In this book, David ... issues a rousing call to make this a more humane and compassionate nation. -Hillary Rodham Clinton
A Place Called Home
A Memoir by David Ambroz
Available Now from Hachette/Legacy Lit
Today, he is an executive at Amazon, a child welfare advocate celebrated by the Obama administration, and a foster parent.
Thirty years ago, David Ambroz was a homeless, malnourished child being removed from his mentally ill mother’s custody after years of neglect and abuse.
A Place Called Home, forthcoming from Hachette, is a gut-wrenching personal account of Ambroz’s early life of poverty and homelessness. Ambroz endured begging, bathing in public restrooms, and foster care, where he endured physical, sexual and emotional abuse, all of which were compounded because of his sexuality.
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The book is also an against-all-odds success story—David made it out, went abroad, earned a life-changing scholarship to Vassar College, and went on to graduate from UCLA School of Law. He co-founded FosterMore.org, an organization that brings together the entertainment industry, foundations, nonprofits and businesses to raise money for and awareness of the needs of foster children.
Praise for A Place Called Home
It's impossible to read A Place Called Home and not want to redouble your efforts to fight the systems of poverty that have plagued America for far too long.
In this book, David shares his deeply personal story and issues a rousing call to make this a more humane and compassionate nation.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
A Place Called Home will take your breath away. It’s a must read for anyone who’s looked at a raggedy street family and asked, ‘Who are those people?’ It’s also for everyone who cares about 'Those People.' You will fall in love with David Ambroz, his beautifully-told, gut-wrenching story, and his great big heart.”You will fall in love with David Ambroz, his beautifully-told, gut-wrenching story, and his great big heart.
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Jeannette Walls, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle
A Place Called Home asks us to reflect-on the family we come from and the family we find, the extraordinary courage of a child and the responsibility we all have to make the world safer for those who enter our world unprotected. In a society far too often consumed by division and dissonance, Ambroz writes to us at just the right time, lighting the way for a better world by asking us to give every child a chance.
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Steve Pemberton, author of A Chance in the World
From his roller-coaster childhood being homeless on the streets of New York City to his boot-strapped entry to the privileged halls of the Ivy League, I was thoroughly entertained and even provoked by David Ambroz’s story. More so than any book I have read in recent times, this must-read made me want to be better man.
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Alan Downs, Ph.D. author of The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in A Straight Man’s World
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It's impossible to read A Place Called Home and not want to redouble your efforts to fight the systems of poverty that have plagued America for far too long.
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-Hillary Rodham Clinton
Imagine if Oliver Twist had been able to describe his own odyssey of a homeless childhood in 19th century England. Oliver needed Charles Dickens to give birth to that story. David Ambroz authors his own tale and a riveting Dickensian reality it is: A childhood on the streets with his brother and sister in the care of a mentally unstable mother; years in a foster care system that runs the gamut from barely tolerable to horrific. A story destined to end in tragedy that magically rewards an indomitable determination to succeed. And he writes well.
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Ted Koppel
David Ambroz faced seemingly insurmountable challenges his entire life and emerged with the grace and wisdom to tell the story. His dreams of a better life via education carried him through childhood abuse, homelessness, foster care, and finally to adulthood, where he leveraged his against-all-odds success to advocate for children living in poverty and foster care. This book is an inspiration to anyone who has encountered hardships, encouraging us to tackle them head-on with courage and determination.
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Madeline Di Nonno, President & CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
In A Place Called Home, Ambroz shares his personal journey out of a childhood marked by poverty, homelessness, and years in foster care – a story of courage, tenacity, and the power of education to transform lives.
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Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
I love a true story where the downtrodden triumph over hardship—and A Place Called Home delivers. David Ambroz, through grit, courage, and integrity, overcomes obstacles beyond my imagination. I found myself cheering for him and the siblings he steadfastly protects, wondering how they were going to survive. David does more than that—he thrives—and then he pays it forward. A Place Called Home is an awe-inspiring story that will lift your spirits and soften even the hardest heart. It’s a beautifully told, captivating memoir.
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David Crow, author of The Pale-Faced Lie
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