Susanne's Reviews > Home Made: A Story of Grief, Groceries, Showing Up--and What We Make When We Make Dinner

I found this a MARVEL of a book! Written by the daughter of Charlie Hauck, a Boston area man whose alternative service assignment as a 1970's conscientious objector became his life work, tending to underprivileged youth in state care until his death from cancer in 2004. His daughter Liz writes here about her efforts to honor his name and come to grips with her grief over his death by volunteering to cook with teenage boys in the same program once a week for three years between 2006-2009. There are no easy answers here, no miracles for her or for the boys who have no understanding of "family" (because those who end up in state care are, by definition, the products of badly broken families). But she shines a light on the many ways in which community and kindness and service can lead to healing. The key, she says, is to "show up on time when you said you would, do what you said you would do, and leave." This book will give you an unromanticized glimpse into social struggles most of us will never know, and an appreciation for the people who do what they can to help those who need it most.