FINDING FISH
Antwone Quenton Fisher
Perennial
Memoir
ISBN: 0060007788

In the 1950s, Cleveland Ohio was a proud place that was a brand name city, a family city, a ball city, and a city that was filled with the entertainment of jazz music, gospel music, doo-wop music, blues music, and the music of the symphony. It was already a big city at this time, and it was on the way to becoming the fifth largest city in America. There were thrift stores, barber shops, record shops, clothing, shoe, and liquor stores. It seemed like a happy city to a lot of people, but living in Cleveland wasn't easy because the temperament, weather, and work were harsh to a lot of people.

Baby Boy Fisher was raised in institutions ever since his birth in prison to a single mother. After a while, she decides she doesn't show any interest in caring for him anymore, and she starts looking for foster homes for her son to live in. Baby Boy Fisher goes to live with the Pickett family in Glenville Ohio, and that's when his terrible new life begins.

When he comes to live with the Pickett family, he starts to experience constant physical abuse from Mrs. Pickett and Mr. Pickett because of things that he is accused of doing but didn't really do. Fisher gets to see his mother sometimes, and his caseworkers always make observations between the two of them. Fisher and Dwight, his foster brother, don't get along well at all at first and they get into a lot of fights. Fisher's caseworkers give suggestions to Mrs. Pickett on how to handle Fisher and his behavior, but she doesn't try them and she constantly misses her appointments with them. After a while, Mrs. Pickett sends Fisher back to the child welfare building because she's tired of his negative behavior. Fisher's journey for a place to live resumes.

He goes to live in George Junior Republic, an all male reform school. While there, he gets schooling from teachers and begins to develop social skills with his other classmates. He also decides he wants to be an artist or photographer. When he turns 19, he enlists in the navy. Want to know what happens to him while he's in the navy, and after he gets out of the navy? Read this book to find out!

I liked this book because it inspired me by thinking about how Antwone handled with and put up with physical abuse all of those years. If I would have been Antwone, I would have tried to run away from the home, and I would have told somebody that she was abusing me, because you need to tell someone if you are being abused by someone else, that way the person won't do it to another innocent person ever again.

   --- Reviewed by Ashley, Reading Diva


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