Learning Joy from Dogs Without Collars - by Lauralee Summer (Paperback)

About the Book

Free of self-pity and pretension and bursting with meaning, this memoir of a resilient girl who went from "homeless to Harvard" is a masterwork of the genre.

Book Synopsis

Learning Joy from Dogs without Collars is a memoir about growing up homeless. Lauralee Summer and her eccentric, idealistic mother move repeatedly in search of work and a better life, but most often find happiness and security only in their relationship with each other.
When she reaches junior high Lauralee and her mother set out for Boston in search of a better education. There Lauralee thrives under the care and guidance of Mr. Mac, becomes the only girl on the school wrestling team, and goes on to Harvard. Later, when she's nineteen, she finds her father and begins a relationship with him.
Learning Joy from Dogs without Collars is the story of a girl coming into her own, learning and understanding her place in the world. It is about the innocence and resiliency of childhood -- the space of joy that poverty is unable to demolish or diminish.

Review Quotes

Chicago Tribune Lauralee Summer writes about her childhood...with no self-pity and only a touch of awe that she not only survived, but thrived.

Reader's Digest Summer tells her story in a quiet, true voice that will make you smile and cry, sometimes both at once.

San Jose Mercury News Without self-pity or pretension, a young girl tells the story of her climb from foster homes, shelters, and dank apartments to the Ivy League.

The Boston Globe A gem...This memoir [tells] of a woman's singular determination and impressive achievement.

About the Author

Lauralee Summer received a B.A. in children's studies from Harvard University in 1998.