A review by maigahannatu
The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family by Dave Pelzer

5.0

In "A Boy Called It", Dave Pelzer describes the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother. In this sequel he starts with a glimpse into the story he describes in detail in "A Boy Called It", but this story is mainly about his journey into foster care. He has great respect for the foster care system while acknowledging that there are not enough case workers or foster parents to meet all the needs. I found this book especially compelling after having been involved with the care of a foster child in our daughter's home. I saw some of the same things that Dave Pelzer describes here: the inability to believe that there is enough food and that you will be fed regularly; sleep difficulties; lashing out in anger because you don't understand what is happening; waiting endlessly and hopefully for a parent to show up who doesn't make parental visits because they are dealing with so much pain in their own lives; behind age in social skills and personal care, etc. It takes Dave a while in foster care to realize that the coping skills that got him through his mother's abuse could get him through life. He becomes resilient and strong while coming to understand that he may not ever fully understand why his mother was so broken. I could not put this book down and read the entire thing in two days.