An engaging and heart breaking read As Elliott recounts the journey of their childhood you learn how so many systems have failed children in this country along with their families You also learn of the bond the brothers built and the bonds built with adults in the community who helped them along the way This book is not to be skipped but to be read slow and methodically to understand and to make a difference in the world. You will cry for the Boys on the Hill and cheer for their triumphs and achievements English Everyone knows that Philadelphia means city of brotherly love But this book makes that description come alive Three Black boys from Philly whose mother was unable to care for them survived and then thrived because they never lost sight of brotherly love Elliot Iszel and Jacque unlike so many siblings in the child welfare system were able to stay together From that base they could face impossible odds and eventually overcome them. Elliott Glover s debut memoir is a must read book for anyone interested in the foster care system in the United States and anyone who wants to be inspired by the triumph of the human spirit The story is told with both honesty and tenderness It immerses the reader in all the worlds the Glover boys knew first north Philly with various family members struggling with poverty and or addiction Then we dive deep into the system first in the main group home in the city and then in the one on the hill in Avondale PA a rural farming community within an hour of Philadelphia. We meet the Hills a couple who were in charge of the house on the hill of the book title They bilk the system of money by substituting powdered milk for real milk and off brands of food for the expensive versions The food they cooked was barely edible The boys had to rely on double portions of food in the cafeteria in order to survive Worse the Hills held prejudices against Black people as evidenced by the fact that they not only attended a KKK rally but they took Elliott along to witness it when he was recovering from a tonsillectomy. When the financial mismanagement of the money the boys needed for food and clothing came to light the Hills were removed from the household Eventually a support system of sympathetic teachers new foster house parents and admiring fans the boys excelled in athletics emerged The boys never lost touch with cousins aunts and friends in the city Their mother came into and out of their lives They could not count on her but they believed her when she said she loved them. Glover takes you there with thick description using all the senses He wanted to write this book for 25 years and now he has done it He has a whole community of podcast listeners cheering him on He has not forgotten the thousands of other foster kids who were less fortunate or less resilient than he and his brothers He is setting up a foundation for the benefit of other foster children and is especially concerned about the vulnerable time age 18 when the support of the system dries up and kids are thrust out into the open sea without a life jacket English First of all thanks to Elliott Glover for the ARC copy I feel confident to consider this book one of the best memoirs I ve read in recent years I get critical when reviewing books and rarely give out such high praises but I feel like Those Boys are worth than just a round of applause for having survived an arduous life odyssey in the group home Layered with the history of our fractured justice system it entails a plethora of interwoven emotions that symbolize the complexity of the Glover family their respective struggles and how they bonded over their shared experiences. Memoirs are not easy to compose as they can instantly become a dull laundry list I appreciate the amount of effort Elliott has put into it he wrote it with his heart I can t help but admire the Glover brothers as I read on for their tenacity facing life s harshness and uncertainty My heart ached multiple times for what they had to go through given their biological family s inability to support them and that grip loosened when their life finally took a positive turn Seeing those who helped them later along the way made me feel relieved That mixture of emotions has been transported from the author to the readers through careful choices of words and composition It s hard not to become aware of the issues with foster care by feeling the uneasiness that once defined the Glovers life. Frye s refusal of the Spencers adoption request I tried contemplating all the possible reasons It s possible that the families have always been unaware of the implicit bias long rooted in American culture This issue will later plague the adopted child s life if he she remains oblivious to it On the other hand the families might not have the resources to educate themselves about this issue For that I also admire the Glover brothers initiatives to write this book and make their podcast to lead by example as they did in the House on the Hill Sometimes it s the baby steps that make the most difference. An engaging textured read for a wide range of audiences It truly deserves my five star English Such a great book This book tells of the trials tribulations and trauma the author and his brothers endured throughout their childhood From a chaotic family life in North Philadelphia to an abusive group home in small town PA the book not only explores societal and cyclical issues such as intergenerational poverty racism and trauma but also the many downfalls of the foster care system All that the author and his brothers had to experience throughout their lives is heartbreaking but it shows the perseverance and resilience that they possessed As a psychologist who has years of experience working with children in Philadelphia many in the foster care system I believe this book is a must read especially for adolescents teens that have been placed in the foster care system They will be able to relate to the author s experiences as well as be empowered that they too can persevere and overcome It will give them hope and show that their past doesn t define themit shows their strength English A very well written book Elliot s story about his life in the foster system is incredible His resilience is inspiring This was an eye opening read Highly recommend English

Those Boys on the Hill By Elliott Glover

English

319

Kindle Edition

Those Boys on the Hill is a biographical coming of age story about three inner city African American brothers growing up in a group home in a farming community in Pennsylvania Elliott Glover uses a mix of humor sadness and raw situational honesty to share the harrowing experiences that shaped the men he and his brothers Jacque and Iszel have become His narrative shines a light on group homes foster care and the grim realities of those who live through them It is the cathartic telling of defying the odds in a system designed to fail them of perseverance and survival and ultimately of the resilience and tenacity of the human spirit Those Boys on the HillA beautifully written account of life in the foster care system I could not put it down It is a must read English An eye opening gut wrenching must read memoir for anyone whose life has been touched by the foster care system or who knows someone who has That these brothers Elliott Jacque and Iszel Glover were able to rise above the trauma and adversity they experienced speaks of stellar intestinal fortitude and personal mettle English.

. Glover writes with passion and precision He can conjure worlds with words Whether in a diner in north Philly or watching the flames burning at night in Rising Hill Md: I can relate to the struggle despite my lack of knowledge about Black history James Baldwin has prepared me well for that As I got to the end about Dr