sentences that are either omitted or worded differently. For this reason, I'm grateful to have read the two different copies.
I highly recommend this memoir to anyone, especially survivors of abandonment, foster care, or loss of parents from death. Although my life story is far less tragic, the thoughts and insights he shares have been very helpful in processing it all.
The fact that he writes with such clean language makes this book appropriate for young teens, as well as adults, who might be needing direction and inspiration.
In the final chapter of the book, he is reading to his young son in the early hours on a Saturday morning while the rest of the family is still sleeping. In the middle of the story, his little boy turns abruptly to face his Daddy. (I quote)
"Daddy?" he asks, his eyes searching the ceiling. "When you were a little boy, did you have a daddy?"
I stare at him for a long time. I thought this question would come years from now, perhaps as a final father-son chat before he went off to college. But it was not in the future; It was right here, right now. I had long ago decided that, when the time came, I would tell my children the truth. "No, son," I say softly. "When I was a little boy, I did not have a daddy."
His brow furrowed, little lines of confusion marking his usually serene features. He searches my eyes, looking for an explanation, then looks skyward as he usually does when he is thinking.
Looking up, his troubled eyes now clear, he says, as only a child can say, "Maybe next time you will have a daddy."
(End of quote)
Thank you, Steve Pemberton, for sharing your story of survival, grief, and RESILIENCE. I hope many others will gain as much from it as I have. - A Chance In The World by Steve Pemberton just breaks your heart. This true story of a child betrayed by all the people and forces put in place to help him, is a sad commentary on the foster care system. By his own resiliency and fortitude Steve survived, what can only be called a living hell. He did find some along the way to keep a glimmer of hope alive that someday, somewhere there would be a life for him, thank God for those few folks.
There is somewhat of a parallel of this story and that of Antwon's Fisher's, as told in "Finding Fish", especially of the father's family. Both Steve and Antwone were raised within blocks of their father's relatives (who would have rescued the child) yet never knew until adulthood. This is a book I highly recommend and feel it should be required reading for all who work in the foster care system. - This emotionally gripping story demonstrates the strength and resilience of its author, and gives hope to others who have gone through or are going through such traumas. The brokenness of the foster care system in our country is revealed and perhaps by reading this true account, more people with honest intensions will step up and help the helpless and the victimized children without a voice. Every foster care worker and child services worker should be required to read this book so that they will see the signs so ignored by those in this author's life and in the lives of his siblings and other children.
- I really enjoyed this autobiography of Steve Pemberton. It was so well written and heart wrenching at times. Steve overcame the worst kind of life in foster care and was able to find his family, finish his education, have a wife and family of his own, and mostly give credit to his faith in God. I'm not sure he could write a "sequel", but he is certainly a talented author so maybe he will write about other people who have overcome the odds and have meaningful lives. I hope he does and I'm following him on now.
- This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I don't write reviews, but this book definitely warranted one. It was SO good, I read it during two of my son's high school baseball games, barely looking up to see what was going on. It's very hard to put down, and tears ran down my face numerous times. It's such a powerful book, my words won't do it justice, but having adopted three children (two from foster care) it was extra emotional for me. I recommend EVERYONE read this book.
Thank you, Steve, for writing this book. It broke my heart to read it, especially since my adopted children don't have a "pretty story" surrounding their adoptions, but it was so powerful, it will stick with me for life. I'm just in awe of how resilient the Lord made you! - Bravo, Mr. Pemberton! This book is such a tribute to your courage and resolve. I can understand why so many people are in disbelief that you survived such horrors. This book is as inspiring, as it is haunting. It is beyond shameful that our foster care system was so broken that people could get away with such unspeakable crimes. This leads me to one of my lingering questions has the system improved at all since Mr. Pemberton's experience, and has he personally done any work to improve the situation for these children? During the time at which he endured hardship under his tormenters, it seemed as though there was a tremendous amount of red tape. Despite the very alarming red flags that were made evident throughout his stay with these monsters, it seemed next to impossible that anyone could save him. Had it not been for his determination, it seems unlikely that he would've persevered, since there seemed to be no good end in sight. The author is a tremendous writer and uses beautiful language to convey his thoughts. The quotes that precede each chapter were so pertinent to the content, and so moving. I found myself cheering for him every step of the way.
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