“Nerdection Excellent Read”
The Child Catcher is a nonfiction novel highlighting social issues and the fight for justice. The author exposes the harsh realities of foster homes in his country and narrates his experiences along with his fight to save others from the same fate.
Spoiler-Free Plot.
Andrew Bridge, in his novel Hope’s Boy, tells the story of his struggles in foster homes after his mother is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Bridge spends some time in a brutal children’s home, MacLaren Hall. The traumatic time he spends there built his foundation in his career as a lawyer.
In The Child Catcher, he has graduated from Harvard Law School and is fighting as a civil rights lawyer for the children at Eufaula Adolescent Center, a center as brutal as the one he suffered in as a child.
Eufaula offers false promises to parents, persuading them to send their kids there. Many children end up at Eufaula and endure significant suffering. Some end up in worse conditions than how they were brought in, and some even end up taking their own lives. Andrew shares his moving story of rescuing children from Eufaula, shedding light on major issues in mental health facilities and foster care systems.
Throughout the book, he visits many victims of these foster care systems: parents who lost all their wealth and now live in poverty, children with a now-scarred past, and endless stories of abuse and neglect.
The book is both a memoir and a call to action to save children from these brutal systems and help them live a better and more peaceful life.
My take on The Child Catcher
The Child Catcher mainly focuses on the harsh realities within the institutions we expect the most from: Child Welfare Organizations. It reveals the severe injustices children face. It was both heartbreaking and eye-opening to read. These children are neglected and endure traumatic experiences.
Andrew made a remarkable effort to call people to help save these children from facing such injustice and to fight against these foster care and mental health facilities.
Bridge allows readers to connect intimately with his writing. He writes about his experiences in delicate detail. While discussing his time at Eufaula Adolescent Center, he describes it as a “violent and secretive institution.” He perfectly balances his traumatic experiences as a child with his fight against Eufaula, making it engaging for readers.
The book is slow-paced and may not be suitable for readers who lose interest easily. Overall, The Child Catcher: A Fight for Justice and Truth is a beautifully written and inspiring read. It pulled at my heartstrings and made my blood boil, and I enjoyed every bit of the story.
Content Warnings and Ratings
This novel contains mentions of child abuse, helplessness, and trauma. Viewer’s discretion is advised, as some parts may be triggering due to these heavy topics.
I recommend that everyone read it to understand the complex nature of foster care systems and to ensure that every child’s voice is heard.
About The Author Of The Child Catcher
Andrew Bridge’s first book, Hope’s Boy, was a New York Times bestseller and a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. After growing up in foster care, Bridge began his legal career representing children in Alabama state psychiatric hospitals and mental health facilities. Later, he became the executive director of The Alliance for Children’s Rights in Los Angeles, where he worked to expand free legal services to children in foster care and poverty. Bridge is a founding director of the New Girls Academy School, California’s first all-girl college preparatory school for pregnant and parenting teens. He is also a cofounder of National Adoption Day. He currently serves on the Arizona Foster Care Review Board. A graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard Law School, Bridge is a Fulbright Scholar and a resident at Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center. He lives with his partner, Dr. Scott Young of the Mayo Clinic, in Phoenix, Arizona.
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