No One to Call Me Home: The Heartbreaking Stories of America's New Orphans

by James J. Close

"NO ONE TO CALL ME HOME" "The humanity packed into this little book manages to expose the crisis in American family life in a way bigger, more learned tomes cannot. The lessons Father Close and his staff have learned at their Home are lessons we as a society should take to heart, because they offer a realistic note of healing." "Father Jim writes about the true street stories, of innocence sadly lost to abuse and abandonment no child deserves.

Genres: Nonfiction

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avery quick read....All these kids stories touched my heart but two really stuck out. Johny the first boy Rev. James Close talked about. I found it heartbreaking that this boy felt he had "No one to call him home". We take don't look at the little things that effect children. This boy was very sad because all his friends got called in when it was dark. Johnny's mom was the sole provider and worked. So he had no one to call him on for the night...
Bill well this story I think starts when his mother, a girl from a well to do family goes off to college. She gets in on the "hippy" movement and gets disowned by her family. This just sends her deeper into the scene. She gets pregnant and raises her son Bill moving from comune to flop house and so fourth. When he is 14 he goes to the Mercy home..she dies soon after and her family will not even take him in. How can you deny your own blood? This boy was not his mother. He did not ask to be born into this situation. If it were not for Mercy this boy would most likely had died on the streets. I assume the mother grew up abuse or at least neglected. Just because how her family acted when she died. Thank God for places like Mercy Boy Home & Mercy Girls Home.I loved how the Rev. included how it started, how it was funded, anf who key people where to get it going. Open for over 100 years AMAZING. but all the more sda that we needed this program.

[Christian Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In No One to Call Me Home, Reverend James Close shares his heart for troubled youth. These kids come from really bad backgrounds, and changing their hearts and their futures is hard work. With love and discipline he strives to give these kids roots and wings. "Our responsibility is to see that when they do [become adults], they do so with two things--family roots to give them strength and love and their own set of wings to take them onward" (page 94). "If our kids have something positive to motivate them, even if they still bear the scars of their childhood years, they'll usually turn out okay" (page 70).
If you care about the hurting this book is a good reminder of the struggles some teens face. It's worth reading, and it's short.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite short short but it packs a wallop in those pages. It is written to evoke strong emotions. One will cringe at the lack of humanity that forces so many children to become orphans and cry in happiness at the depth of love and humanity that exists in the hearts of those who reach out to the orphans. This road of despair and joy will touch you as you read about orphans who were cared for by a loving priest and his staff.. His journey is one that will touch the heart. This is a Catholic sanctioned book but it will appeal to all have a heart for children. This book is well written and worth the time.

[Damian Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned from this book that not everones life is such a good one and all the kids do was just try to get past all the bad and try to make it to the good

[Atlanta~Oral Love~ LQ Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book as a punishment a couple years ago and i will never regret it this book is funny at points then heart renching at others I really do recomend this book

[Rebecca A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant and to the point by a man who does his best to provide a home and guidance for American's many Throwaway Kids.