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53rd out of 301 books
—
274 voters
One Small Boat: The Story of a Little Girl, Lost Then Found
This story of one little girl's journey through our foster-care system forms an intimate portrait of foster care in America and the children whose lives are forever shaped by it.
Augusten Burroughs called Kathy Harrison's memoir Another Place at the Table a "riveting and profoundly moving story of a hero, disguised as an everyday woman." In One Small Boat, Harrison tells...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
April 6th 2006
by Tarcher
(first published 2006)
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Apr 27, 2010
Jessica
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
potential adoptive parents, people interested in foster care
Shelves:
adoption
My friend Nina recommended this book. I always take Nina's recommendations because she reads great books. This was no exception. In general, this is an autobiography of sorts written by a foster-care mother who has provided a safe home for many many kids. It is a quick read, moves really easily through the chapters, the children are portrayed so nicely and it is well written.
I took a few things away from my reading. I learned a lot about foster care and the possibilities of the system. This wom...more
I took a few things away from my reading. I learned a lot about foster care and the possibilities of the system. This wom...more
I hover between thinking this book was just OK and liking it. It is a memoir, so there isn't any particular story to be told through it - though I was expecting there to be. I thought this book would be focused on a little girl and her problems while living with this family. It was about that, but the focus was more on the foster mother and the revolving door of children coming through their home during the time that this little girl also lived there. So, the book wasn't exactly what I expected....more
Wow, another really great book by Kathy. Both of her books were easy reads for me. This book was a little more emotional for me, especially the end and how Kathy dealt with ultimately giving the daughter she hoped to adopt back to her dad. A fascinating look at the world of foster care. Usually you hear about the bad, but you do not hear about the good people who work hard to care for these children. The stories of the children in both of her books were just so heartbreaking, and happy at the sa...more
At first read I liked this a lot. I read it in one day because it was so engaging. The story is just as much about the whole family as it is about the one little girl. It's also a tribute to the foster parents in the USA who change the lives of these children.
But after I gave it a few days to simmer in my unconscious, it seemed a little too self-congratulatory. I hate saying that because this woman IS doing an amazing job (at least so it looks). She's brave to show her fallibility. But I think i...more
But after I gave it a few days to simmer in my unconscious, it seemed a little too self-congratulatory. I hate saying that because this woman IS doing an amazing job (at least so it looks). She's brave to show her fallibility. But I think i...more
Mar 21, 2008
Jessica
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who can handle the heart wrenching topic of children who are found to be unwanted.
Shelves:
adoption-foster-care
I LOVED this book. It was so inspiring. I truly admire this author and her heart. She has figured out the meaning of unconditional love through her actions.
The challenges and special kind of love of foster and adoptive challenges is something very few people outside of the adoptive and foster parent community know much about. I was fortunate enough to begin my career working for an excellent foster care and adoption agency and was able to see again and again examples of the love of foster parents. I was reminded of all those stories with this book and remembering and revisiting my own personal experiences has given me more and more admiration for n...more
This book just hurt my soul, but it was amazing.
A wonderful book written by an amazing woman who with her husband has fostered many, many children and adopted several as well. I am in awe of this woman who has such a heart for the many children that go through the heartbreak of losing their families and growing up in foster care. She concentrates mainly on two girls - one her adopted daughter Karen who develops Tourette's syndrome and the other a litte waif , Daisy, that came to their home with a myriad of diagnosis' and medications and flowe...more
Ever think about becoming a foster parent or legal guardian to a child? This book should be something you read before taking that on. Hopefully it will not talk you out of becoming a foster parent because the book doesn't try to do that. It is utterly truthful on the hardships for the children, social workers, foster & biological families.
At times Kathy Harrison is a little on the sappy side but I like her. She gets shit done. She's an amazing advocate for these children stuck in the system...more
At times Kathy Harrison is a little on the sappy side but I like her. She gets shit done. She's an amazing advocate for these children stuck in the system...more
It seems curmudgeonly of me not to like a book about a kind and dedicated foster mother who takes in damaged children and works tirelessly to heal them, I know. And I do applaud Ms. Harrison for her priceless work as a foster parent, but judging the book and not the person, I have to say eh.
The story is a combo of sticky sweet (watch me make cookies and soup and cookies again and kiss boo-boos and have sensitive heart-to-hearts, not like those BAD mommies) and Law & Order SVU voyeuristic ick...more
The story is a combo of sticky sweet (watch me make cookies and soup and cookies again and kiss boo-boos and have sensitive heart-to-hearts, not like those BAD mommies) and Law & Order SVU voyeuristic ick...more
Very touching account of the lives and events of a family which takes in foster children. It is very similar to Ms. Harrison's first book, which I finished yesterday; it is well written and full of insights into fostering children. Fostering is an important role with few tangible rewards but Ms. Harrison makes it seem like a blessing. And the children. It really does pull at the heartstrings. I'm glad to have read this book but sad to know some of the tragic stories of children that have passed...more
Kathy Harrison, along with her husband and family, has cared for more than 120 foster children. The Harrisons have three biological children and three more that they adopted, yet they still continue to open their home to neglected and abused children. This book is purportedly about one foster child in particular, a little girl named Daisy. But really the book is more about the time in their lives when Daisy was a part of their family, as there is just as much written about the other children as...more
Heartbreaking. Well-written. One of the best memoirs on adoption and foster parenting I have ever read. I haven't read Kathy's other book yet, but after this, I certainly plan on doing so. My heart broke for little Daisy and the other little charges under Kathy's care. Kathy doesn't sugar-coat anything about their special needs, or behaviors, but her narrative has a sweetness to it, and more importantly, a hopefullness. As a social worker I wish every foster parent was another Kathy Harrison.
I've been doing relative foster care for 1 1/2 years and open foster care for 10 months. This book was a great teaching experience and the way it's written makes it so enjoyable to read. I would recommend it for anyone who has a heart for children; whether they are touched by adoption or foster care or considering either.
Our children are our future and will be taking care of us someday. The morals we teach them now will influence how we are taken care of in the future. They should be a priority...more
Our children are our future and will be taking care of us someday. The morals we teach them now will influence how we are taken care of in the future. They should be a priority...more
This was an amazing story from a foster mother. I was both amazed by the strength and love this woman had, and the atrocities she helped children with. It made my heart ache for the children that this is a reality for. I found myself so thankful for the people that are willing to do this. Not only the hard parts of just fostering, but that they put their hearts into these kids that really need to be loved.
I could not put this book down. I read every word of it in about 12 hours ( 7 of which I was sleeping). The mother amazes me with her energy, devotion, openness to challenges. I wish I had it in me to be everything she is to the broken children she so whole heatedly accepts as her own for the short time they live with her. As for daisy, she's a testament that not all bad stories have dismal endings.
This foster mom has such an amazing ability to love and to mother. She also is quite a gifted writer. She portrays the realities of our foster care system and the important job of mothering through the sharing of her family's personal story.
Inspirational.
May I aspire daily to deserve the sentiment of this quote from a child who was in her care. "I remember you. You was nice at me."
Inspirational.
May I aspire daily to deserve the sentiment of this quote from a child who was in her care. "I remember you. You was nice at me."
I loved this book. Kathy did a wonderful job giving me a peek into what it will be like as a foster care parent. She was also filled with wonderful ideas on how to help children. Although a lot of the book was filled with heart wrenching circumstances, it ended good. There's a lot of books out there about the "evil" foster care system, but this book provides a positive outlook.
This was a book that caught my eye at the library. It was a nicely-written memoir about one woman's experience as a foster parent; she writes so lovingly about the children she took care of that it almost convinced me to become a foster parent. At the same time, she is honest enough that I knew it is something I really could not do.
Didn't realize there was a first book, but still was good. "easy" to read in that it is fairly short and well written, I thought. The subject matter isn't so easy but important, anyway. I really admire people that do foster care and do it well. And you gotta admire and feel for the kids who grow up like this, too.
I picked this book up at the library because I was looking for books about foster care. This book was excellent and certainly does not need to be read just because of interest in foster care. It is a great story of hope and love of a little girl who certainly got hurt early on in life.
I almost wish I hadn't read this right on the heels of her other book, because they were quite similar. I enjoyed them both anyway - really this just seemed like a continuation of Another Place at the Table, only more focused on a single child's effect on the family.
The experiences of children in foster care are just so incomprehensible, and the courage and energy it takes to parent them is astronomical.
I really appreciated Harrison's attitude towards bio moms, and that she really did all she...more
The experiences of children in foster care are just so incomprehensible, and the courage and energy it takes to parent them is astronomical.
I really appreciated Harrison's attitude towards bio moms, and that she really did all she...more
This book is about a foster mother's experiences over a 2 year period. It gives insights into the difficulties of being a foster parent to abused kids. Sad sad children and very stressful situations. So hard if you fall in love with a child and have to give them up.
This was a good and interesting book. It was about a woman who provided foster care. It's hard to believe what some of those kids go through and how that woman can handle all those troubled kids in and out of her house all the time.
This is a beautiful book that I would highly recommend to anyone. The truth is that often there is an ugly side to life, but we have a the choice to either dwell in that or to make things better.
I enjoyed reading about this foster parent and how she chose the latter.
It does make you wonder if you have the capability of being a foster parent, I hope some brave souls choose to do so after reading this story!
I enjoyed reading about this foster parent and how she chose the latter.
It does make you wonder if you have the capability of being a foster parent, I hope some brave souls choose to do so after reading this story!
Mar 31, 2008
Anna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who loves children and/or has an interest in the reality of foster care.
Recommended to Anna by:
Loved her first book
Shelves:
adoption
This is an amazing woman. She allows her love to be shared by many children, and she is honest in her description of heart aches and triumphs.
I have been a foster parent and plan on doing so again in the future. Kathy is brutally honest and fair. She doesnt make things look rosy or simple. Loving children and then letting them go is one of the most painfull process' in the world. There are so few us willing to step outside our safety zones and truly care about others. This mother and father real...more
I have been a foster parent and plan on doing so again in the future. Kathy is brutally honest and fair. She doesnt make things look rosy or simple. Loving children and then letting them go is one of the most painfull process' in the world. There are so few us willing to step outside our safety zones and truly care about others. This mother and father real...more
Another intriguing glimpse into the life of a foster mother who had up to ten kids living in her house at any given time. These books offer training unique to any DHS class we've taken so far. Loved this book.
We're a family considering becoming foster or adoptive parents, so this book was *just* what I was looking for to break the ice about what to expect and about some of the very good things that can happen as a result of giving your heart to someone who needs it.
A very touching account of one woman’s experience providing foster care to abused and neglected children. There narrative centers around a child named Daisy who makes a big impact on her foster family and her foster mom, Kathy, in particular. This isn’t an analysis of the nuts and bolts of foster care and adoption nor is it a critique of the foster system. It’s simply a narrative of her day to day dealings with Daisy and her other children and the feelings Kathy experiences as her relationship w...more
Jul 09, 2012
Mellissa Ramirez
added it
One of my all time favorite true stories. It really brings you in to understand what it's like for some foster children, as well as the foster family.
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“Dear God, be good to me. The sea is so wide and my boat is so small. ”
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