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Finding Fish: A Memoir [Paperback]

Antwone Q. Fisher , Mim E. Rivas
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (195 customer reviews)

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Book Description

December 18, 2001 0060007788 978-0060007782 Reprint

Baby Boy Fisher was raised in institutions from the moment of his birth in prison to a single mother. He ultimately came to live with a foster family, where he endured near-constant verbal and physical abuse. In his mid-teens he escaped and enlisted in the navy, where he became a man of the world, raised by the family he created for himself.

Finding Fish shows how, out of this unlikely mix of deprivation and hope, an artist was born -- first as the child who painted the feelings his words dared not speak, then as a poet and storyteller who would eventually become one of Hollywood's most sought-after screenwriters.

A tumultuous and ultimately gratifying tale of self-discovery written in Fisher's gritty yet melodic literary voice, Finding Fish is an unforgettable reading experience.


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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Thank goodness Antwone Fisher's story has a happy ending--otherwise, his searing memoir would be nearly unbearable to read. His father was killed by a gunshot blast shortly before he was born in 1959; his 17-year-old mother gave him up for foster care. Unfortunately for Antwone, his foster mother was as successful at browbeating and demeaning her many wards as she was at lying to the Child Welfare authorities. His working-class African American neighborhood in Cleveland became purgatory for a sensitive, intelligent boy who quickly turned into a withdrawn underperformer at school. In Fisher's blow-by-blow account of his childhood, his sexual abuse at the hands of a female neighbor is hardly more horrifying than his foster mother's relentless cruelty--especially because respectable, churchgoing Mrs. Pickett justifies it all as due to the boy's wicked faults. Readers will be relieved when she dumps 15-year-old Antwone back at the Child Welfare office, even though he will endure homelessness and a scary spell of criminal employment, before an 11-year stint in the Navy provides him with a way forward. Grim though his tale is, Fisher displays throughout it the grit and stubborn integrity that kept him sane. He musters up some understanding (not forgiveness) for the dreadful Mrs. Pickett, and his eventual meeting with his burned-out mother is painfully poignant. He certainly deserves the beautiful wife and cute two-year-old daughter, cooking pancakes for him in the book's closing and redemptive scene. --Wendy Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

An unflinching look at the adverse effects foster care can have on a child's life, this stunning autobiography rises above the pack of success fables from survivors of America's inner cities. Born in the 1950s to an underage single mother serving time in prison for murder, Fisher was placed in the home of a staunch minister and his wife, who appeared to be a loving couple to the series of foster care workers who monitored their home in one of Cleveland's working-class neighborhoods. Writing in a deft mix of elegant prose and forceful dialect, Fisher is especially adept at dramatizing the tactics of control and intimidation practiced by his foster mother on the abused children in her care, such as crushing Fisher's self-esteem by calling him worthless, shaming one girl after she began her period and making the boys bathe with Clorox. (Fisher supports his detailed recollections with excerpts from the actual foster-care records.) An added bonus is the author's vibrant recreation of several key black neighborhoods in Cleveland during the golden age of the Black Power movement, before the areas disappeared under the aegis of urban "renewal." If a major feature of survival memoirs is their ability to impress readers with the subject's long, steady climb to redemption and excellence, then this engrossing book is a classic. (Feb. 5) Forecast: Boosted this season by a national ad campaign, 25-city radio campaign and a six-city author tour, interest in Fisher's autobiography is guaranteed to swell when the movie adaptation of the book (shooting this month and directed by Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, who will also star) hits screens nationwide (tentatively scheduled for next winter).
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 339 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (December 18, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060007788
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060007782
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (195 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Good for Antwone Fisher and sharing his story. Jonnie Santos  |  55 reviewers made a similar statement
It shows how the love of people can make a difference in a life. C. Stephans  |  27 reviewers made a similar statement
I cried and laughed while reading this book. E. Dixon  |  26 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty and real February 6, 2001
By aisela
Format:Hardcover
I haven't finished "Finding Fish" yet (I'm about three-quarters of the way through), but I was compelled to write this review anyway. I am an avid fan of memoirs, and "Finding Fish" is the most indescribably sad books I've ever read. Antwone Fisher's hardscrabble life, so lacking in the simple pleasures and creature comforts such as love and affection, is almost painful to read; as you turn the page you'll find yourself hoping that this will be the paragraph where his life begins to take a turn for the better. What you get instead is continuous accounts of cruel, heartless treatment which starts from the time Antwone is a toddler and last into his young adulthood.

Fisher recounts his life story with the same emotional detachment that must have been necessary for him to survive his childhood surroundings, but as you get further into the story you realize that he doesn't need to "dress up" is words. The power of his pain does not need embellishment. Be prepared to cry as you read this book, but also be prepared to feel joy for and pride in Fisher for struggling through, perserving, and ultimately finding success. This story will make you take stock of your own life and feel grateful.

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A heart-wrenching inspiration August 13, 2001
Format:Hardcover
I came upon this book by chance while browsing through an airport book store. From the first page, I was hooked, as the writer opens with a narrative about his father; a father he never knew because he was shot by his mother before he was born. Fisher eloquently allows the reader to share in the horrors he experienced as a ward of the state of Ohio. With each page, one can feel the disappointments, the physical and emotional pain this child endured every day of his life. The story tells of his life in an orphange, followed by what one would believe, his salvation, in the home of his foster parents. Unfortunately, life with his foster parents resulted in a slow demise of his spirit. He endured physical, sexual, and emotional abuse on a daily basis, and grew into adulthood with an extremely low self-esteem and no self-worth. How he survived is truly miraculous.

This book not only gives you insight into the child welfare system, but it carries you into the hearts of the orphaned children that the system often fails.

This book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you thank God for your blessings. and make you realize just how powerful determination can be.

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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Relating to Antwon Fisher January 1, 2003
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I can certainly relate to Antwon Fisher's story, for I was placed in three different foster homes and suffered everlasting effects at the hands of a Reverend and his wife along with another foster home who maimed and tortured the children under their care. I also joined the U.S. Navy in 1984 after being in these homes and am currently serving as a Chief Petty Officer.

This story brings with it the breadth and magnitude of how a courageous young man fought the odds of a turbulent pass to become a success in life. The book is well worth buying and the movie will be just as exciting to watch.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars m
This is a remarkable story of the strength of a child to overcome such a tortured life; to rise above abuse and rejection, and confront his past. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Jo Anne Herman
2.0 out of 5 stars finding fish
it is OK, but boring; I read the book and the book was boring also; the actors were chosen well, the ending was good, still did not really like it
Published 1 month ago by helen walts
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful - Gut-Wrenching - Inspirational - Deeply Satisfying
This is one of the most memorable and deeply affecting books I've ever read.

I found the very beginning a little hard to follow (a brief history of his birth parents. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. Aronson
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book
I love this book. So much so that I wrote Mr. Fisher and had him sign the copy that I originally bought from Amazon. This book was an inspiration to me. Read more
Published 2 months ago by AJZ
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read!
Though this book is somewhat sad and disturbing in parts, its a good book. It's based on a true story and is written by the individual who experienced this. Read more
Published 3 months ago by smurff85
5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Fish
I recently saw Antwone Fisher on The Ricky Lake Show which prompted me to buy this book. An amazing story & a easy read.
Very inspirational!
Published 3 months ago by judyboop
4.0 out of 5 stars Story
Saw the movie. It's was so sad. Don't know why I bought the book. But if you want to know more about his life, this is a good book for that.
Published 3 months ago by Brenda
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!
Very inspirational! Very detailed autobiography of his life and extremely interesting! I couldn't believe he went through everything described in the book! Great read!
Published 4 months ago by Denise Haynes
5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening
A very inspiring story. This memoir really is really touching. I would definitely recommend this to my friend. Coming from a two parent home this story was really an eye opener.
Published 4 months ago by Tierria
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book
Antwone Fisher's life is captivating to follow. He describes the people who raised -or did not help to raise-and they can truly be seen to others. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Reader
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