And an Unlikely Family - A Story of Resilience

In this book, author Lisa Fenn tells of her prolonged and deepening relationship with two very talented African American students. Each of these young people faced pretty extreme challenges: Dartanyon dealt with low vision, and Leroy had actually been run over by a train, resulting in the loss of his legs and innumerable surgeries. Each of them had unfortunate family situations in which some of their deepest needs had not been met. Lisa Fenn a television producer for ESPN, grew close to the boys as she worked on a story about them, and much of this book tells of her growing love for them and concern for their wellbeing, despite her own challenges with her work and personal life.

The book is very readable, and at times deeply moving, especially as the two boys finished high school and developed their considerable athletic ability. Things got more complex as the boys faced new and different responsibilities in college. Lisa Fenn stood by them through lots of obstacles, and learned to empathize and help them adjust. She doesn't flinch at discussing the racism exposed as others, including a family member, reacted to her mentorship of these two boys.

Overall, this is a really stimulating and provocative read, and it provides a frank look at the harsh conditions that some kids face every day, their tenacity and resilience, and the effect of loving, warm support on the kids fortunate enough to receive it from coaches, teachers, famiIy, or perhaps from people outside their community like Lisa Fenn. Inspiring and at times, very touching.

Carry On tugs readers by the heart into the journey of the author and two unlikely heroes Sutton and Crockett. This true story reads like a novel and is as intriguing and interesting as any fictional story. The biography of either Sutton or Crockett is a amazingly unbelievable account of survival by a young boy whose life is fraught with challenges and impossibilities. Add to their already high-risk childhood severe disabilities and you would think they have no chance to rise above the miry clay of their situation. Into their lives steps ESPN producer Lisa Fenn who is drawn to their friendship and participation in sports in high school. She enters their lives alongside of caring coaches to initially do a feature story for ESPN, and she becomes their "guardian angel."

The inspiration and amazement of this story cannot be hyperbolized; it is impossible to overstate the height of the mountain climbed by Sutton and Crockett or the extent and impact of the reach of Fenn into their lives. The story is well written, and Fenn manages a good balance of biography of the boys and autobiography of her own life.

As someone who has reviewed many books, there are two things I rarely do except when I really think a book deserves it: 1. Give a book a one-star rating and throw it in the trash, and 2. Tell people "You have to read this book!" Carry On qualifies not only for a five-star review but the recommendation that "You have to read this book!" This is a book for everyone. There is no category of reader who would not be inspired and captivated by the lives of Sutton and Crockett along with the author. This story is both eye-opening and heart-opening.

The boys' story "carries on" because so many have become inspired and moved to help them. Above all it is their perseverance and the self-sacrifice of the author that have truly brought them to the place where they are today...out of the valley and somewhere way up on the mountainside.

Not being a sports fan (although my husband and offspring unquestionably are), I was unsure that Lisa Fenn’s “Carry On” would float my boat. What an understatement! This book is as exciting as the sailing trip I’ve always wanted to take but of course never will and as inspirational and meaningful as any grand voyage of discovery. Although I had not previously viewed Lisa’s ESPN documentary “Carry On” in either the first or second version, immediately after closing the book I had it up on my computer despite the late hour. And one of the things I learned on the Internet is that TODAY, September 8, 2016, Dartanyon Crockett will be competing in his second Paralympics in Judo. Although his results will not be out until after this review is posted, I consider it to be a very important postscript to this wonderful book.

Obviously, as anyone who HAS watched the “Carry On” video knows, the story of Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton is a powerful real-life story of perseverance and endurance, overcoming tragedy and disability with compassion, courage and humor – in other words, epic drama. What Fenn does in this narrative, however, is add the elements of stark honesty. This is HER story interwoven with the epic tale, describing her own personal struggles and truthfully recounting aspects of her “dark night of the soul” as she encountered almost insurmountable obstacles. Fenn’s “learning curve” could perhaps be likened to the ascent of Everest as she dealt with the reality that despite good intentions on everybody’s part, guiding and mentoring these two damaged young men was a huge challenge. When this effort was paired with the rearing of her own two babies, one adopted and one the result of her own extremely difficult pregnancy, while her husband was trying to establish his medical practice, it seemed to be truly beyond human achievement. Yet it WAS achieved.

Fenn did learn, however; and her description of that process, more than anything else, produces a narrative of universal appeal. Although few of us are likely to take on challenges of the magnitude of those this author undertook, all of us can appreciate the importance of growth in compassion and empathy she so brilliantly exemplifies. A must-read book, and don’t neglect to watch the video, as well!

Three champions, three heroes -- Lisan Fenn, Leroy and Dartanyon -- three people who beat the "odds" and proved, each in their own way, that physical problems do not stop a person from being a champion.

Lisa Fenn formed an "unlikely" bond with a two young Afro-American men who faced innumerable odds -- blindness, the loss of limbs, and families who were not very nurturing or supportive. Despite this, the three of them together wove an incredibly strong bond that carried them above all this and ultimately to a triumph that most people would consider impossible to achieve.

Lisa Fenn writes with grit, toughness and compassion, the reader stands by and watches as Lisa goes against the norm and faces odds the likes of which most people will never have to deal with -- and she does so voluntarily, with compassion and tough love.

All three individuals in this book are heroes. If only others would follow their example.

ESPN reporter-producer Lisa Fenn writes with clarity and strength, and her tone feels entirely authentic. Take care if you have even a shred of a soft heart, because you'll feel sorrow, and might just cry with joy. Don't read it in public if you hate showing emotion.

Leroy is suddenly truncated by a horrific train accident when on his way to grade school, he trips and his legs are severed. His mother, a junkie, beats him mercilessly with whatever weapon she has at hand. He's fatherless. Dartanyon is visually-impaired, and has no family to care for him, neither physically nor emotionally, after his mother dies. He doesn't have a reliable roof over his head; food is often hard to come by, and when it's available, it's never healthful. He eats pancake syrup sandwiches, for instance, and is glad to have that. The boys meet when both try out for the high school wrestling team, and Dartanyon starts carrying Leroy everywhere on his strong, broad, back. That's the title's source, but it refers even more to the love for each other that carries them on their journey to a better life. They're good wrestlers, which attracts a local reporter's attention. Fenn's a former local, and her father tells her about the boys which prompts her to do a feature for the giant network.

Fenn commits one of the great sins in journalism - she gets deeply emotionally involved with these kids, vowing that come hell or high water, she's going to help them achieve more than they could ever do without unconditional love and support. Then, unlike everyone else in their lives to date, she keeps her promise. As a reader, I was impressed that she didn't hide her cluelessness about being born into that kind of poverty. It astonishes her that people live that way, but she understands right away that her life - as modest as it was - was privileged. She tries hard not to judge the errors in judgment and strange (to her) behaviors people from America's deep underclass have. When she finds herself passing judgment in her head, she draws herself up short when she puts herself in their shoes. While I never endured what Leroy and Dartanyon did, some of my classmates ate things like ketchup sandwiches or dry pudding mix for lunch and it didn't seem odd at the time. Sometimes, that's just the way it is. I've met many people who blame the poor for this, and who have no sympathy at all for the impoverished. Most of these harsh critics have been Christians, but more about that later.

All the people we meet experience profound changes, learning from each other that things - and especially other people - aren't always as they seem at first glance. Albeit with fits and starts, everyone grows, expanding their lives and their vision for tomorrow's possibilities. Racists find love; hopeless people dare to dream; those withdrawn into fear reach out to accept a hand, and much more. The subtitle is accurate: there is astonishing resilience in these boys, and redemption for those who've failed them. It will be inspiring to many readers who've been and are going through rough times, particularly those with disabilities. But make no mistake - it could give any reader good reasons to carry on, especially those who need a nudge to put one foot in front of the other.

Now the caveat: it should be listed under Christian books, not general non-fiction. There were times I had to force myself not to skip ahead past the preaching. Early on, she mentions her faith and how it sustains her. A few references thereafter would have reminded us of how her life is informed by her faith. I also believe that her faith is genuine and that it motivated her through the hard work she did throughout this story. But it's heavy-handed in places, mentioned repeatedly, and she experiences supernatural events such as hearing voices. It became too much, just as when you're talking to someone who suddenly says she wears orange because she's a Sagittarius, and just won't let the subject go until she finds out your star sign in order to help you, as well. I decided not to reduce the stars, though, because authors don't choose where to place their books - publishers do. It was a close call, but her writing and the narrative are so strong that I still recommend it to others.

Lisa Fenn's moving story of her relationship with two, poor, handicapped, teenage wrestlers from Cleveland, Ohio is more than a feel-good sports story. It's a story of faith and the bravery to overcome obstacles in life -- including the misguided beliefs that a dream job is the most important achievement we can have. With remarkable details of her own journey from sports producer to mother, Fenn teaches the teens in this story the true meaning of life: caring. With a hearty combination of hope, perseverance and planning, she helps Leroy, a wrestler who lost his legs in a train accident and Dartanyon, Leroy's blind, wrestler friend, to achieve a better life. She provides invaluable information for all privileged people to understand how the culture of poverty can become a debilitating trap. This is a story of how to bridge racial, cultural and economic gaps that divide people and in the process create better and more fulfilling lives for all.

Nothing prepared me for this story – nothing really could. While sports has always offered a perfect backdrop for the drama of real life stories dealing with overcoming adversity and the triumph of human will, the story of the way these three people came together, intertwined and created something bigger than sport. Merely saying that it deals with overcoming 'disabilities' doesn't begin to cover it – and does the stories and the people a disservice.

Fenn, a former ESPN producer, was led to a color story by her father in Cleveland – two high school athletes who shared more than their color and the poverty of the inner city and all that that implied; they were bound by fates that left one blind and the other without legs. In the hands of another writer, the story would have the reader in tears at that point, but Fenn isn't about milking the pathos – she sticks with the story, which is not easy or pretty, even as she becomes a part of it herself.
Those who watched the Paralympic Games in Rio this past fall will remember Dartanyon Crockett – and they'll recall that he is blind, but that hardly tells the tale. Leroy's journey continues, as does Crockett's as he heads into life after championships and medals. The three continue, most importantly, as the family they forged along the way.
Beautifully written, excruciatingly so at times. Nothing 'pat' or formulaic, predictable or easy because life isn't like that. It's better.
Buy two – one to read and one to give.

I couldn't stop reading this incredible and inspiring story. When I truly did not have time to read, I still couldn't stop thinking about it. Dartanyon and Leroy overcame so many adversities, but without Lisa's unending love and graciousness this would have been a sad and forgotten tale - one that repeats itself daily across America in some form. Lisa so honestly expresses her frustrations, and in so doing, made me realize my own naivete in understanding socioeconomic and cultural boundaries. Everyone should read this book - to gain insight into others and themselves. It is not easy to follow the right path in this world, but what a difference you can make if you keep trying!

I first learned of the story several years ago when my brother’s wrestling coach showed the original ESPN feature to the team. It is hard to not be impacted by the friendship that formed between Leroy and Dartanyon in the midst of pain, poverty and high school wrestling. The book expands on that friendship and adds a third friend, Lisa Fenn, the ESPN producer who stepped into Leroy and Dartanyon’s world and never left. To Lisa, Leroy and Dartanyon were not simply a good story, they were two young men who needed help. Through her care, love and sacrifice, an unlikely family was born. In the book, the reader is privileged to journey with Lisa, Leroy and Dartanyon through the highs and lows of their story. The book is real and there is a great depth to it. To put it simply, Carry On is an impactful read. I highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved the story.
Lisa spent time developing the characters and being from Cleveland I could visualize every aspect of their lives and struggles.
Job well done. This is truly a book about perseverance, giving of yourself to help others and why it's so important to get to know people and their story instead of judging them on looks and class alone.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

This is an inspirational non-fiction read about caring for others that focuses on her ESPN story about Dartanyon, a visually impaired wrestler and his friend, Leroy, a legless wrestler. It follows their story even after they graduate high school. This book is amazing. It is about overcoming all kinds of obstacles and the power of love in peoples’ lives. Lisa Fenn is an amazing woman of faith who really made a difference!

This book challenges the reader to not make assumptions about people but rather, get to know their story and thereby understand them. There are a lot of touching parts in this book and both highs and lows which makes it a very interesting read. The parts I liked the most were the wrestling and Judo matches, but it was all good once I accepted that it was much more than just about sports. I would recommend this to anyone!

CARRY ON is an amazing and uplifting story about a family bond that is formed between three individuals of vastly different backgrounds. Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton, two poverty-stricken, disabled African American teenagers and Lisa Fenn, a white, middle-class woman, who worked as producer for ESPN when the three first met, formed a relationship nearly eight years ago that is still going strong to this very day. What makes this story so incredible and inspiring is the resilience of each of these individuals as they battle through countless obstacles and roadblocks. It is an eye-opening read that will teach you about current issues such as race and economic status as well as redemption and faith. Everyone should read this book, especially young people, as it teaches so many great life lessons. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Expect to be moved and inspired!

Within the storyline of two resilient young men who lived in a world stacked against them, a second story evolved of a woman put in the right place at the right time who believed undauntedly that these two young men, Leroy and Dartanyon, had a higher calling than disappearing into poverty and life without meaning. This real life story which continues as I write these comments is openly honest, emotionally draining, and forces even the most hardened of hearts among us to pause and evaluate one's place in a hurting world.

This amazing book caught me off guard. I left it sitting unopened on my desk for weeks. Finally I took it home and settled in to check off another story about a couple of competitive teens making their way by using their athletic prowess. Instead I fell in love with people, got caught up in human struggle, was inspired by tales of generosity, resilience and persistence and so much more.

The author, Lisa Fenn, while working on a feature for ESPN met Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton in a high school gym in Cleveland. She made her video and more than four million people met them too and were as thunderstruck by their personalities and stories as she was. Amazingly, Fenn then transformed her experience into a non-fiction tale that weaves themes of tragedy, poverty, disability, race, family, sports, education and people finding their way through challenges that are core to the human experience.

For example, Fenn writes “ Story is the counterforce to intolerance. In this story my father began, our family narrative on race took a healing turn. My father found that when you learn another’s story, you can understand that person rather than fear him. Today, he looks not so much at people but into them---into their hearts, into the cores of their experiences---and he sees beauty.”

Who doesn’t think that’s important? Who doesn’t think that finding a way to shift from fear to appreciation, prejudice to curiosity and from a narrow perspective to a broadening experience is something to at least try, if not adopt? Maybe some people but most will agree that this message Fenn brings in the midst of an amazing story is worth thinking about.

The fact is that this message about race is only one of many moments in the book where I caught myself seeing things more clearly, thinking thoughts more deeply and feeling the intensity of what it takes to live life fully. When I closed the book the only regret that I had was that I put off reading it for so long.

An inspiring story; breathtaking, heartbreaking, humbling, frustrating, triumphant beautiful story about friendship, trust, love, resilience, and family. It will immediately have you challenge yourself to look around and try to figure out how you, individually, can change the world with just one act.
It builds upon it's original premise of "What would you do for a friend?" and expands on it to ask "What would you do to change someone's life?"
I will be recommending friends and family add it to their 2017 reading lists. Amazing story!

What begins as a sports story about two high school wrestlers from Ohio quickly transforms into a book about the struggle of two high school students. Their real life opponents quickly outweigh any that they will face on the wrestling mat.
In Carry On, by Lisa Fenn, we are introduced to Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton, two high school wrestlers for Lincoln West High School in Cleveland, Ohio. What begins as a story about the athletic and personal lives quickly becomes something much bigger. Instead of seeing the battle
with weight class opponents, the reader sees the real daily match with poverty, overcoming disabilities, homelessness, and perhaps the biggest and worst challenges, disinterest and giving up hope.
For Fenn, an ESPN reporter at the time, the story becomes too real and personal as she wrestles with these issues and her viewpoints on them.
In the end, Fenn turns the book into a story about family, outreach, compassion and caring. What it means to be really concerned about to care for another comes to life through her story.
Sport teaches people many lessons, but in reality it is the people who play and participate in sport that become the real teachers. In Carry On, Lisa Fenn, chronicles the lessons of family, hope, friendship, and determination. She uses the art of story to help Dartanyon and Leroy teach those things to the reader.

ESPN producer Lisa Fenn's book, Carry On, chronicles her experience covering two disabled athletes from Ohio. This must-read memoir centers on high school wrestling, where Leroy Sutton and Dartanyon Crockett meet. Sutton, who lost his legs in a train accident, is carried by the blind Crockett to class and meets because their high school is so disadvantaged, there isn't even an elevator. But the story goes far deeper than wrestling mats and locker rooms. As Fenn returns to her hometown of Cleveland to cover the two athletes for her work, she becomes part of their lives--permanently. The story of this petite Ivy Leaguer and the two brawny athletes is striking--striking in how they are from the same town, yet from different sides of the tracks. She gently, but vividly illustrates the complexities and many obstacles poverty creates. This is a book I love, and it's message speaks far beyond the individual narrative that Fenn shares. Carry On offers hope and inspires the reader. I highly recommend it.

I devoured Carry On and found myself underlining and marking passages with hearts, stars, smiley faces and even some tear drops. I loved this book and its powerful story. Carry On is the evidence that mentoring works, that caring about another person – really investing in someone – makes a difference.
Read my full book review here: [...]

My non-profit organization works with many young people who have so much potential but who lack the access to educational and career pathways and the social connections that their wealthier peers have. Young people are resilient but they need those strong relationships with adults that they don't want to disappoint and to whom they can depend on for support.

In reading this book, all of this is brought home so clearly. This book tells a compelling story of two boys who have had to face familial issues, trauma, societal barriers and disabilities and yet with strong adult relationships were able to succeed.None of it was easy and there were many setbacks and disappointments but it tells the story of the importance of relationships.

It also reminds me that it is a two-way street and that everyday I get so much from my students and learn so much from them as Lisa and her family got from Leroy and Dartignon.

Bravo! Must read.

"Carry On" should be the next book you read. After listening to my husband's praise of the book, its writing, the inspirational story, and what a remarkable woman the author, Lisa Fenn, must be I decided I should try to get through it. With the help of several tissues I read this most compelling story of Dartanyon and Leroy, two challenged teen wrestlers from Cleveland, and an unlikely village that raised them.
More than anything this book helped me to better understand how overwhelming and hopeless generational poverty can seem. It gave me great appreciation and gratitude for the unselfish generosity of Lisa and her team.

Five stars plus. A well-written story of two special young high school wrestlers. Not only a story of resilience and redemption, but also faith and courage. Lisa Fenn, formerly of ESPN, weaves the story of two young men with her life, family and faith. She writes, "As Socrates wrote, sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down." MS Fenn cared enough, however she just didn't know how much she was in for, but she had the strength to continue. One of the best books I have read recently

What an awesome, inspirational story! I initially was interested in the book because I was looking for a book to read about wrestling. Although this book doesn't talk a whole lot about wrestling, the inspirational aspect greatly surpasses the athletic part. The book is very well-written and inspires all who read to help make the world a better place. If you are even remotely interested in reading this book, DO IT! It is well worth it and is probably the best book I've read.!

"Carry On" is an awe-inspiring manifestation of what one can achieve. Lisa Fenn shares her remarkable account of assisting Leroy and Dartanyon in overcoming their early-life traumas. Through the grace of God, her untiring persistence, the blessings of her family and friends, as well as the support of her employer, ESPN, Lisa has been able to provide Leroy and Dartanyon a more secure and purpose-filled life. Leroy and Dartanyon heroically join Lisa in proving that poverty and disabilities can be overcome with love, trust, education, hard work, and community support.

A very insightful book. It would have been so easy for the boys to fall victim to their surroundings, but with the guidance and support from such a caring woman, they were given the opportunity to succeed! Was it easy? Uhm.....you will know once you read the book!

I found myself slowing down my reading of this story to absorb and savor the value of the love and dedication that Lisa projects throughout. It's a riveting telling that demands that you read on. It's a personal story of faith and one's ability to persevere through difficult experiences and to go on. It is not a sports story; it is inspirational for all. Thank you Lisa Fenn and your family for sharing "Carry On" with us.

This book was hard to put down. It is beautifully written and, as the reader, I was fully absorbed into the story. The backgrounds, personalities and relationships of the characters are well developed. The story has twists and turns that happen both on and off the wrestling mat. Despite all of life's struggles, in this story determination, faith and love come out on top.

The first couple chapters of this book I was extremely uncomfortable. The book seemed yet another story about how some white person rescued a poor black child from a bad neighborhood. These kinds of stories can come across as self-aggrandizing. Plus in our current culture I'm hypersensitive to stories that might paint a picture that black people need a white person to step in and save them.

However, I found myself getting more and more engaged in the story of these two young men and the authors experience with them. She did an exceptional job of keeping the story about them, and not really about her. She spent a lot of time developing their personalities so I really got A sense of who they were as individuals. Then, as the story continued, she was totally and brutally honest about her mistakes and errors of understanding. The last few chapters had me alternately in tears, and cheering.

I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to my friends.

Carry On is a book about family, friendship and love. It involves two wrestlers from inner city East Cleveland, one legally blind and the other a double amputee, and an ESPN producer.

Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton, who lost both of his legs after being run over by a train at age 11, were the subjects of an ESPN documentary. Crockett carried Sutton on his back to and from wrestling matches. To Crockett, it was just an act of caring, and for Sutton it allowed him to have faith in humanity again. They were like brothers. And, although they both felt the same way, they had never expressed it until an on-camera interview.

Producer Lisa Fenn discovered that the best way to produce a documentary on friendship was to become part of it. Before long, she found herself crossing the journalist line of deeply caring for the teenagers and being determined to help them. She became their "guardian angel."

Hopelessness seemed to dominate the lives of Crockett and Sutton. Fenn writes, "Hope is a commodity in hardened places." Their wrestling coach said, "The world's got nothing for them."

Of course, Crockett and Sutton were leery of Fenn, whom they suspected was a "Turkey Lady," one of the white women who came around at the holidays to deliver a turkey to the poor and then leave."

Fenn, an Ivy League graduate, described the teens as "Kids born into sets of disadvantaged conditions that cascaded into subsequent negative outcomes. As children, they attended underfunded schools and returned home to overstressed, single parents who were not equipped to nurture their emotional development. As teens, they moved frequently, experiencing regular episodes of hunger, homelessness and unemployment."

The 13-minute ESPN documentary resulted in an outpouring of kindness and donations to help Crockett and Sutton attend college. Although it opened many doors, the struggles were not over. Fenn was deeply involved with the boys, helping them to navigate the barriers and obstacles. Although the boys had graduated from high school, they weren't academically ready to attend college and they lacked the maturity and responsibility required to live on their own.

In the end, Carry On is an uplifting and inspiring story that shows what's possible when people love and care about each other.

Beautiful story, well-written, honest and heartfelt. I purchased the audio book to listen to while I drive to/from work but I couldn't help but continue listening during the day - finished in less than 2 days! By the end of the story, I felt like I personally knew each of the individuals. Really liked that Lisa Fenn narrated the audio book - it brought another personalized touch to the story.

Well written book of transformed lives and the power of love, perseverance and determination! A must read for 2017 and would be great read for a book group too! Great story how every life truly matters!

I loved this book. Lisa has a great writing style, and I highly recommend listening to the audio version, which Lisa narrates, as it captures her heart well. The author was able to tackle some complex issues - poverty, race, family, and helping young adults become self-sufficient - with honesty and insight. Carry On is a truly inspiring read that I highly recommend.

This is truly an amazing story of love and friendship and how familial ties are not necessarily based on genetics. I had the honor of meeting Lisa, Dartanyon and Leroy at a book signing in Denver. Their chemistry is soft, natural and loving. Their story of learning to trust each other and how 3 lives were transformed by their connection is a must-read. Lisa is a gifted author and filmmaker. This book is engaging and enlightening.

Lisa broke the rules of journalism and got personally involved in the lives of her subjects but in doing so she made a difference in the lives of two young men who had little in their lives. She met the unlikely friends Dartaynon (blind) and Leroy (an amputee) while doing a human interest story for ESPN. She saw the potential in their lives and with the support of benefactors was able to help them to move forward in life through sports and education. This is a moving story of how one person can have an impact on the lives of others.

I reluctantly read Carry On for my most recent book club. I say reluctantly because since it's summer and I had a stack of beach reads ready to go. Boy am I glad my book club friend recommended this incredibly moving story of friendship

A compelling story that inspires you to keep going. 100% recommend this book to anyone who has ever endured suffering and challenges throughout their lives. Lisa does an excellent job of grasping readers' hearts.

An inspirational story beyond compare, written with empathy and honesty. The metamophsis and realizations that the author shares are vision and life changing for this reader. One of those stories that can be read multiple times in order to appreciate all of the nuances. Well done, Lisa.

We read this book in our book club. Everyone loved the story and agreed that it was very well written (this rarely happens!). We had a great discussion. It is an amazing true story about love, dedication, and resilience. It is also eye opening to the struggles and lack of privileges in poor communities in the United Ststes.

Excellent book about strength, human perseverance, chance of human interaction and most of all, love. The world needs all of these qualities right now. Would be an excellent addition to any school curriculum. Thank you for you, Lisa Fenn.

What an inspiring story about Lisa, Dartanyon and Leroy. I actually read excerpts from the book to my two young boys, to provide some reality and inspiration in their lives. Truly an amazing story, great book, and great read. I highly recommend it.