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Unsheltered Love: Homelessness, Hunger and Hope in a City Under Siege
A Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. A first-hand account of how the pandemic worsened an already dire homelessness situation in New York City.
Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Winner
In March 2020, the usually crowded streets of Midtown Manhattan were empty, stores were closing, people were afraid to go out. But homeless people were still on the streets, cold and very hungry, and much less able to panhandle in the deserted city.
Unable to ignore their suffering, the author and her husband started walking the empty streets in their neighborhood, handing out food to the men and women they met. As they showed up, trust replaced the fear and suspicion that had existed within them, as well as within the homeless people they befriended. They listened as the homeless revealed their daily struggles living on the streets, as well as the details that had led to their homelessness.
Unsheltered Love also provides an in depth look at one of the ten characters in the story—a homeless woman named Maggie Wright who adds her perspective to the narrative. Following each chapter is a journal entry written by Maggie—her viewpoint of the same events in the story, as well as an inside look at her personal journey into homelessness and her rise out of it. Her entries provide a look into the psychology of homelessness, what can lead a person to this fate, and more importantly, bind them to it.
“A focused and engaging remembrance of a specific community changed by the Covid-19 pandemic.” —Kirkus Reviews
Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Winner
In March 2020, the usually crowded streets of Midtown Manhattan were empty, stores were closing, people were afraid to go out. But homeless people were still on the streets, cold and very hungry, and much less able to panhandle in the deserted city.
Unable to ignore their suffering, the author and her husband started walking the empty streets in their neighborhood, handing out food to the men and women they met. As they showed up, trust replaced the fear and suspicion that had existed within them, as well as within the homeless people they befriended. They listened as the homeless revealed their daily struggles living on the streets, as well as the details that had led to their homelessness.
Unsheltered Love also provides an in depth look at one of the ten characters in the story—a homeless woman named Maggie Wright who adds her perspective to the narrative. Following each chapter is a journal entry written by Maggie—her viewpoint of the same events in the story, as well as an inside look at her personal journey into homelessness and her rise out of it. Her entries provide a look into the psychology of homelessness, what can lead a person to this fate, and more importantly, bind them to it.
“A focused and engaging remembrance of a specific community changed by the Covid-19 pandemic.” —Kirkus Reviews
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2022
16 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Traci Medford-Rosow
6 books657 followersUSA Today bestselling author of Inflection Point: War and Sacrifice in Corporate America (2016), Unblinded: One Man's Courageous Journey through Darkness to Sight (2018), and Unsheltered Love: Homelessness, Hunger, and Hope in a City under Siege (2022).
Traci Medford-Rosow is currently a partner in the New York City law firm, Richardson & Rosow.
Traci Medford-Rosow is currently a partner in the New York City law firm, Richardson & Rosow.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 18, 2023
One of the best books about the experience of homelessness (along with Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America). The author and her husband begin to walk the streets handing out food and water to homeless people in their New York City neighborhood during the Covid pandemic, when other resources were being shut down. In the course of things, they established some "regulars" and were able to witness some of the problems and experiences of homeless persons on a daily basis. The book humanizes the experience, showing the human side; but it does not sugar-coat it -- there are drugs, alcohol, crime, codependency, mental illness, etc.
June 18, 2025
During the pandemic, as many people were thinking of themselves and their immediate families, Traci and her husband, Joel, were taking care of as many of NYC's unsheltered as possible. I admire them for doing so and enjoyed reading her book, the updates and especially Maggie's additional comments.
March 21, 2023
Amid the covid lockdown, the author and her husband show how a little perseverance and a lot of love can change a person’s life for ever. A tremendously inspiring and thoughtful true story.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews