Rhodes-Courter, Ashley (2008). Three Little Words: A Memoir. New York, New York: Atheneum Press. ISBN: 9781416948063
320 pages
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Memoir
Age Level: 15-19
Stars: 5 stars
Subjects: Adoption, Family, Isolation, Love, Relationships
Reader's Annotation
This is the true story of Ashley Rhodes-Courter's journey over nine years and fourteen foster homes as she tries to find love, security, and herself among insurmountable obstacles.
Summary
Ashley Rhodes-Courter entered the foster care system at the age of three, and over the course of nine years, she was juggled from one foster home to another, 14 in all. The horrors described as she moves from one caseworker to another, one home to another, and one school to another as she endures abusive foster families and horrific living conditions would be appalling enough in a fiction tale. Knowing that she truly endured all of this, however, makes her tale even more poignant and heartbreaking. Although it mostly sheds light on a broken foster care system, it also shows that there is a litght at the end of the tunnel, and that there is a way out for those who are determined enough and strong enough not to be beaten down by the system.
Notes
She tells her story in clear language that will make any teen instantly relate to her story, as far removed from their own lives as it may be. The fact that she not only made it through all of this, but managed to thrive, is a testimony to her courage and strenth of will.
Other Information
Readers who enjoyed this memoir may also want to check out Dave Pelzer's A Child Called It for its similarly remarkable true tale of abuse and dysfunctional family relationships.
Author Information
