Introduction to the Stories

This book introduces readers to twelve homeless women in a way that will change our perception of the poor on our streets. Here, we encounter them in their own voices. We discover their pain while we realize their beauty and strength.

The Purpose of Their Stories

Their stories are not intended to elicit guilt or pity, but to evoke compassionate understanding and a concrete response. These stories help us to identify more closely with the homeless and forgotten people who are not far from any of us.

Hope and Compassion

As we fall in love with them (and one another) we realize that, above all, where there's hope, there's life. Goodwill alone is never quite enough.

The Theological Framework

Thus in the second part of the book, the author provides us with a theological framework that will free us from our fear and prejudice and allow us to share more fully in the hope which is offered to all people.