In Plain Sight: Reflections on Life in Downtown Eastside Vancouver

by Leslie A. Robertson

News stories of the socio-economically disenfranchised in North America are too often presented by the popular media to fascinate or horrify their consumers while they erase the real lives of the people "covered." This collection of seven life stories from Vancouver's "Downtown Eastside" sets out to create a space for a "people without history," defined only as "a neighborhood." These women share the stories of their complex pathways from childhood, into and out of the Downtown Eastside, through periods of addiction and recovery, strength and illness, affluence and poverty. They confront and challenge the familiar stereotypes applied to drug users, to "wayward women," and to those who live with disease and/or mental illness.

Genres: Indigenous, Canada, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published March 15, 2005

Reviews

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read and insight on life on the Downtown Eastside. At times it could be a little dry by the way it was presented, but the intentions of the authors were good and allowed an honest view into a world so many think little about.

[Taryn Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly sad and uplifting at the same time.
The strength and courage expressed in each individual story will both break and mend your heart at the same times.
Stories from the Downtown East Side Vancouver Canada

[Megan Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

not another sensational read, culhane and robertson chronicle the lives of seven women in the dtes who are living with addictions, poverty and prostitution, in an empathetic and honest way. interviews comprise the bulk of this book, and for people interested in the real lives and struggles of people in the dtes (as opposed to the media hyped version we are fed on global night after night), this book is a good and often moving introducti

[Sarjays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down. So sad and interesting to hear first account what these women have been through. You just pass them on the street, but to read about it makes you understand better.