Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Liz Murray (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 24, 2011

"Breaking Night"
Urban slang for: staying up through the night, until the sun rises

"Breaking Night reads more like an adventure story than an addiction-morality tale. It's a white-knuckle account of survival. . . . Murray's stoicism has been hard-earned; it serves her well as a writer. Breaking Night itself is full of heart, without a sliver of ice, and deeply moving."
--The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)

"From runaway to Harvard student, Murray tells an engaging, powerfully motivational story about turning her life around. . . . In this incredible story of true grit, Murray went from feeling like `the world was filled with people who were repulsed by me' to learning to receive the bountiful generosity of strangers who truly cared."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The admirable story of a teen who overcame homelessness through sheer grit and the kindness of friends. . . . An uplifting story of survival."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Education was the miracle that saved Murray's life. . . . Her story is inspirational, and her description of [her high school], and its role in her life, should be read by everyone concerned about education."
--Washington Post Book World

"Truly uplifting. . . . Liz Murray has shown us the worst, and the very best, of America."
--Haven Kimmel, author of A Girl Named Zippy and She Got Up Off the Couch

"Liz Murray shows us that the human spirit has infinite ability to grow and can never be limited by circumstance. Breaking Night is a beautifully written, heartfelt memoir that will change the way you look at your community, the obstacles in your own life, and the American Dream. An inspiration; a must-read."
--Robert Redford

"Searing and raw. . . . Murray's memoir is a riveting look at drug abuse, shattered families, and her own resilience."
--Newark Star-Ledger

Winner of the 2011 Young Adult Library Services Association Alex Awards for the 10 Best Adult Books of the Year that also appeal to teens.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. From runaway to Harvard student, Murray tells an engaging, powerfully motivational story about turning her life around after growing up the neglected child of drug addicts. When Murray was born in 1980, her former beatnik father was in jail for illegally trafficking in prescription painkillers, and her mother, a cokehead since age 13, had just barely missed losing custody of their year-old daughter, Lisa. Murray and her sister grew up in a Bronx apartment that gradually went to seed, living off government programs and whatever was left after the parents indulged their drug binges; Murray writes that drugs were the "wrecking ball" that destroyed her family-- prompting her mother's frequent institutionalization for drug-induced mental illness and leading to her parents inviting in sexual molesters. By age 15, with the help of her best friend Sam and an elusive hustler, Carlos, she took permanently to the streets, relying on friends, sadly, for shelter. With the death of her mother, her runaway world came to an end, and she began her step-by-step plan to attend an alternative high school, which eventually led to a New York Times scholarship and acceptance to Harvard. In this incredible story of true grit, Murray went from feeling like "the world was filled with people who were repulsed by me" to learning to receive the bountiful generosity of strangers who truly cared.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

While reading Murray’s memoir, you can’t help but continuously wonder how the young woman narrated on the page could be the same woman who survived to become her author. In the harrowing tale of her childhood in the Bronx, Murray’s straightforward and no-frills prose hits hard. These are the facts, and they are not pretty: Murray watched her parents’ mainline cocaine at the kitchen table from before she could speak, and the family often spent 25 days a month—the time after her parents blew the welfare check to feed their blazing drug habit—starving. Regarding her parents’ addiction with the utmost benevolence, Murray tells of bearing the weighty burden of young protector to her obviously flailing parents, and eventually living on the streets when it was less unhappy—and perhaps safer—than staying at home. With no resources to speak of, she ultimately commits to high school and finds her prospects can be great. Neither sensationalizing nor soliciting pity, Murray’s generous account of and caring attitude toward her past are not only uplifting, but also a fascinating lesson in the value of dedication. --Annie Bostrom --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (May 24, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401310591
• ASIN: B005IUHJUG
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (456 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 106 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sins Of The Parents and Their Parents September 11, 2010

By C. Hutton

Format:Hardcover

In an unusual transition, this true story went from a made-for-TV in 2004 to an enthralling memoir in 2010. "Homeless to Harvard" was the descriptive title of the movie and it is incorporated into the book title. Liz Murray's grandfathers were abusive alcohols who made the streets seem safer than home. The parents of Liz Murray were baby-boomers who grew up in the '60's and were drug addicts in the '70's. It was Liz Murray who has broken the generational pattern of violence, of substance abuse and of homelessness. She is all of thirty now.

This autobiography is a can't-put-down page turner describing the crazy life of having indiscriminating drug addicts for parents (all drugs were good, but cocaine was always better). Having worked for many years with children and teenagers with lives similiar to the author, her story rings true with its harrowing details of survival (which seemed normal to her, having nothing else to compare it to). Her prose is simple and straight forward as she describes her journey from darkness to light (hence the title).

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book Liz ~ September 10, 2010

By JaneMancini

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have been waiting for this book to come out for a while.
Really enjoyed the movie, but the book has so much more detail about what Liz had to endure on her journey.
It is an amazing story and one that I will never forget.
The book is very well written - you kind of get swept up into her daily life growing up ..
Anything I'm up against in life, it will most likely pale in comparison to what Liz had to deal with on a daily basis as a child - and reading about the hard road she travelled is an inspiration. Thanks Liz ~ !!

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Triumph over profound adversity October 4, 2010

By MarvelousMarla VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Breaking Night is gripping story about the child of two chronic drug abusers and how she managed to finally break the cycle of dysfunction that turned her life into a nightmare of hunger and homelessness. Despite the bleakness of her upbringing, Liz Murray, much like Jeannette Walls in The Glass Castle, does not play the victim card. In fact, it's not until she is finally safe in her own apartment and about to enroll in college does Liz allow herself to fully grieve over the way she was raised.

Liz Murray was saved by school. The young girl who hated the institution and became a truant finally realizes at age 17 that the only way for her to improve her circumstances is through getting an education, but arriving at that conclusion was no easy task. Liz and her older sister Lisa were raised in abject poverty in the Bronx. Their parents would routinely leave them alone in their apartment while they were out all night scoring drugs. Their mother Jean was legally blind and received government assistance, but as soon as the monthly checks arrived they would be spent on drugs. The girls were so hungry that they ate mayonnaise sandwiches and cherry Chapstick. But Liz still loved both of her parents and even tried to shield them from Lisa's critcism.

Things go from bad to worse after Liz' mother leaves her father to move in with another man who has a job and lives in a better neighborhood saying that it's the only way that she can stay off drugs. Liz refuses to leave her father and is placed in a group home because of truancy and is later released into the custody of her mother's boyfriend. This marks the beginning of a downward spiral that leads to Liz living on the streets and stealing to survive.... Her brief experience in the system was such that she preferred take her chances on the street rather than be treated like less than a person and housed with unstable and mean girls.

Far from some maudlin sob story about a hard knock life, the author relays her story simply and effectively. She talks about the practical implications of being raised by junkies and having to rely on the kindness of friends to meet her basic needs. Liz was often hungry. Her clothing was filthy and raggedy and the kids at school made fun of her because of it it. Liz realized that there would be a point when people tired of helping her and started thinking about her future. She was 17 years old and only had one high school credit and still had no permamnent address, but Liz vowed to graduate from high school rather than just getting a GED in order to give herself more options. One of the biggest lessons she learned from her mother is that when you have no options, you just have to accept what life throws your way. In the case of her HIV positive mother, this meant living with a cruel man who showed her very little compassion in the latter stages of her disease.

The story ends with her about to receive her acceptance letter from Harvard University. She was so anxious about it and was driving herself and her teachers crazy about the decision until a trusted adviser told her that she was going to be okay either way and to give herself a break. The old Liz would have taken this the wrong way, but after two years of hard work, and mentoring she was able to see the truth in those words. Getting to that point was a huge accomplishment and even if she never went to Harvard Liz had made already great strides and was even profiled in The New York Times.

I think this book should be required reading for high school students because it shows not only how easily you can find yourself on the wrong path, but also that it's always possible to start over. This was a truly an inspirational story. Read more ›

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice to read about the people who helped... November 8, 2010

By book worm

Format:Hardcover

This book clearly illustrates how children need good role models.
During the first 2/3 of the book Liz herself makes bad choices. One after another as she finds it easier to survive by dropping out. Her life is horrible and she has no reason to believe it will ever be anything else. It is hard to blame a child who is hungry, dirty and no has support for failing.

It is the last third of the book when Liz somehow summons the courage/determination to finish high school that makes the book worth reading. Finally a few decent people, hard work, some good choices and a great deal of luck give Liz the chance she needs and this becomes an inspirational story.

Her devotion to her parents is perplexing but a very important part of her ability to move forward. She avoids the pity parties and blame game and is able to take advantage of opportunity when it come along. A life witout blame to cloud her thinking is key to her success.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hair-raising, tense and ultimately inspiring September 29, 2010

By Dr Cathy Goodwin TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Liz Murray takes the reader through a complex and painful journey. Her parents were drug addicts so in a way she brought herself up. Somehow she managed to stay on track, even when she was avoiding school. She didn't get into drugs herself and she didn't get crushed by her situation. Even early on, she made things happen, finding "jobs" in a grocery store and gas station.

The best part of the book comes when Liz realizes she needs to do something with her life. A friend tells her about alternative high schools. Liz somehow finds the energy, courage and persistence to apply to all the alternative high schools in New York. She describes one day when she's ready to give up. She's got enough money left for a pizza or train fare to her next interview. Somehow she gets on the train and that's when her life really turns around. Her high school has dedicated teachers and friendly students. She sets a goal: graduate in two years with straight A's. On a school field trip she adds another goal: go to Harvard.

Somehow she does all those things. Her life is a struggle; she doesn't have a home so she has to study in stairwells and other people's homes. I was exhausted just reading about it. Of course, before we open the book we know the outcome.

Murray's book says more than a dozen self-help inspiration books put together. She walks the talk. She somehow knew that much of success is just showing up. She knew her family wouldn't be there for her so she finds a new family from her high school friends and teachers.

And Murray can write. She evokes scenes and conversations. The last few pages of the book are especially strong.

I'm wondering what's next and what happened to some of the people Murray met along the way, and very glad I got this review copy.