Home Made: A Story of Grief, Groceries, Showing Up - and What We Make When We Make Dinner by Liz Hauck
A woman's father worked in a boy's home. These kids had various struggles (both mental and physical) and were likely to be in and out of foster care and prison. She had worked in various do-gooder activities after school. They thought it would be great to organize a cooking program for the boys. However, her dad died prematurely and she later decided to do it on her own. The book details the process. The boys tended to like "comfort food" and would much rather have soda than Trader Joe's lemonade. She gradually gets to know them better, however, she still feels like a fish out of water. She gets offended with the slurs that they say in their speech. She questions the lack of privilege and difficult situations that they need to live through. (However, it feels that she is more offended than they are by the situation.) A few of the boys change. They experience life events. The home eventually shuts down (in favor of "family based solutions") One boy dies and the book ends with his funeral of a boy with physical challenges (and a relative's refusal to claim the body because she has been stealing his money.) It is a sad end to a sad life.
It feels that the boys are living a different world. They have their morals and desires which don't necessarily correspond with those of society as a whole. They have different struggles. The author seems to care a lot, but she is also stuck so much in her worldview. The story of the boys is interesting. However, the pontificating and policy advocating feels out of touch with the real world concerns. Many of these boys have been abandoned by their families. The families only seem to come back when there is a chance for money. Generic policies seem to fit some, but not others. Advocacy may play a role, but that distracts from what is otherwise a strong story of people with a very different life experience.
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