I Speak For This Child: True Stories of a Child Advocate [Hardcover]

Gay Courter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 1995

This is the true story of Gay Courter's experiences as a court-appointed guardian for children--of her first tentative approach to her local program after learning about it in a Parade magazine cover story, of learning the duties and responsibilities of her position, and of her efforts to ensure that, at least in the cases assigned to her, American's most vulnerable citizens are treated with care and respect.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

How Gay Courter (The Midwife) became a guardian ad litem, a court-appointed advocate for children caught up in the Florida justice system, is detailed with almost Dickensian touches of abuse and familial neglect in the lives of her charges. A serendipitous event led Courter to volunteer for this relatively new position in American justice. Inexperienced in the ways of the courts but fired with idealism and courage, Courter embarked on a mission to right wrongs for victimized children who fell between the cracks of foster care and the law. Here we follow her unflagging efforts to win the trust of her understandably wary clients, tireless travels through the maze of guardianship and, in one case, a hard-won victory in dismissal. No happy endings here: "most of them are in flux," reports Courter, whose heartwarming interventions should inspire others to volunteer in state judicial systems. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Since 1989, novelist Courter (The Midwife's Advice, LJ 9/1/92) has served as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, a court-appointed guardian for children involved in custody battles or child abuse cases. She has worked on more than a dozen cases, privy to the children's wishes as she challenged state agencies, caseworkers, foster parents, and courts to seek her charges' "best interests." This book offers to the public her unique, insider's view of child advocacy in America. Through engaging and true stories of several children with abusive parents, Courter suggests that a child's primary need is "a permanent, safe, nurturing environment." She views the legal, bureaucratic, and emotional issues involved through the eyes of the children, vividly recounting their tumultuous placements in foster homes, humiliating court cases, heartbreaking separation from parents, and personal conversations. Her book will interest all who are concerned with the social health of American communities and will be particularly useful to students of law, public administration, and social work.
Cedar Carlton, New York
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 387 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (January 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517595419
• ISBN-13: 978-0517595411
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book!, September 22, 1999

By 

Kevin Dickey (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Speak For This Child: True Stories of a Child Advocate (Paperback)

This chronicle of the author's experiences as a Guardian Ad Litem in Florida will alternately enlighten you, frustrate you, inspire you, and make you angry. Much, I would expect, like being a Guardian. Besides giving others a blueprint on "how to help," and serving as an education on some of society's problems that most people wish they could ignore, this book is great reading, chock full of emotionally-involving, often heart-rending stories. Prepare to be engrossed.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book changed my life., June 3, 2007

By 

Megan L. Wintermantel "Idealist for Kids" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Speak For This Child: True Stories of a Child Advocate (Paperback)

As a freshman in college, I stumbled upon this book in the library, and soon after dedicated myself to improving the child welfare system. Courter's account is incredibly inspiring, emphasizing the responsibility we all have to speak up for kids who have been wronged by our systems. I have now been a court appointed special advocate myself, and it is the most heartbreaking (but rewarding!) volunteer experience of my life.

If you're looking for a book that will be difficult to put down, and stories of kids who are difficult to turn your back on, then this book is for you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A look into the life, November 24, 2002

By 

Elizabeth Dawn Thompson (New Smyrna Beach, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Speak For This Child: True Stories of a Child Advocate (Paperback)

I picked up the book by Gay Courter and could not put it down. Inspiring! I can't say enough about it!