Liz Murray’s
memoir is one of the most harrowing stories I have ever read. This memoir is
eye-opening, thought-provoking, and will inspire everyone who reads it.
When Murray was born, her father was in jail for drug
trafficking and her mother was a cocaine addict since she was 13 years old.
Murray and her sister Lisa grew up in an apartment in the Bronx that she
described as “containing blood-spattered walls and an odor that could be
smelled from the hallway.” Her parents (Murray’s father eventually
gets out of jail) would blow their welfare check every month to fund their drug
habit. This left Murray with the burden of fending for food and taking care of
her little sister; They even had to resort to eating toothpaste and Chapstick
to stave off hunger pangs. This
led to Murray leaving high school. Murray’s parents also exposed her to some very
sleazy people in their drug binges; one interaction sadly led to Murray being
molested as a young girl. This causes Murray to leave and become homeless at
only 15 years old where she said she actually felt safer and happier.
The death of
Murray’s mother serves as a wake-up call and motivates her to go back to high
school. Being homeless, she had to do her school work in the hallways and
subway stations where she slept. Even
under such atrocious conditions, Murray managed to complete four years of high
school into two. She even won a New York Times scholarship and was accepted to
Harvard. Murray was then able to
rent an apartment with her sister, finally providing a real home for them.
Murray eventually graduates, even after taking off time to care for her dying
father. Breaking Night is the unforgettable and
inspirational story of Liz Murray’s indomitable spirit to survive against all
odds.
Adults, young and
old, can benefit from reading Murray’s moving story. I think this would be a
great read for high school students. Many students
suffer similar circumstances and can relate to Murray’s life. This memoir can
provide a wealth of hope and motivation for such students. This book is kind of
a lengthy read in terms of page numbers, but the story is such a page turner, I
doubt readers will notice. Furthermore,
this memoir will definitely attract young reader’s interest in the genre of
autobiography/biography.
Cons: Kind of a
long read
Murray’s memoir
was adapted into a movie, watch it for free on Youtube:
Hello Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteThis story is very inspiring and I feel this would be an amazing read for a classroom setting. There are a variety of themes present in the novel and it shows students the beauty of determination. I always feel so bad for characters in a novel that endure hardships from cruel circumstances, but knowing this is a true story I’m even more disheartened. I think students sometimes forget that circumstances like this happen in real life and it’s imperative for them to be able to see there are still options for them if they or someone they know ever end up in this predicament. I’m looking forward to taking a look at this novel in the near future to see if I can use it for my class.
On a side note, I think you did an amazing job with your review and you highlighted all of the important information and reasons why to incorporate it into a class.
Also, the fact that you included the movie link and one of her motivational speeches was a nice touch!