Orphan Girl: The Memoir of a Chicago Bag Lady

by Marie James, Jane Hertenstein

Tens of thousands of homeless people walk the streets, forgotten, yet each with their own story to tell. Marie James, a 69-year-old bag lady, and a frequent guest at an inner-city mission in Chicago, sat with Jane Hertenstein through the summer of 1995 and recorded this shocking and moving story of life filled with sorrow, loss, mental instability, and hope. Her memoir will break one's heart, yet encourage and inspire.
-- "Harrowing inside view of homelessness", -- Publishers Weekly, August 11, 1997

Genres: Memoir, Biography, Nonfiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's helpful to get a glimpse into the life of a homeless (or near homeless) person. She had a rough life, right from the start. It was continually bad for many years. Her children got taken away. That is a huge heartbreak for mothers. In the end, it was Jesus who saved her, and thank goodness something saved her. I thank her for writing this book.

[Becki Basley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orphan Girl: the Memoir of a Chicago Bag Lady By Marie James as told to Jane Hertenstein
(Scribd) Marie James grew up in very difficult circumstances. In her life, she every type of domestic violence and repeatedly. She lost all six of her children to foster care, her mental health was shaken.. all things that turn many people into a nasty kind of person.
Marie wasn’t like that.All her life she looked out for others. This is a woman who would give her last dime literally to a person she felt needed it more, she even gave the shoes off her feet and the clothes of her back. She was dedicated to God and preached his goodness to anyone who could spare her a minute of their time. Even as a bag lady she regularly watched out for others in the community yet would accept no help for herself. She had an extraordinary life story to share just like so many others who find themselves at the bottom of society and I am grateful I was able to hear it. Her story is heartbreaking at times but her attitude and her faith is extraordinary.
Normally I’ll read two sentences into a faith story and toss it away but Marie’s unassuming nature and dedication was awe inspiring. .., even my fellow pagans might love this book.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Good but a sad and strange book. I can’t remember how it ever got on my “To Read” list so many years ago, as it was hard to find and self-published. But I located it on Amazon finally.
It is the tragic story of Marie, who tells her story to the author, and the book is truly one tragedy and hardship after another. Marie ends up homeless but is still resilient and filled with the desire to share her religious convictions with others.
It is strange because it doesn’t always make sense or seem logical, such as when and why her children keep getting taken away from her and why she is kicked out of the hospital 4 hours after giving birth. But maybe the times these things occurred were different (1950’s), and maybe its disjointed because she can’t recall everything correctly or in detail.
The story is very sad and it’s hard to understand how people can be so cruel but her resilience is inspiring.

[Anne Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie is my grandmother. This story is true.

[Catherina Wojtowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was incredibly endearing and sad... A story about a girl who started off with bad luck, and it just got worse... Makes you think of others you know from years ago, when you think quietly, "What ever happened to them?"

Marie, who eventually ended up on the streets, and probably found more peace there than in some of the homes she lived in, both as a child and adult, couldn't beat the system. Every time she turned around, she the system would push harder. She was lost because she was both uneducate, naive and a woman. But her biggest obstacle that she never was able to beat was that she was unwanted, nearly by every person in her life.

Makes you wonder how some people can be so damn unlucky while we, who do nothing truly too spectacular, are so incredibly blessed.

I won't lie, it didn't end happy... Throughout the book, you had hope.

In the end, you just wished her peace... And thanked God you weren't her.

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about the life of a woman who ends up as a bad lady on the streets of Chicago. As a social worker, I found the examples of trauma and the mental health issues she suffered because of her traumatic experiences (certainly PTSD) affected her at various points in her life. I also found this book inspirational because it is clear that Marie is a resilient person who does her best to be caring towards others even when she has nothing. I also thought it was a helpful reminder to me of my clients' humanity. I did feel that it is sad that in some ways, the world hasn't changed much in the past 80 years. Many of the people I work with in 2012 have similar stories to this. It seems that child abuse, child welfare, poverty and mental illness have not improved that much over two generations. I definitely recommend this book.

[Bodie Liscious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating life story. I lived with the Jesus People for a little while in the mid-90's and actually met Marie and got to talk to her several times- absolute heart of gold, and you would never have guessed what a hard life she had from her smile and cheer. Just a beautiful person all around. Recommended reading for anyone interested in real, everyday, interesting people.

[Tammy Perlmutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew the woman, Marie, that this book is about. She was a remarkable woman. I worked with Cornerstone Press and Jane Hertenstein for a few years and did some proofreading and editing for them, this book is among the ones I worked on. This is a stellar biography.

[Laura Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this book reinforced the reasons we should not judge others. We have not walked in their shoes and don't know how our current life would be had we lived through their circumstances. A good reminder for all of us.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the feel good book of the year, and I personally wouldn't recommend reading it during Christmas week but its an interesting read about a person you may or may not have ran into a million times and never paid any attention. A sobering look at one's life story of being a bag lady.

[Sjlovealive · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sad book, but gives an eye opening look at the life of a homeless woman.

[hmmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is an amazing book of hope - beautiful!

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book.

[Deanna Daub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good! Read in 2 nights