The 10th Winner of the 2019 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, Awarded by Barbara Kingsolver “What a read this is, right from its startling opening scene. But even more than plot, it’s the richly layered details that drive home a lightning bolt of empathy. To read At the Edge of the Haight is to live inside the everyday terror and longings of a world that most of us manage not to … of us manage not to see, even if we walk past it on sidewalks every day. At a time when more Americans than ever find themselves at the edge of homelessness, this book couldn’t be more timely.”
—Barbara Kingsolver, author of Unsheltered and The Poisonwood Bible
Maddy Donaldo, homeless at twenty, lives with her dog and makeshift family in the hidden spaces of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. She thinks she knows how to survive and whom to trust until she accidentally witnesses the murder of a young man. Her world is upended as she has to face not only the killer but also the police and then the victim’s parents, who desperately want Maddy to tell them about the life their son led after he left home. And in a desire to save her since they could not save their own son, they are determined to have Maddy reunite with her own lost family.
But what makes a family? Is it the people who raised you if they don’t have the skills to look after you? Is it the foster parents whose generosity only lasts until things become more difficult? Or is it the family that Maddy has met in the park, young people who also have nowhere else to go?
Told with sensitivity and tenderness and set against the backdrop of a radically changing city, At the Edge of the Haight is narrated by a young girl just beginning to understand herself. The result is a powerful debut that, much like previous Bellwether winners The Leavers, by Lisa Ko, or Heidi Durrow’s The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, grapples with one of the most urgent issues of our day.
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On my way home from work every day, I pass by a small homeless encampment under the bridge. One night, I saw a young family with teens as I was waiting for the stop light. In that brief moment, I saw the residents of that small homeless community and wondered to myself how they are surviving. They seem t have formed a community where each of them care for each other, protecting each other, and supporting each other.
Reading this book by Katherine Seligman “At The Edge of the Haight”, really brought me back to what happens in those lives – the homeless population whom we feel are a part of society’s on-going issue, a sign of a deteriorating community, a nuisance, or a problem with the way mental health is being addressed in this country. Seligman did a fantastic job of portraying a very realistic picture of the lives of the young homeless and how some find this as a chosen lifestyle.
The story is entirely captivating, immersive, an eye-opening glimpse into the lives of these young people – including their struggles in this emotional and thought provoking read.
I really enjoyed and loved this book.
Maddy has been living on the streets of San Francisco for quite a while. She is comfortable and has her own friends which she considers family. She witnesses a murder of a young homeless boy and now suddenly, the life she knows may be taken away.
Maddy is such a strong character and I immediately was drawn into her world. She is a quiet young lady and she is very intelligent. She reads a situation and knows just how to get out of it. Plus, she has a wonderful dog named Root.
This is a very unique and vivid read. I expected this story to be more about the murder but instead I read about another side of San Francisco. I love anything set in this wonderful city. But, I learned a great deal about how the other half lives.
Need something different…this is it! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Thank you Algonquin for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
At The Edge Of The Haight
By: Katherine Seligman
REVIEW .5
I liked At The Edge Of The Haight much less than I anticipated. The story begins with a shocking disturbing scene, and while I understand the importance of it to the story, I personally wish I had never read the scene. It was too much for me. I’m easily disturbed, and I was soured on the rest of the book. But, most readers likely won’t be bothered like I was. My feeling has nothing to do with the writing or subject matter overall because the story is expertly crafted and compelling.
The plight of the homeless is complex and unique to each person. If you drive by and think this could never happen to you, think again. Most of us are just a couple of personal disasters away from the streets and keeping company with these people whom we look down upon with disgust and disdain. I appreciate the message that resonates throughout the story of survival, chance and choice. I hope this book impacts readers in such a way that we begin to see the homeless as actual people of worth in this world.