Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class

Rob Henderson's memoir Troubled is a powerful and thought-provoking account of growing up in foster care,enlisting in the US Air Force,attending elite universities, and seeing life from both sides of the tracks. It is an unflinching portrait of shattered families,desperation,and determination, and shows how Henderson managed to find an escape route through the military.

Format: Hardback
Length: 290 pages
Publication date: 20 February 2024
Publisher: Swift Press

In this captivating coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson vividly recounts his journey from a tumultuous upbringing in foster care to his enlistment in the United States Air Force, his attendance at prestigious universities, and the invaluable lessons he gained from observing life from both sides of the tracks.

Born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never knew, Henderson endured a tumultuous childhood, moving between ten different foster homes in California. Despite being adopted into a loving family, he faced a series of tragedies, poverty, and violence that marked his adolescence.

Troubled is an unflinching portrayal of shattered families, desperation, and unwavering determination. It chronicles how Henderson, in the face of adversity, found a path to escape through the military, leading to an academic career at Yale and Cambridge. As he reflects on the lives of his friends, who faced drug addiction, death, and prison, Henderson cannot shake the feeling of being an outsider, or the sense that his academic accomplishments pale in comparison to the love and protection provided by a stable family life.

Henderson delves into the hypocrisies of contemporary social class, exposing how the most privileged among us benefit from a set of "luxury beliefs" that actively harm the most vulnerable. Through his storytelling, he offers a powerful and thought-provoking analysis of the societal issues that shape our lives.

Rave reader reviews for Troubled have been pouring in, with many describing it as "eye-opening and heart-breaking," "inspiring," "incredible," "wow," and "powerful and thought-provoking." Readers have been deeply moved by Henderson's resilience, honesty, and ability to shed light on the complexities of human experience.

Troubled is a testament to the human spirit's resilience and the power of education to transform lives. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt marginalized or misunderstood, and a reminder that even in the face of adversity, there is always hope for a brighter future.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 223 x 143 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800753648