R C Hartson
Författare till Falling Up the Stairs
3 verk 7 medlemmar 3 recensioner
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Flaggad
Vesper1931 | Jul 29, 2021 | Det här är en av LibraryThings förhandsrecensioner.
Falling Up the Stairs by R.C. Hartson was an incredibly gripping and emotional novel. Though heart-wrenching and painful, I was captivated by the story and couldn't stop reading. The pain and suffering that these children went through breaks my heart and was also eye-opening to me. I had heard stories about children in orphanages and foster homes, but I don't think I realized just how bad it was. Joey handled what was thrown his way the best way he could and yet still was able to maintain his courage, brevity, and true sense of self. Reading the epilogue and confirming that this novel was based on a true story did not surprise me. I was so happy to see that the family bonds amongst the siblings are still so strong and that they continue to gather for family reunions every year. These children endured so much, but their hope to reunite with their siblings throughout the years motivated them and kept them strong. I just know that this story will stay with me in my mind and my heart, I honestly have started considering looking into how I can help make a difference for children in need. I have already started recommending this novel to my family and friends as a must-read.… (mer)
Flaggad
Meldav | 1 annan recension | Nov 28, 2018 | Det här är en av LibraryThings förhandsrecensioner.
A heart-wrenching chronicle of the seven Harrison family children and their struggles during World War II in 1942, up until 1956.
The story focuses on the protagonist, the oldest Harrison boy, Joey, who began his ordeal at the age of six when he and his older sister, 9-year-old Elizabeth, entered foster care in 1942. Their father, Joe, had gone off to fight in the war, leaving his pregnant wife, Alice, and the two children behind to go it on their own, failing to inform the Army of his dependants and providing no means for their welfare. They lived with Alice's mother and father, Lillian and Carl Powest, and as times were hard, the two children were given over to the foster-care system "until your daddy comes home and we get things straightened around...".
That brief period turned into months, then years, as Alice began having an affair with Fred Simms, a man she met while working in a bar, and eventually having four more children by him --all also put into foster care-- and Joe returned home to find his wife unfaithful and his children displaced, and then left for New York City to take up with a woman named Connie who had four children of her own.
Both children go from one home to another, suffering physical, emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of various foster care families. In time they're joined by Brian, their younger brother, and the two new children of Fred and Alice, twin stepbrothers Mitchell and Merrill. Finally all the children are separated into different families and begin to lose touch with one another as they grow up. One thing remains constant, however, and that is Joey's longing to be reunited with his mother and father...
I was very touched by this novel and became quite invested in the fate and future of little Joey. It was heartbreaking to witness the tribulations that he went through over the years, nearly none of which resulted from bad behavior or misdeeds on his part, but were the fault and responsibility of the misguided --or downright evil-- people who were entrusted with his care. None of the other Harrison children suffered the type or severity of abuse or mistreatment that Joey did, yet in the long run the little guy persevered and came out of it alright.
There were several places where the author reused phrases and situations. These irked me a bit, but they were certainly not detrimental to the story nor would cause a reader to put the book down.
Some might say that the book was overly-long, but I didn't feel that way. There was a lot of story to tell, and it took every page the author used.
Highly recommended.… (mer)
The story focuses on the protagonist, the oldest Harrison boy, Joey, who began his ordeal at the age of six when he and his older sister, 9-year-old Elizabeth, entered foster care in 1942. Their father, Joe, had gone off to fight in the war, leaving his pregnant wife, Alice, and the two children behind to go it on their own, failing to inform the Army of his dependants and providing no means for their welfare. They lived with Alice's mother and father, Lillian and Carl Powest, and as times were hard, the two children were given over to the foster-care system "until your daddy comes home and we get things straightened around...".
That brief period turned into months, then years, as Alice began having an affair with Fred Simms, a man she met while working in a bar, and eventually having four more children by him --all also put into foster care-- and Joe returned home to find his wife unfaithful and his children displaced, and then left for New York City to take up with a woman named Connie who had four children of her own.
Both children go from one home to another, suffering physical, emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of various foster care families. In time they're joined by Brian, their younger brother, and the two new children of Fred and Alice, twin stepbrothers Mitchell and Merrill. Finally all the children are separated into different families and begin to lose touch with one another as they grow up. One thing remains constant, however, and that is Joey's longing to be reunited with his mother and father...
I was very touched by this novel and became quite invested in the fate and future of little Joey. It was heartbreaking to witness the tribulations that he went through over the years, nearly none of which resulted from bad behavior or misdeeds on his part, but were the fault and responsibility of the misguided --or downright evil-- people who were entrusted with his care. None of the other Harrison children suffered the type or severity of abuse or mistreatment that Joey did, yet in the long run the little guy persevered and came out of it alright.
There were several places where the author reused phrases and situations. These irked me a bit, but they were certainly not detrimental to the story nor would cause a reader to put the book down.
Some might say that the book was overly-long, but I didn't feel that way. There was a lot of story to tell, and it took every page the author used.
Highly recommended.… (mer)
Flaggad
Zaphod2015 | 1 annan recension | Nov 24, 2018 | Statistik
- Verk
- 3
- Medlemmar
- 7
- Popularitet
- #1,123,407
- Betyg
- ½ 4.5
- Recensioner
- 3
- ISBN
- 2
An interesting crime story which does need some proofreading. What I didn't care for was the amount of swearing in the story.