Walk with Us: Triplet Boys, Their Teen Parents & Two White Women Who Tagged Along

by Elizabeth K. Gordon

In an award-winning true story, a homeless teenaged girl finds herself pregnant with triplets. Her boyfriend turns to one of the few resources in his Philadelphia neighborhood -- two women who left the suburbs to live in multiracial community. The mother-to-be moves in, just until the babies come. But then... Journey with this real-life improvised family as they reach across "chasms of misunderstanding" to forge a hopeful future for three baby boys. Through conflict and heartache to forgiveness and a very American variety of redemption -- Walk with us.

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2007

Reviews

[Peggy Daub · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many lessons here! So many emotions too. An account of trying to help while also trying to bridge cultures, with some successes and some failures. It doesn't feel like things that were difficult were sugar-coated here, but told with honesty and with appreciation for their complications. That's why the lessons it teaches are so powerful.

[D.]

What an amazing, true story. As an OB, I long ago accepted that teens with pregnancies are far from rare- I even delivered triplets to a high schooler myself, about the same time as this mother had her 3 boys (the young lady I assisted- Angela- also had three sons). What makes this tale unusual stems from the determined personalities- of the teen mother, her boyfriend and her matriarchal family. On top of that- the author (who goes by Kathy Gordon, and whom I met over Zoom at a Quaker event) allows the mother and dad (not to mention the triplet babies!) to live with her and her girlfriend.
So, their household in rather rough North Philly swells to include the new mother and 3 babies full time, and her boyfriend a lot of the time. But the childrearing of the two cultures -Ms Gordon's and the teen mother's- differ in several key ways. I appreciated the honestly, good storytelling, and commitment of Ms Gordon and I have read this book at least 3 times. I hope you give it at least ONE read.

[Weavre]

ILL only, I think. Luzerne doesn't have it, and Lackawanna's OPAC is down right now (10/2).