Scratch Beginnings

by: Adam Shepard

Published by: SB Press

Reviewed by Julina K. Mills

In this “social science” story, Adam Shepard has decided to take matters into his own hands. With $25 dollars in his pocket, a sleeping bag, and the clothes on his back, he sets out after college for a year-long project to discover if it is possible for a young homeless man to find the American Dream.

Riding a train to a city he literally pulled out of a hat, Adam finds himself experiencing the hazards of street life immediately when he is repeatedly approached for money and then threatened by a gang. Fortunately he is able to make his way across town to Crisis Ministries, a homeless shelter that provides him with a place to sleep, a hot meal, and a case manager who helps him to get on his feet.

Adam finds out firsthand what it is like to start with nothing and work his way to the top. With determination and a desire to succeed, he makes friends in the shelter and lands a blue collar job working for one of the top moving companies in the country. Saving everything he earns and only spending money when absolutely necessary, Adam is able to earn his way out of the shelter and rent a duplex with his co-worker’s cousin as a roommate.

Throughout the story, Adam hides his real identity from the people he meets. Using a fabricated story about an alcoholic father and drug-addicted mother, Adam fits in with the other men at the shelter and learns about their troubled pasts. Some of the people he meets, like Omar, are also struggling to find a better life, while others are happy just to exist from day to day.

In less than a year Adam is able to reach his goals and not only have a place to live but also purchase a used vehicle and have a little money in the bank. His project is cut short when he needs to return home to help his mother through an illness, but nevertheless his project is a success.

Armchair Interviews says: Scratch Beginnings is a great read for anyone interested in the Social Science genre.

Author’s Web site: http://www.ScratchBeginnings.com