Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and my Journey from Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray

ISBN: 0786868910
Publisher: Hyperion (2010)
335 p.

Reading Level: Teens and adults.

Summary:

Liz Murray was born to parents who were addicted to drugs and alcohol, and a sister who had to take care of herself. Although her parents tried to love her the best they could, they failed again and again at providing for her. She didn’t bathe or eat regularly and would accompany her father dumpster-diving for useful items discarded by others. Not finding acceptance at school, she’d skip for long periods of time, only showing up for the tests in order to graduate to the next grade. When her mother and father separated and her mother’s boyfriend proved hard to live with, she ended up with her best friend, Sam, on the streets. After years of being homeless, she was able to enroll in the Humanities Preparatory Academy in Chelsea, New York. After graduating, she won a scholarship from the New York Times and made it to Harvard. Now she is a motivational speaker and the founder and director of Manifest Living, helping others believe in themselves and realize that they, too, can overcome obstacles.

Critical Evaluation:

This memoir’s tone is one of continual hope. Although heartbreak resounds at the turn of every page, Liz still manages to pick herself up and continue living. Using everyday language to propel her story along gives readers a sense that they are standing alongside her. When her mother dies and she goes to see her sister, Liz, at a coffee shop, she sees her not as her angry sister, but as a girl numbed by sadness: “Sitting by herself in front of a cup of coffee, but no food . . . her eyes were bloodshot. As I approached and we looked at each other, my heart broke all over again” (p. 226) She and her sister attempt to repair their relationship and then Liz, while struggling with homelessness, school, and getting into college, also reunites with her father:

Though he’d disappointed me countless times through the years, life had already proven too short for me to hold on to that . . . I took all of my anguish and released it like a fistful of helium balloons to the sky, and I chose to forgive him. (p. 295)

This courageous story is one every teen should read. There will be what seems to be insurmountable pain and hardship in life, but if one can keep the hope of life alive, then there is a better chance to grow and live life. This novel was also made into an uplifting Lifetime film, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, which would make a great addition to anyone’s collection.

Reader’s Annotation:

‘“Lizzy, don’t ever get high, baby. It ruined my life.’ . . . With dried blood spattered on her arm, her eyes manic with concern, and her voice filled with love, it was probably the most compelling anti-drug message anyone could have given me” (p. 168).

Author Biography:

The life of Liz Murray is written in this novel. The aftermath is a story that gives hope
and joy to readers. After graduating from high school and winning the New York Times scholarship, she graduated from Harvard in 2009.

Since graduating, she’s been a motivational speaker throughout the country and has been awarded The White House Project Role Model Award, among many others. She is the founder and director of Manifest Living, which is a company “whose mission is to empower adults to create the extraordinary in their own lives” (Retrieved from

http://manifestliving.com/bio/).

Genre: Non-Fiction - Memoir

Curriculum Ties:

English or Social Studies. Also, any after-school outreach programs could read the book and/or view the film and find hope in their own lives through Liz’s story.

Booktalking Ideas:

-Discuss how young people might navigate the world if they were homeless
while also going to junior high and high school.

-How could Lisa have helped Liz?

-Discuss the breaking point between her and Carlos.
What are the most common indicators of an abusive relationship?

Read-Alikes:

-Sleep in Me by Jon Pineda.

-Tiger, Tiger: A Memoir by Margaux Fragoso.

-The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

Challenge Issue:

The situations depicted in the novel are gritty and contain violence, sexual scenes, and street language, but since they cover the author’s real life, all the scenes are contextual to her journey and should serve as a lesson in perseverance and triumph.

Reason to include in blog:

I saw a bit of the film made of this memoir entitled, Homeless to Harvard, and I thought it would be a great addition to the blog, especially after I read it. I also thought it a good selection for both non-fiction and memoir.

 

References:

Murray, L. (2010). Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival,

and my Journey from Homeless to Harvard. New York: Hyperion.

West East Center. (2010).  Manifest Living: Results. Passion. Possibilities.

Retrieved from http://manifestliving.com/bio/

  

Video of Liz Murray: