Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

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Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

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Item# 862138-BK
Author: Liz Murray

About Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

Breaking night (Urban slang) staying up through the night, until the sun rises
"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.
""Breaking Night" reads more like an adventure story than an addiction-morality tale. It's a white-knuckle account of survival. . . . 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" (Editors' Choice)
"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)
"The admirable story of a teen who overcame homelessness through sheer grit and the kindness of friends. . . . An uplifting story of survival."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"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"
"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"
"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
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Paperback
ISBN: 9781401310592

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About Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

ISBN: 9781401310592
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Page Count: 341
Language: English
Dimensions: 5.10 X 8.00 Inches

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