In her memoir, Another Place Called Home: Surviving Foster Care, author Susan DuMond recounts her formative years spent navigating the foster system in 1950s upstate New York, offering a candid and deeply personal glimpse into the struggles and small victories of her journey. At the age of 11, following her mother’s incarceration and subsequent hospitalization due to alcoholism, she finds herself in the Susquehanna Valley Children’s Home in Binghamton. Her narrative begins with this tumultuous period, marked by her mother’s challenges and her stepfather’s absence.

The memoir is marked by its vivid, present-tense prose, creating a sense of immediacy that draws the reader into the author’s world. It details both the harsh realities of life in the children’s home and the fleeting moments of kindness and compassion she experiences. The author vividly describes the transition from dormitory-style living to smaller, cottage-based residences, each housing twelve girls and a housemother. She recounts instances of harsh treatment, particularly under the watch of the stern housemother of Cottage 3, alongside moments of warmth and guidance offered by figures like Mr. McPherson, the director of the home, and Miss Maude, the new housemother of Cottage 3. An intriguing aspect of the memoir is the author’s foray into the world of summer stock theatre at the age of sixteen. Her tales of backstage life and encounters with notable theatre personalities of the decade infuse the narrative with a sense of levity and adventure, providing a contrast to her otherwise challenging circumstances.

Another Place Called Home: Surviving Foster Care serves as a poignant and emotionally resonant account, weaving together DuMond’s trials and triumphs into a compelling narrative. It offers a thought-provoking exploration of resilience and hope in the face of adversity, culminating in an inspiring tale of unlikely success.

Pages: 247 | ASIN : B07PLL1X63