R. B. Mitchell

Rob's mom was a mentally unstable alcoholic, and his dad was permanently hospitalized after a failed suicide attempt left him unable to take care of even his own basic needs. It's hard for me to fathom what was going through Robby's mother's mind when she dropped Robby off at an orphanage without so much as a hug goodbye when he was only three years old, but that's what she did, and in some ways that may have been the nicest thing she ever did for him.

Robby's mother continued to breeze in and out of his life over the next several years, but each time she did, she left chaos and destruction in her wake. Alcoholism and insanity aside, she strikes me as outright selfish and just plain mean. She's not a likable woman under any circumstances.

Robby's maternal grandmother, Gigi, would visit the orphanage when she could, but she was unable to take care of Robby full time, and his little heart would break all over again every time he and Gigi had to say goodbye. He was eventually able to visit his father's family in Atlanta, but they wouldn't allow Robby to stay there permanently despite their economic affluence. Robby learns the truth behind their rejection only after having spent years wondering why he was so unloveable that even the family who could afford to take care of him, wouldn't.

Life in the orphanage was tough, and Robby went through more suffering and darkness by the time he was 18 than most people go through in their lifetimes. So much rejection, so much anger, so much pain. However, Robby learns from reading about people like Booker T. Washington that he can stay stuck in the past and be bitter, or he can focus on the future and make his life better. I'm so glad he chose to be better than the situation he comes from.

No kid should ever be treated as a castaway, but with faith, grace, and help from caring people, even a "castaway" can find his place in the world. Maybe his mom didn't want him, but thankfully his Father still did. Robby eventually comes to believe in the God he'd always heard about but didn't really know, and he finds healing through helping others. He's proof that healing isn't instantaneous or easy, but it is possible, and everyone needs at least a little bit of hope and love to see us through.… (mer)