Left Out In America: The State Of Homelessness In The United States

by Pat LaMarche

"Left Out in America" is a powerful look at what it means to be homeless in the United States. In her first, highly anticipated book, accomplished broadcaster and journalist, Pat LaMarche has documented a piece of American life like no one else has. Having slept in 14 homeless shelters throughout the country over a two week period, and recording her experiences in a journal, LaMarche has captured the condition of this current humanitarian crisis and brought it sharply into focus.

149 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2006

Reviews

[John Atkeison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who else would spend each night in a different homeless shelter for two weeks straight? And actually write a book about it??

The stories you will find in this book will reveal the human beings behind the labels, and they are like you and me to an uncomfortable degree...

[Tracey Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading Pat LaMarche’s works. In the book she brought me into a world that I have not experienced firsthand. Her courage to take on these issues always makes reading her writings heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

[Diane Nilan · Rating 5 out of 5]

No fluff. No hype. Just pure Pat LaMarche and her uncanny observations, this time examining homelessness. Travel with her on this tour of shelters across the country. You're bound to learn something. Must read for every member of Congress!

[Chelsea Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

While many public figures participate in philanthropy solely to boost their resumes, Pat has demonstrated a true interest in helping better the lives of people who need her help the most. By putting herself in the shoes of the people that she aims to help and going to see the actual living conditions that they encounter, she has done what many claim is the best method of bridging a gap but fail to do themselves. This book tells the story of that research and experience in a way that will enlighten and educate you.

[Landon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pat LaMarche’s background--working with the nation’s poor--clearly helped her write this book. I don’t think someone without her experience could have written it nearly as well. In addition, she showed her dedication to this novel by living in homeless shelters and on the streets for 14 days before she began writing. She discusses serious issues, including domestic violence, that are bound to make you want to get involved and help. A thought-provoking novel guaranteed to change your life, even if only in a small way.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a privileged member of society has evidently not caused Pat LaMarche to forget about the people who don’t have as much. Rather than turn a blind eye to the challenges facing American society, she has grabbed the issue in a commanding grip and wrestled it to the ground. This book is a job well done when it comes to investigative journalism and proves, yet again, that sometimes the best way to do things is by rolling up your sleeves and getting down to work to find the truth.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

LaMarche has created a masterpiece. With finesse and linguistic skill she does not paint a picture of what it might be like to live in a homeless shelter...instead, through investigative journalism she tells her readers what it’s like. Rather than being astonishingly blunt for shock value, she tells the honest truths of the effects that are had on the morale and the psyche of those who feel they have been cast aside by society.

[Zaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left Out in America tells the story of the homeless community that has been cast aside by mainstream society. With the practiced pen of an investigative journalist she opens our eyes to what it’s like to live in homeless shelters, answering tough questions and clearing up misconceptions about life on the streets. Through this fly-on-the-wall piece, Pat makes it possible to understand a world that most of us rarely encounter.

[Perry Bason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provided an amazing view into the lives of the working poor, and made me want to help. The problem is, as the author points out, there’s not a whole lot that we can do on the local level to make things change on the scale that they need to. Every nation will have its pitfalls, but it is the way that the nation chooses to act in response to them that defines the character of the nation.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeping a level mind is difficult when you’re thinking about situations that you would never experience. Pat has managed to write about an experience that is tough for people to understand unless they’ve lived it. Using her experience as a journalist to her advantage, she delves into circumstances that make people truly appreciate what they have by understanding what it’s like to go without.

[Yvette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Pat calls it like she sees it, puts herself in everyone else's shoes, and helps everyone she can. This is a book that everyone should read.

[Devera Lang]

Pat stayed in 14 homeless shelters in 14 days in 2004 and then wrote about it. She writes in such a narrative vein that, even though she is very matter of fact in describing the situations she found each day, the book reads as a series of haunting stories about her experience. It is, unfortunately, as timely today as when it was written, a must read for anyone who wants or needs information on this ongoing crisis.