Autobiography of an American Orphan - by Walter James (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In a confrontation with his past, the author reveals this heart-wrenching depiction of childhood in a New York City multicultural orphanage during the nineteen fifties. Funds were scarce and discipline severe. He describes the relationships between the orphans, the counselors, the nuns, and the priests, with an emphasis on how it shaped his life. As he grows and moves through various houses into his teenage years, the orphanage is faced with a surge of gang members. He befriends a Puerto Rican his own age, which ultimately leads them both to follow his friend's brother, a heroin pusher and addict, into Spanish Harlem just at the beginning of the civil rights movement. His account entails descriptions of ghetto life there and in Brooklyn's Williamsburg district as well, underlining the devastating effects from the separation of his Irish-American family and siblings.

While awaiting his next group of students in an empty classroom in South Korea, Walter James attempted to remember his past in an orphanage. The experiences that surfaced put him in a rage. He knew then that he had to confront his past and exorcize his demons. This book, which began as a psychological self-study, became the emotional account of his story, and took him to places he never thought he would visit again.

About the Author:

Walter, who lost both parents to tuberculosis, is a nationally registered respiratory therapist. He also holds two master's degrees from Monterey Institute of International Studies on the California Coast peninsula of Monterey, Carmel (International Studies & Public Administration). Students there are required to enter with a language other than their own, as they are taught in the foreign language.

Besides his academic studies, he trained with Chinese Master James Wing Woo, attaining a credentialed letter from him to teach the martial arts of Gung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan after fifteen years of training. He carries a bullet in his hip and a knife scar on his throat and attributes his survival to his Chinese training. He looks forward to further publishing, including a collection of street poetry and is inspired by those who struggle to maintain their integrity through life. Walter currently resides in Los Angeles, California.