Finding Fish: A Memoir

I don't want to tell the story, and ruin the purpose of this book. This was an AWESOME book. If you saw the movie, you'll like the book better. The book expresses more feeling and detail. The book made me cry, especially Antwone's first real christmas gift. It's a tear-jerker. The sad part is, all of it is true.

I am a 19 year old college student and I picked up this book after hearing so many people talking about it and now I know why. You are taken back to the life of Antwone Quenton Fisher, foster-home child with a foster mother from hell. As he told the story of his life, I was horrified that grownups could be so cruel to a child that was helpless with no way of protecting himself. His foster mother, Mrs. Pickett, was deranged, used derogatory names for him, physically and mentally aboused him, and told him negative things about his family. This book made me cry as I realized that there was no Superman in Antwone's life to save the day. He had to fend for himself and be his own Superman. This book is a MUST REAAD for everyone. He poured his heart out and I was glad the book ended the way it did. I will not give anymore away becuase you should go out and BUY this book!...

I saw the movie first and it was wonderful. I know as evryone else does that the book is always better...and this time the book was even better than I expected. As someone else said "no screen play could have been this good."If I may let me reccommend another book also...Child Abduction: How to protect your family.

A few weeks ago, the wonderful woman who keeps our library clean told me that she had watched the TV show "Montel" as he interviewed Antwone Quenton Fisher, a screenwriter and producer. Fisher had written a memoir called "Finding Fish" about his life as a foster child, and she was so impressed and overcome by the story that she asked if we could get the book for her.I did. She read it and gave it to me to read on Thursday. She asked that I talk to her after I read it to see what I thought. Friday was our first day of summer vacation so I began to read. I couldn't put it down, except for a few hours of sleep last night, finishing it this morning.What a heartbreaking story of abuse, emotional, physical, sexual. The story of a boy who was not "invited" as he puts it, into this world. The story has a positive ending, but the vivid descriptions of being unwanted, and the cruelty that human beings can inflict on a child, are guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.For me, one of the most powerful scenes involves three of four foster children being told not to expect any presents at Christmas because they are bad. Presents appear under the tree, but, sure enough, when they come down hopefully and expectantly Christmas morning, the presents that have appeared are for one child only, not anything for the others.When Fisher describes being "sent back" (to Social Services--he had no one else to go back to) I could barely deal with it. I will let you experience it on your own if you choose to read this book. I highly recommend it!

I bought the book because, like Antwone, I'm a Clevelander and a rough contemporary of his. However, I'm white, grew up in another (also working class) part of town and worked in Cleveland on the other side of the human service system. The times, places and even some of the people in the book were familiar to me. So were the circumstances. More importantly, this was a perspective I needed to see and think about once again. Antwone's story was riveting. It's also cautionary because he probably experienced more stability and attention in the "system" than it usually doles it. Antwone had gifts and talents and was fortunate enough to find them and still it was not "a wonderful life" ---- and those who wish to place greater limits on what we do for children cannot back away from that. People interested in the wellbeing of children and youth and should read this book.