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Letter from Alabama: The Inspiring True Story of Strangers Who Saved a Child and Changed a Family Forever
David’s life could turn out very, very badly. His mother dies suddenly when he is an infant. Then at age two, he is gone. Vanished, with his father, and abandoned in a far-away place.
His future hangs on a Letter from Alabama, a piece of paper that must travel hundreds of miles in an envelope. Then it must land in exactly the right place in a busy office where nobody is under any obligation to read it or pay any attention to it. This is the true story of that letter, and all that will transpire because of it.
It’s the story of human failure, and human triumph. Forgiveness and redemption. It is a testament to, and a prayer of thanks for, good and decent people everywhere who stand up for a child when they don’t have to—when they have nothing to gain and perhaps much to lose.
It’s a tribute to those who see the potential in a young person and give that person a chance to be the best that he or she can be. They are the heroes for whom this story is now committed to writing.
His future hangs on a Letter from Alabama, a piece of paper that must travel hundreds of miles in an envelope. Then it must land in exactly the right place in a busy office where nobody is under any obligation to read it or pay any attention to it. This is the true story of that letter, and all that will transpire because of it.
It’s the story of human failure, and human triumph. Forgiveness and redemption. It is a testament to, and a prayer of thanks for, good and decent people everywhere who stand up for a child when they don’t have to—when they have nothing to gain and perhaps much to lose.
It’s a tribute to those who see the potential in a young person and give that person a chance to be the best that he or she can be. They are the heroes for whom this story is now committed to writing.
212 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2015
142 people are currently reading
4342 people want to read
About the author
David L. Workman
3 books164 followersDavid Workman is an American writer and editor with family roots in the U.K., the Netherlands, Alsace, and Germany, among other places. He was a journalist at several newspapers, then entered public service as communications director for several state agencies in Washington State. He was executive editor of state-published books and websites on natural resources, environment, and social and health services. He operates Workman & Associates, a communications consulting and publishing firm. In 2019, he was an author of "We Are Puget Sound: Discovering & Recovering the Salish Sea," published by Mountaineers Books / Braided River in partnership with the Washington Environmental Council. In 2015, he released “Letter from Alabama: The Inspiring True Story of Strangers Who Saved a Child and Changed a Family Forever.” In 2016, he released "An Author Tells All: Surprises and Revelatons from Publishing My Story."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 25, 2015
I got my heart broken by David Workman. Seriously. This heart-wrenching memoir is a dangerous weapon!
Set in the 1950’s, Letter from Alabama tells the story of a letter sent by a woman to a newspaper in Dayton with a weighty mission – to return a boy to his family. Without any guarantees, she hopes that someone will recognize the boy from her description and get back to her about it. And so David’s adventure begins.
This skillfully written biography covers a lot of subjects, including history, parenting, adoption, and most importantly, the heroism of ordinary people. It tells the story of unconditional love, care, and forgiveness, and of those who aren’t afraid to take a chance for somebody else’s sake. Every page filled me with thrill, and the cry-baby that I am, I had to make a pause sometimes to distract myself from the avalanche of emotions that followed. But there’s another reason why I called this book a weapon – it also has a great inspirational side to it, the side that reminds the reader of what’s important, and that teaches a lot of life lessons.
The tone of the book reminded me of some of my favorite movies: Chocolate, Malena, and Life is Beautiful. Though they have almost nothing in common, plot-wise, they follow the lives of ordinary people – and still result in miracles.
It’s a beautiful, beautiful story, and I recommend it to anyone who doesn’t shy away from simple stories because they often have the most incredible meaning!
I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Set in the 1950’s, Letter from Alabama tells the story of a letter sent by a woman to a newspaper in Dayton with a weighty mission – to return a boy to his family. Without any guarantees, she hopes that someone will recognize the boy from her description and get back to her about it. And so David’s adventure begins.
This skillfully written biography covers a lot of subjects, including history, parenting, adoption, and most importantly, the heroism of ordinary people. It tells the story of unconditional love, care, and forgiveness, and of those who aren’t afraid to take a chance for somebody else’s sake. Every page filled me with thrill, and the cry-baby that I am, I had to make a pause sometimes to distract myself from the avalanche of emotions that followed. But there’s another reason why I called this book a weapon – it also has a great inspirational side to it, the side that reminds the reader of what’s important, and that teaches a lot of life lessons.
The tone of the book reminded me of some of my favorite movies: Chocolate, Malena, and Life is Beautiful. Though they have almost nothing in common, plot-wise, they follow the lives of ordinary people – and still result in miracles.
It’s a beautiful, beautiful story, and I recommend it to anyone who doesn’t shy away from simple stories because they often have the most incredible meaning!
I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2017
Letter from Alabama: A true story of the personal life and upbringing of Mr David L. Workman and his extended family. He wrote his story in the third person, which at first made me think he was writing about someone else in his family. Then, I realized it was his life I was actually reading about.
This is a story of a family that struggled through many hardships and challenges. They did and still do continue to love each other deeply through all.
David worked himself up into becoming a writer and worked for many newspapers, etc. He is an exceptional person. He put lots of research and history of his family and the years growing up with family near and far.
This book was very inspiring to me. The love of family is just wonderful throughout, whether there was a misunderstanding between others at a time or not. Learned a lot from Mr. Workman.
The author sent me a copy of this book and I am grateful that I got to read it. I am also thankful for him sending me a copy.
This is a story of a family that struggled through many hardships and challenges. They did and still do continue to love each other deeply through all.
David worked himself up into becoming a writer and worked for many newspapers, etc. He is an exceptional person. He put lots of research and history of his family and the years growing up with family near and far.
This book was very inspiring to me. The love of family is just wonderful throughout, whether there was a misunderstanding between others at a time or not. Learned a lot from Mr. Workman.
The author sent me a copy of this book and I am grateful that I got to read it. I am also thankful for him sending me a copy.
September 15, 2016
An incredibly well researched memoir, not only about the life of little David but his ancestory stretching back several generations.
The abandonment of the small boy with a paid child minder and the letter she writes to a newspaper in the hope someone will claim the child is heartbreaking. While this event clearly had a profound effect on the child and his family it only takes up a section of the book. As well as getting to know the large extended family the book gave me a great insight into daily life in America in the 1940s - 1960s. As a UK reader about a decade younger than the author I found this very interesting. I really appreciated the inclusion of old family photographs in the text. Elements of the book arguably are of interest only to family and friends but as time marches on this type of memoir does record a slice of life probably very typical of the time and it can be said all families are the same in some respects but at the same time all familes are uniquely different.
I didn't always feel confortable with the style of writing which felt quite distant especially as this is a very personal story. That being said it enabled the author to include a great deal of family history in a concise way. As the author has had a career in journalism I did wonder if the style was a deliberate ploy to distance himself? Either way by the end of the book I did have a sense of the author's personality and why tracing his roots was so important to him.
The abandonment of the small boy with a paid child minder and the letter she writes to a newspaper in the hope someone will claim the child is heartbreaking. While this event clearly had a profound effect on the child and his family it only takes up a section of the book. As well as getting to know the large extended family the book gave me a great insight into daily life in America in the 1940s - 1960s. As a UK reader about a decade younger than the author I found this very interesting. I really appreciated the inclusion of old family photographs in the text. Elements of the book arguably are of interest only to family and friends but as time marches on this type of memoir does record a slice of life probably very typical of the time and it can be said all families are the same in some respects but at the same time all familes are uniquely different.
I didn't always feel confortable with the style of writing which felt quite distant especially as this is a very personal story. That being said it enabled the author to include a great deal of family history in a concise way. As the author has had a career in journalism I did wonder if the style was a deliberate ploy to distance himself? Either way by the end of the book I did have a sense of the author's personality and why tracing his roots was so important to him.
June 10, 2017
David Workman writes about his family. He gives a history of his mother who during her first marriage has three boys. When her first husband leaves her she remarries and has two babies one year apart. David was one of those babies. When his mother dies after giving birth to his one year younger sister. the family is broken apart. His oldest brother Ralph who is about 22 or 23 years older than him places a letter to find David and bring him home. This is a very loving tribute to family and how they stick together during tough times and be there for each other. I will not give too many details of what happened to David's family. I would give this sweet tribute to family a 3.5.
December 14, 2016
I struggled somewhat with this book, but I’d be the first to say that likely has more to do with me than with the writer. The biographical account favors those with a mind for names and dates and faces spanning great periods of time. And people who can hold all that information in their heads as they wait for the various story threads to come together. I can remember no small amount of history books that were force fed me in college that similarly went in one ear and out the next because I couldn’t hold on to information when it was presented like this. But for the right reader, this is clearly a very well-researched, well-organized, and thoroughly thought out exploration of key figures from the author’s past. Figures that were worth knowing.
April 24, 2017
I'm very thankful for receiving a signed copy from David. His story is heartwarming and appears very well researched. I loved that photos were interspersed at important junctures. I look forward to sharing his third person story in our Little Free Library.
May 28, 2015
Reading a novel based on a true story could turn out either really amazingly well (Into the Wild) or very, very bad (well, I don’t want to get into trouble so let’s leave this one to your imagination). David Workman’s richly detailed “Letter From Alabama” fortunately falls into the former type of novelization, and I was very thankful for that discovery.
“Letter From Alabama” is a timeless piece of fiction. Telling the true story of a letter published in a small town newspaper in May 1952, Workman successfully manages to keep a neutral point of view in the often myriad of plot developments that can sometimes be difficult to endure. Tackling the overarching and weighty themes that often are depicted in many modern literary masterpieces, Workman’s weaving of the power of forgiveness and unconditional love of family demonstrates his clear talent of storytelling.
For a story that takes place in the 1950’s the plot is strangely modern in its tone and subject matter. Topical themes such as blended families, broken families, and inspiration are not entirely out of place of the recent best sellers that are based in present-day. Workman’s depiction of a small child who is coming of age is relevant, timely, and timeless. Have you ever gotten tired of reading Catcher in the Rye? Didn’t think so.
There’s always something soothing about hearing and reading about stories that portray a characters maturation into adulthood. Workman cleverly demonstrates the fatalistic and randomness of life. He delves into the chances people sometimes take to help others and further them along on their journey, whatever that may be. We have all known a child like David. In “Letter From Alabama” Mr. Workman does not shy away from articulating in impressive prosaic style that the power of the human soul will always prevail, and there will invariably be that person willing to take a risk to make someone’s life just a little bit better.
“Letter From Alabama” is a timeless piece of fiction. Telling the true story of a letter published in a small town newspaper in May 1952, Workman successfully manages to keep a neutral point of view in the often myriad of plot developments that can sometimes be difficult to endure. Tackling the overarching and weighty themes that often are depicted in many modern literary masterpieces, Workman’s weaving of the power of forgiveness and unconditional love of family demonstrates his clear talent of storytelling.
For a story that takes place in the 1950’s the plot is strangely modern in its tone and subject matter. Topical themes such as blended families, broken families, and inspiration are not entirely out of place of the recent best sellers that are based in present-day. Workman’s depiction of a small child who is coming of age is relevant, timely, and timeless. Have you ever gotten tired of reading Catcher in the Rye? Didn’t think so.
There’s always something soothing about hearing and reading about stories that portray a characters maturation into adulthood. Workman cleverly demonstrates the fatalistic and randomness of life. He delves into the chances people sometimes take to help others and further them along on their journey, whatever that may be. We have all known a child like David. In “Letter From Alabama” Mr. Workman does not shy away from articulating in impressive prosaic style that the power of the human soul will always prevail, and there will invariably be that person willing to take a risk to make someone’s life just a little bit better.
June 15, 2017
I was intrigued by the title and how it would play out. Written in third person, I did find it challenging at times. There is a lot of specific facts of history and geography included in this book which I don't usually find in the genre of books that I read. Overall I was disappointed that there was not more of an emotional telling of the story. I'm sure that there was much heartbreak through the different generations, but I didn't feel emotionally drawn into the story like I had hoped that I would be. It seemed sort of like more of a history book than a story of a person's real life.
November 4, 2015
While interesting I found some parts filled with information that would only be interesting to family members. I just could not relate.
June 18, 2017
it was an interesting story, but i didnt think it was told very well
December 21, 2016
This book called to me. I worked as a Child Welfare Worker in Alabama, and I often wonder what has happened to children that were part of my case load. I wanted to learn how David's life was changed.
David Workman is the author, and also the subject of this book, but the author writes the book as the journalist he became. I wish he had written it as David the rescued child. That part starts coming in more as the book evolves. He gets into the genealogy of his family at the end of the book. I wish he had put a family group sheet in the back, which would have helped follow this complicated family.
David had older siblings, who ended up being parents in two different families, to him and his sister. I wondered how the family handled telling the children about all the relationships in the family. David thought of his older brother, as his dad, and his sister-in-law as his mother.
The book reminded me of reading case histories, and I felt it needed more organization. It was an interesting story of how a child was rescued and loved by his extended family.
David Workman is the author, and also the subject of this book, but the author writes the book as the journalist he became. I wish he had written it as David the rescued child. That part starts coming in more as the book evolves. He gets into the genealogy of his family at the end of the book. I wish he had put a family group sheet in the back, which would have helped follow this complicated family.
David had older siblings, who ended up being parents in two different families, to him and his sister. I wondered how the family handled telling the children about all the relationships in the family. David thought of his older brother, as his dad, and his sister-in-law as his mother.
The book reminded me of reading case histories, and I felt it needed more organization. It was an interesting story of how a child was rescued and loved by his extended family.
June 17, 2016
I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
Letter from Alabama is a very personal story of the author's upbringing. There are a few small twists in the book, but overall it's a pretty straightforward story of circumstances that come together at just the right times. The tale is engaging and interesting.
Mr. Workman chose to write about himself in the third person, which took a bit of getting used to. It's a unique approach to a memoir, I think. I also think the writing is similar to a long news story, which makes sense given the author's background in journalism. This is not a negative, it's a bit different, which I enjoyed.
Overall, if you like a unique personal story about one man and his family, this is one you shouldn't miss.
Letter from Alabama is a very personal story of the author's upbringing. There are a few small twists in the book, but overall it's a pretty straightforward story of circumstances that come together at just the right times. The tale is engaging and interesting.
Mr. Workman chose to write about himself in the third person, which took a bit of getting used to. It's a unique approach to a memoir, I think. I also think the writing is similar to a long news story, which makes sense given the author's background in journalism. This is not a negative, it's a bit different, which I enjoyed.
Overall, if you like a unique personal story about one man and his family, this is one you shouldn't miss.
November 1, 2015
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. While the story is interesting and has a lot of potential, I was turned off by the clinical, detached nature of the narrative. As a memoir, I'd expect something a little more personal. My copy also had a couple of typos, so as much as I wanted to give this book more stars, since writing it clearly meant a lot to the author, I just couldn't.
May 7, 2017
A true story about the life of the author David L. Workman and his extended family. His is an unusual story. I don't know why I continued to read it after the first few pages as it became very confusing to me. To me it's a list of names,dates and places that I never could keep straight. It is interesting to see what the ramifications of A Letter From Alabama are.
August 19, 2017
Letter
I was looking for a wonderful read when purchased this book. I found interesting albeit a bit disjointed. The narrative jumped around and it was hard to keep up with as I followed the families through time.
I was looking for a wonderful read when purchased this book. I found interesting albeit a bit disjointed. The narrative jumped around and it was hard to keep up with as I followed the families through time.
June 16, 2015
The life story is interesting and heartwarming, but I just couldn't get past the use of the third person in an autobiography. Kudos to the author who showed gratefulness at every turn.
July 1, 2017
I was disappointed with this book. From what I read in the synopsis I thought this would be a great book showing how this young boy was taken and then reunited with his family. What this story was about the entire family from before David was born until he was an adult.
This wouldn't have been too much of a negative point except for the writing. It was confusing and I kept wondering why it seemed so chaotic. I didn't like the writing style because the story didn't flow, it was chunky. When I discovered it was written by David, the boy who disappeared, it took me to reading about the author himself. I found that he was a newspaper journalist and editor. That cleared up everything I had wondered about the writing. This "chaotic" organization of the book read like newspaper articles because David wrote for newspapers. Unfortunately that didn't change how I felt about the book at all.
The only thing that kept me reading the last 25% of the book was that I had slogged through the book so far and I wanted to get my credit for reading the book on my Goodreads challenge!
This wouldn't have been too much of a negative point except for the writing. It was confusing and I kept wondering why it seemed so chaotic. I didn't like the writing style because the story didn't flow, it was chunky. When I discovered it was written by David, the boy who disappeared, it took me to reading about the author himself. I found that he was a newspaper journalist and editor. That cleared up everything I had wondered about the writing. This "chaotic" organization of the book read like newspaper articles because David wrote for newspapers. Unfortunately that didn't change how I felt about the book at all.
The only thing that kept me reading the last 25% of the book was that I had slogged through the book so far and I wanted to get my credit for reading the book on my Goodreads challenge!
February 26, 2018
This memoir was competently written, and the story is heartwarming. I suspect the author's family is very grateful to have such a thorough history available to them. As I am not related to the author, I found the history to be a little too thorough. Also, I found the choice of third-person present-tense to be distracting. One thing this author does particularly well is set the scene for the different time periods . . . e.g., what it was like in the 70s to search for family members, what it was like in the 80s to telephone someone, and so on.
September 20, 2017
* I received this book from a GoodReads giveaway.
The title of this book intrigued me. It grabbed my attention. This story truly was inspiring, as it told the tale of a family that pulled together and did what they needed to in order to help one of their own. It spoke of love, devotion, forgiveness, and acceptance. This is an incredible story, and I am definitely glad the author chose to record it for all to have the opportunity to read.
The title of this book intrigued me. It grabbed my attention. This story truly was inspiring, as it told the tale of a family that pulled together and did what they needed to in order to help one of their own. It spoke of love, devotion, forgiveness, and acceptance. This is an incredible story, and I am definitely glad the author chose to record it for all to have the opportunity to read.
March 24, 2018
Astounding!
David Workman chronicles his life from birth, to the loss of his mother, the abandonment of his father, the brothers who step up and become real fathers to himself and his younger sister. This is a story of connections and perseverance. A story of a family who love and provide for each other.
I highly recommend "Letter from Alabama" to anyone with family they love and cherish.
David Workman chronicles his life from birth, to the loss of his mother, the abandonment of his father, the brothers who step up and become real fathers to himself and his younger sister. This is a story of connections and perseverance. A story of a family who love and provide for each other.
I highly recommend "Letter from Alabama" to anyone with family they love and cherish.
July 6, 2019
Amazing how blended families can become as close as blood relatives.
I liked following the history of the blended families through difficult circumstances. I would recommend this book to those who have blended families as well as those who do not. This book is a reminder that one person can\does change the life of future generations. I loved that it was a true story about survival, love, and forgiveness that should happen in every family.
I liked following the history of the blended families through difficult circumstances. I would recommend this book to those who have blended families as well as those who do not. This book is a reminder that one person can\does change the life of future generations. I loved that it was a true story about survival, love, and forgiveness that should happen in every family.
March 13, 2018
The story itself is just a small part of this book. The rest is genealogy and family history plus some kind of CV, it seems to me and unfortunatelly those parts did not interest me one bit. Seems like this book could be shortened to at least half of it current size and the reader would not even notice it.
May 1, 2020
Enjoyable and easy read. AS I was reading, I could hear David's voice telling the story. That's because I know the author from my time as a Unit Commissioner in our local council of the Boy Scouts of America. David also became a canoeing partner with my son on a Scouting trip in the Bowron Lakes in British Columbia.
Thank you, DAvid, for sharing your book with me.
Thank you, DAvid, for sharing your book with me.
August 12, 2017
Well-written and absolutely heart-wrenching. The only problem I had with it was that there was so much new information being introduced all the time that sometimes it was hard to keep up. But all in all I would definitely recommend reading it
January 29, 2018
Interesting but I struggled with this book. Such a shame as I had been looking forward to reading this true story. Not particularly well written and consequently confusing to relate to the characters in the book.
March 18, 2018
When I first started reading this book I struggled with it. I had a hard time focusing on the content. I contemplated putting it down but stuck with it. I thought it would be more about him being abandoned but it was a life autobiography. It was a quick bland book
May 29, 2019
Family history
This book covers many generations and numerous stories. COINCIDENCE: Some people say there is no such thing. Divine intervention is more appropriate. A child's life forever changed by a seemingly undeliverable letter. Miracle
This book covers many generations and numerous stories. COINCIDENCE: Some people say there is no such thing. Divine intervention is more appropriate. A child's life forever changed by a seemingly undeliverable letter. Miracle
September 1, 2017
Intetesting
I wasn't sure about what this book was going to be like but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A story of a family that struggled and loved. Much to be learned from them.
I wasn't sure about what this book was going to be like but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A story of a family that struggled and loved. Much to be learned from them.
March 7, 2018
A wonderful tribute. I was very moved by the story of this family.
February 23, 2024
Tried to read this, made it 20 pages. Boring and confusing. Too many names being introduced at once with no explanation of who they all were.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews