Another Place at the Table: A story of shattered childhoods and the healing power of family

(Paperback)

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For more than a decade, Kathy Harrison has sheltered a shifting cast of troubled youngsters - the offspring of prostitutes, addicts, abusers, and teenage parents who can't handle parenthood. What would motivate someone to give herself over to constant, largely uncompensated chaos How does she manage her extraordinary blended family Why would anyone voluntarily take on her job Harrison offers a portrait of life in her extraordinary American family, set against the backdrop of a child welfare system that is completely overwhelmed. When children come to her, their sense of self is often shattered; they are refugees from a war they can't begin to comprehend. As a foster parent, Kathy's job is to paste their lives together until they can make some sense of it all, and to offer a small island of safety in an unsafe and terrifying world. She has fostered almost 100 children. She is no saint, nor does she claim to be. Rather she is an ordinary woman doing heroic work. This is the story of one family's journey through the maze of a social services system, of the children who unwittingly led the way, and of a woman whose compassionate intentions are often all that stands between abuse and redemption.

Author Bio

Kathy has been a foster parent for thirteen years, hosting almost a hundred children. In 1996 she and her husband Bruce were named Massachusetts Foster Parents on the Year, followed by the first Foster Family of the Month in 2002. Harrison is also a frequent public speaker. She lives near Northhampton, Massachusetts with her family - three biological sons, three adoptive daughters, and a constantly changing cast of foster children.