What do you think?
Rate this book
Hindsight: Coming of Age on the Streets of Hollywood
Hindsight: Coming of age on the streets of Hollywood is a gripping memoir of the teenage years of Sheryl Recinos, MD. She reflects on the journey that changed her life when she was a teen in her debut book. She chronicles her dysfunctional upbringing that led her through foster care, detention, and eventually to the streets of Hollywood.
Hindsight gives Sheryl’s personal account of the dangers of teen homelessness and shows how she struggles to complete high school and find work while living on the streets and in shelters. The book reveals the dangerous obstacles that she encountered during her journey, including the murder of a friend and the constant dangers of predators seeking to harm youth on the streets.
Her story culminates with her harrowing tale of being a homeless pregnant teen and illustrates how she found hope and made it off the streets.
After Sheryl Recinos, MD, overcomes homelessness, she later finds success as a physician and continues to give back to the community that saved her.
Hindsight gives Sheryl’s personal account of the dangers of teen homelessness and shows how she struggles to complete high school and find work while living on the streets and in shelters. The book reveals the dangerous obstacles that she encountered during her journey, including the murder of a friend and the constant dangers of predators seeking to harm youth on the streets.
Her story culminates with her harrowing tale of being a homeless pregnant teen and illustrates how she found hope and made it off the streets.
After Sheryl Recinos, MD, overcomes homelessness, she later finds success as a physician and continues to give back to the community that saved her.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2018
35 people are currently reading
1334 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 13, 2023
From page one, Hindsight by Sheryl Recinos feels like a revolution in our understanding of homelessness in the USA. The book covers the first nineteen years of the author's life, but what woesome years these had been! The family that should have loved her, the social system that should have protected her, the adults who shouldn't have used her vulnerability to r*pe her, the medical professionals who should have expressed basic human compassion - everything and everybody failed her. And if you've watched an episode of the Jerry Springer show featuring Sheri (Sheryl), she sounded stupid from how the material was presented.
If you are not ready for heart-wrenching, gut-turning revelations, don't pick up Hindsight. Its effortless style hides awful details of living on the streets because there was no 'home' to return to. Nobody asked Sheryl why she had been running away from her family from age 11, and everybody believed her father's words that she was a spoiled, troublesome teenager. Her only wish was to find her own home, her pack to belong to. She tried and succeeded despite all odds. Her daughter, born when Sheryl was 19, single with no apartment or job, became a lighthouse before a brighter future.
I highly recommend this memoir for reading. Maybe, you'd get inspired to help the author actively fight against homelessness because she survived to make a difference.
If you are not ready for heart-wrenching, gut-turning revelations, don't pick up Hindsight. Its effortless style hides awful details of living on the streets because there was no 'home' to return to. Nobody asked Sheryl why she had been running away from her family from age 11, and everybody believed her father's words that she was a spoiled, troublesome teenager. Her only wish was to find her own home, her pack to belong to. She tried and succeeded despite all odds. Her daughter, born when Sheryl was 19, single with no apartment or job, became a lighthouse before a brighter future.
I highly recommend this memoir for reading. Maybe, you'd get inspired to help the author actively fight against homelessness because she survived to make a difference.
June 6, 2020
Wow - must read true story of growing up homeless on the streets of LA. Sheryl amazingly turned her life around to become a physician but this story focuses more on her teen years.
July 30, 2019
An intense, heartbreaking autobiography of a physician who grew up alone and homeless in Hollywood; portraying the resourcefulness and foolishness of a teen in her struggle to survive. Powerful.
January 29, 2019
Hindsight: Coming of Age on the Streets of Hollywood is an exceptional story. Author Sheryl Recinos has laid out the struggles she has faced in her life in hopes of inspiring and helping others who are struggling. She recounts the years of her life from preteen to young adult, giving her experiences on the street, couch surfing, abuse, addiction, pregnancy and much more. The true story is one that really makes you think about homeless youth in our country and the way that a home that appears stable may not always be the best for children. I was enthralled in this story. Recinos's writing style is both captivating and clear. The book is large but fairly quick to get through and chronicles several years. I found the introduction of the book to be very compelling as Recinos describes her life as a doctor and the ways in which her life experiences give her the ability to help others. This gives the book a lens to see through and comes around again at the end of the book. Beginning to end, an amazing story.
Hindsight is definitely a must read book in its important message, honest story, and heartwarming desire to help others. It is different from other books I have read on the subject in its detail, honesty, and the personal aspect of the book. There are several sections that are hard to read because of the real world struggles being gone through by a teenager without support, but the book is worth the read. I greatly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.
Hindsight is definitely a must read book in its important message, honest story, and heartwarming desire to help others. It is different from other books I have read on the subject in its detail, honesty, and the personal aspect of the book. There are several sections that are hard to read because of the real world struggles being gone through by a teenager without support, but the book is worth the read. I greatly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.
January 24, 2019
I loved the honesty and young nature of this book. I do happen to work with this Doctor and this delve into her life is nothing that I expected. The story keeps you interested from start to finish, if you know the Hollywood area it really does make you think about what people go through... and that Hollywood isn’t always what people make it out to be.
March 21, 2020
Hindsight: Coming of Age on the Streets of Hollywood is a deeply upsetting first-hand account of Recinos’ time homeless in Hollywood, CA and the events that led her there. Recinos’ straight-forward style of telling you her story with almost no hindsight clears the way for the reader to put themselves in her shoes. What could you have done differently? What outcomes would you been unable to change? When you read her story, you may end up asking yourself: Can you change the outcome for someone else?
By sharing her personal story on such an intimate level, she is making a brave move. I think she is writing her story to stand up for herself, for others in similar situations, and to bring light to how our social systems treat vulnerable people. In a country with limited resources, what can we change, what should we change, and what do we need to change? Is there room to treat people with more respect?
All of the social structures that Recinos encountered left me with questions and the knowledge that something isn’t working. For example,
Recinos shares this in an interview for UCLA, “Writing my memoir finally put the horrors of my childhood into words and ultimately allowed me to forgive myself for the choices I had to make as a homeless teen. Since releasing this book, I’ve sparked an important dialogue about invisible youth living on the streets.”
Recinos has been recognized with several awards for Hindsight, including Outstanding Non-fiction from the Ian Book of the Year Awards and the Bronze Medal from Readers’ Favorite 2019 International Book Awards in the nonfiction, #YA category.
Books Bordeaux Winter 2019 Selection
Full Review Here
By sharing her personal story on such an intimate level, she is making a brave move. I think she is writing her story to stand up for herself, for others in similar situations, and to bring light to how our social systems treat vulnerable people. In a country with limited resources, what can we change, what should we change, and what do we need to change? Is there room to treat people with more respect?
All of the social structures that Recinos encountered left me with questions and the knowledge that something isn’t working. For example,
Recinos shares this in an interview for UCLA, “Writing my memoir finally put the horrors of my childhood into words and ultimately allowed me to forgive myself for the choices I had to make as a homeless teen. Since releasing this book, I’ve sparked an important dialogue about invisible youth living on the streets.”
Recinos has been recognized with several awards for Hindsight, including Outstanding Non-fiction from the Ian Book of the Year Awards and the Bronze Medal from Readers’ Favorite 2019 International Book Awards in the nonfiction, #YA category.
Books Bordeaux Winter 2019 Selection
Full Review Here
November 15, 2018
Very compelling story and gives really good insight into the life of a homeless teen (in particular that homeless is not necessarily to be equated with not having a family). The writing is a bit choppy, with some characters/events referred to as important, but never fully introduced/explained. But the story made keep reading and I could barely put this down because I kept having to make sure that the narrator would be OK.
There are some parts I wish had more details, others I thought were too detailed. In particular, I wish the story hadn’t ended when it did. How the author transitioned from homeless single teen mother to a stable life as a student and then professional (and eventually a physician) could be more than just an epilogue to this story.
There are some typos in the kindle edition that I read.
There are some parts I wish had more details, others I thought were too detailed. In particular, I wish the story hadn’t ended when it did. How the author transitioned from homeless single teen mother to a stable life as a student and then professional (and eventually a physician) could be more than just an epilogue to this story.
There are some typos in the kindle edition that I read.
September 14, 2022
It's been a while since I've looked at an excerpt and ended up reading the whole book cover to cover. I don't know that I've ever done this and felt compelled to write a 5-star review the moment I finished. This one was definitely worth it.
Dr. Recinos shares her story of growing up in a tough family situation and life as a teen in LA without housing or parental support. The amount of vulnerability it took to share the deeply personal and traumatic experiences she lived through before becoming a physician is amazing. This book covers her elementary school years to her 20s in detail, then briefly summarizes her current situation at the end.
Her story is inspiring AND her writing skills are well-polished, a combination that makes this book a very captivating memoir. I really can't say enough good things about this book. Reading it was time well spent.
Dr. Recinos shares her story of growing up in a tough family situation and life as a teen in LA without housing or parental support. The amount of vulnerability it took to share the deeply personal and traumatic experiences she lived through before becoming a physician is amazing. This book covers her elementary school years to her 20s in detail, then briefly summarizes her current situation at the end.
Her story is inspiring AND her writing skills are well-polished, a combination that makes this book a very captivating memoir. I really can't say enough good things about this book. Reading it was time well spent.
February 3, 2019
Amazing narrative
Dr Recino has given a clear narrative of her life on the streets and the struggles she went through to become the person she is. This book shows the foundations of her later career. It shows an amazing ethic within a difficult life of needing to do what was necessary to survive. I am thankful that she put this out to the world so we could see her miraculous success story and how she was able to make her way through adversity. It gives hope inside a difficult world. I pray this novel gets distributed widely to the individuals who need that hope.
Dr Recino has given a clear narrative of her life on the streets and the struggles she went through to become the person she is. This book shows the foundations of her later career. It shows an amazing ethic within a difficult life of needing to do what was necessary to survive. I am thankful that she put this out to the world so we could see her miraculous success story and how she was able to make her way through adversity. It gives hope inside a difficult world. I pray this novel gets distributed widely to the individuals who need that hope.
August 2, 2019
Pretty amazing autobiography from a woman physician. I like how she explained her actions and decisions based on how she felt at the time, helping you get inside the head of a homeless teen. I wanted more of the happy stories at the end, but understand why she ended the narrative where she did. Inspirational
September 12, 2019
Couldn’t put it down. Her story was so compelling. It is not a life I could imagine, and I felt like she took us with her with all the complicated emotions that went with her story. I thought often that she left home only a couple of years older than my oldest kid, and that really hit me so much harder.
August 16, 2023
Moving and Wonderful
A wonderful story of resilience and determination, immersing the reader into the life of a homeless teen on the streets of Hollywood.
Her resilience and tenacity shine through, inspiring any reader. Sheryl, thank you for sharing your story with us. I’ve come out a more informed and empathetic person.
A wonderful story of resilience and determination, immersing the reader into the life of a homeless teen on the streets of Hollywood.
Her resilience and tenacity shine through, inspiring any reader. Sheryl, thank you for sharing your story with us. I’ve come out a more informed and empathetic person.
February 9, 2019
Searingly honest about a troubled teen’s broken home life and wandering across the country....Cringingly suspenseful when we find our narrator raw and vulnerable out on the naked streets or around sketchy predator men...
June 17, 2023
Eye opening true story of a homeless teen who survived in Los Angeles during the ‘90s. Resiliency despite all odds stacked against her. Amazing that she was able to eventually become a physician too!
November 19, 2019
Powerful
This is such a vivid journey of fear and uncertainty. I can’t imagine surviving such a childhood. Thank you for sharing such a personal look at a hidden world.
This is such a vivid journey of fear and uncertainty. I can’t imagine surviving such a childhood. Thank you for sharing such a personal look at a hidden world.
February 2, 2020
Very good book written by a physician I work with, I highly recommend it.
October 19, 2020
Heart wrenching account of a teenager who struggles with their family, being homeless, and ultimately manages to find her way. Incredible insight into the world of way too many teenagers.
September 29, 2025
Riveting memoir of Sheryl's life as a teenager growing up as a frequent runaway hitchhiking across the US and back. Ran away for the first time at 13 years old.
January 18, 2026
I couldn’t put it down! The author overcomes unbelievable challenges. I am so happy to see there is a sequel.
July 27, 2019
This book opened my eyes to the plight of homeless youth and youth in foster care. As a social worker, I know about the repercussions trauma causes, however, I can never really now because I have not lived it. Sheryl Recinos journey helps the reader understand through her experiences. The chapters are labeled and rich in content. Thank you for sharing your story and congratulations and all your triumphs Mrs. Recinos!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews