Title: Breaking Night Pdf A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard
Author: Liz Murray
Published Date: 2011-05-24
Page: 352
"From runaway to Harvard student, Murray tells an engaging, powerfully motivational story about turning her life around.... In this incredible story of true grit, Murray went from feeling like "the world was filled with people who were repulsed by me" to learning to receive the bountiful generosity of strangers who truly cared."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Truly uplifting ... Liz Murray has shown us the worst, and the very best, of America."--Haven Kimmel, author of A Girl Named Zippy and She Got Up Off the Couch"The admirable story of a teen who overcame homelessness through sheer grit and the kindness of friends ... An uplifting story of survival."--Kirkus Reviews"Breaking Night reads more like an adventure story than an addiction-morality tale. It's a white-knuckle account of survival. . . . By age 6, Murray knew how to mainline drugs (though she never took them) and how to care for her strung-out parents. She showed uncanny maturity, even as a child, and later managed to avoid that malady of teenagers and memoir writers, self-pity. . . . Murray's stoicism has been hard-earned; it serves her well as a writer. Breaking Night itself is full of heart, without a sliver of ice, and deeply moving."--The New York Times Book Review"Education was the miracle that saved Murray's life. . . . Her story is inspirational, and her description of [her high school], and its role in her life, should be read by everyone concerned about education."--Washington Post Book World"Liz Murray shows us that the human spirit has infinite ability to grow and can never be limited by circumstance. Breaking Night is a beautifully written, heartfelt memoir that will change the way you look at your community, the obstacles in your own life, and the American Dream. An inspiration; a must-read."--Robert Redford LIZ MURRAY was left homeless at age 15 after her mother's death from AIDS. She fended for herself on the streets, eventually returning to high school. She was accepted into Harvard, where she attended college classes for three years before taking time off to help her father, who died of AIDS. She returned to college, and is now taking graduate courses at Harvard. Liz gives speaking engagements around the country. A movie about her life, Homeless to Harvard, was made by Lifetime in 2003, and airs frequently.
Breaking Night is the stunning memoir of a young woman who at age fifteen was living on the streets, and who eventually made it into Harvard.
Liz Murray was born to loving but drug-addicted parents in the Bronx. In school she was taunted for her dirty clothing and lice-infested hair, eventually skipping so many classes that she was put into a girls' home. At age fifteen, Liz found herself on the streets when her family finally unraveled. She learned to scrape by, foraging for food and riding subways all night to have a warm place to sleep.
When Liz's mother died of AIDS, she decided to take control of her own destiny and go back to high school, often completing her assignments in the hallways and subway stations where she slept. Liz squeezed four years of high school into two, while homeless; won a New York Times scholarship; and made it into the Ivy League. Breaking Night is an unforgettable and beautifully written story of one young woman's indomitable spirit to survive and prevail, against all odds.
beautifully written and inspirational. I downloaded this book to learn more about the homeless culture as a future therapist. I could not have happened upon a more perfect book. Ms. Murray wrote a poignant, detailed, beautiful memoir, often narrating from the perspective of a child with parents addicted to drugs. I feel that I learned more from her memoirs then I ever could from college texts or scholarly articles. She also gives the readers an inspirational true story of triumph and grace over adversity. I was humbled by her compassion(rather than resentment) for her addict parents.Dog stories and drug survivor stories are being over done. Breaking night is the story of a child who survives being rearedby parents who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. I gave the book 4 stars stars because it is good, BUT.....it is no different fromall of the other stories about children, parents and drugs. Theyall are heart breaking. The children suffer and are effected forthe rest of their lives. Also, I find it hard to believe that the stories are not exaggerated. I have to wonder about memoirs,The Glass Castle, even "The Death of Santini"---both, great reading.I reviewed and liked both books. But lets face it,these are writers, story tellers, and they have a story to tell.Liz Murray tells her life story very very well. She writes, the story flowsand the reader is captivated. The first part of the book is betterthan the second, The first is her struggle and the second is her schooling and her success. The book was a compelling read, I liked itand I certainly think Liz is amazing.An Absolute Must-Read: A Story of Hope Amidst Horror Much like "The Glass House" (Jeannette Walls) and "Coming Clean" (Kimberly Rae Miller), "Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard" is a horrific, but incredibly inspiring, true story of how one little girl is emotionally and then physically abandoned by her parents and yet somehow grows up functional--so functional she goes to Harvard. Liz Murray spent more time cutting school than attending classes, doing all she could to get her drug-addicted mother to pay attention to her, surviving without a working shower/bathtub and stealing clothes and food because the family's money was spent on drugs and booze. And somehow social services never intervened until she was 13--even though many of those in authority knew what was going on in the house. I am so impressed with Liz Murray's fortitude and gumption. It would have been so easy to repeat her mother's story; instead, she created her own and it is a truly astounding one. Homeless from the age of 15, she managed to go back to school, graduate, win a New York Times scholarship and go to Harvard. Reading this book will make you both cry and laugh and feel both ashamed and encouraged--but most of all, it will give you hope. We humans are tough cookies!
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