Runaway girl escaping life on the streets, one helping hand at a time

In this book is a story of triumph and a fierce determination to give back. The author was a runner. By twelve, she had run away from home, dropped out of school, and fled blindly into the arms of a brutal pimp, who made her walk the hard streets of central California. But even when she escaped him,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Phelps, Carissa
Other Authors: Warren, Larkin
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Viking, 2012.
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Summary:In this book is a story of triumph and a fierce determination to give back. The author was a runner. By twelve, she had run away from home, dropped out of school, and fled blindly into the arms of a brutal pimp, who made her walk the hard streets of central California. But even when she escaped him, she could not outrun the crushing inner pain of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. With little to hope for, she expected to end up in prison, or worse. But then her life was transformed through the unexpected kindness of a teacher and a counselor. Miraculously, by the time she turned thirty, she had accomplished the unimaginable, graduating from UCLA with both a law degree and an MBA. She had left the streets behind, yet her path would eventually draw her back, this time working to help homeless and at-risk youth find their own paths to a better life. This is her own story, the tale of a girl who lost herself and survived, against all odds, through the generosity of strangers. It is an inspiring true story about finding the courage to run toward healing and summoning the strength to light the way for others.
Physical Description:311 p. ; 24 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN:9780670023721
0670023728
Author Notes:An attorney, motivational speaker, and youth advocate, Carissa Phelps works as part of a global collective to help local and international survivors of sex trafficking rebuild their lives. Her life story was the subject of the award-winning documentary "Carissa." She lives in San Luis Obispo, California.

Larkin Warren's essays and articles have appeared in the New York Times Magazine , Glamour , More, and Good Housekeeping . Among her recent book collaborations are Mary Forsberg Weiland's Fall to Pieces and Elyn R. Saks's bestselling The Center Cannot Hold.