Homeless at Harvard Book Review

 

Picture Credit

 

Book Description

Socially conscious consumers interested in social justice issues, and readers looking for a different kind of book, have found it—one that blends the voice of the author with those of his homeless friends.

Harvard Square is at the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and at the heart of Harvard University. It’s a place of history, culture, and some of the most momentous events of the nation. But in recent years it’s become a gathering place for the city’s homeless.

Why are many of its residents homeless? And how do they survive? Do they have anything to tell people about life? And God?

That’s what Harvard student John Frame set out to discover. While taking his final course at Harvard, John Frame stepped outside the walls of academia and onto the streets, pursuing a different kind of education with his homeless friends.

In this unique book, each of these urban pioneers shares his own story, providing insider perspectives of life as homeless people see it. This heartwarming page-turner shows how John learned with, from, and about his homeless friends—a cast of colorful characters who tell an unforgettable story of their life shared together—focusing readers’ perspectives on problems outside themselves and teaching them how those on the streets are more like them than they ever believed.

 My Take

I love reading non-fiction books about events in people's lives. This is almost like a biography but only spanning one summer in a young mans life. As a Harvard student, John noticed many homeless people in the area and wanted to understand life from their point of view. So for a summer he lived on the streets near Harvard.  Granted, he wasn't technically homeless, he could go home to a comfy bed anytime-but he learned a lot! In many chapters he interviews people, in a way, that he lived with while sleeping in the park. He takes people's stories and it really is very interesting to read. 

I really enjoyed reading a book from John's point of view about homeless life, I recommend!

"I received this book from Booksneeze for free in exchange for an honest review."