At the age of nine, Alton Carter left home and walked himself into foster care with a dream of someday having a normal life. Not a fancy life. Not a famous life. But what once was the American dream: a place to call home that was warm in the winter and bearable in the summer, with regular meals and a loving family that made sure children made it to school on time each day. Building on his award-winning book The Boy Who Carried Bricks, Carter shares more of his own personal childhood stories of trial and survival, making the case that youngsters from such homes should be seen for what they are: not victims but survivors-for they have overcome abuse, neglect, and vio-lence that would cripple most adults.