The Girl's Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp

At age 22 Brianna Karp had a great job that she loved as an Executive Assistant. In 2009 she lost her job due to the recession and soon found herself homeless. Her only assets were her car, laptop and a travel trailer that she inherited from her father when he died.

This is an affecting story that gives a face to those who are homeless. But unlike many homeless people Brianna does not give up on the American Dream. Over the course of the book I couldn't help but be devastated for her when something unfortunate happened and cheer for her when her life improved.

This book helps erase many stereotypes we may have about homeless people. Not all are homeless by choice, mentally ill or drug addicts. The ways that Brianna finds to survive being homeless are no less than ingenious and at the end of the book I could only wish for the best for her.

What impressed me about her story is that she never whined. She just gave us the details of her life , no matter how gritty they were. It would have been very easy for her to give up on bettering her life, considering the things she went through. Even though she is young, she is wise beyond her years, and you won't be sorry that you read her story.