Runaway girl : escaping life on the streets, one helping hand at a time

An inspiring story of redemption, from a young girl who grew up on the streets but found the strength to succeed At age twelve Carissa Phelps ran away from abuse and neglect at home, lived on the streets, and was discreetly abducted and sold by a savage pimp. She was repeatedly sent to juvenile hall and group homes that would house her, but rarely see to her needs. Yet with a few helping hands, she accomplished the unimaginable, earning both a law degree and an MBA from UCLA. Her accomplishments meant she could leave the streets behind, but her success only drew her closer to other children in need; she is now a mentor, a crisis counselor, and an advocate for runaway and homeless youth. This is the tale of a girl who, against the odds, found her strength and faith in the kindness of strangers. Like the multimillion-copy bestseller The Glass Castle , this memoir moves us through the power of its unflinching candor and generosity. “Riveting . . . A genuinely important book that casts the problem of sex trafficking in America into stunning, heartbreaking relief.” ( Kirkus Reviews ) A School Library Journal Best Adult Book for Teens A Joan F. Kaywell Award Finalist from the Florida Council of Teachers of English Carissa Phelps was a runner. By the time she was twelve, she had run away from home, dropped out of school, and fled blindly into the arms of a brutal pimp. Even when she escaped him, she could not outrun the crushing inner pain of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. With little to hope for, she expected to end up in prison, or worse. But then her life was transformed through the unexpected kindness of a teacher and a counselor. Through small miracles, Carissa accomplished the unimaginable, graduating from UCLA with both a law degree and an MBA. She left the streets behind, yet found herself back, this time working to help homeless and at-risk youth discover their own paths to a better life. Like the multimillion-copy bestseller The Glass Castle , this memoir moves us through the power of its unflinching candor and generosity. In this book is a story of triumph and a fierce determination to give back. The author was a runner. By twelve, she had run away from home, dropped out of school, and fled blindly into the arms of a brutal pimp, who made her walk the hard streets of central California. But even when she escaped him, she could not outrun the crushing inner pain of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. With little to hope for, she expected to end up in prison, or worse. But then her life was transformed through the unexpected kindness of a teacher and a counselor. Miraculously, by the time she turned thirty, she had accomplished the unimaginable, graduating from UCLA with both a law degree and an MBA. She had left the streets behind, yet her path would eventually draw her back, this time working to help homeless and at-risk youth find their own paths to a better life. This is her own story, the tale of a girl who lost herself and survived, against all odds, through the generosity of strangers. It is an inspiring true story about finding the courage to run toward healing and summoning the strength to light the way for others Phelps recounts how, with a few helping hands, she accomplished the unimaginable, earning both a law degree and an MBA from UCLA after leaving the streets behind. Today she is an advocate for runaway and homeless youth