If Home less to Hopkins was not a true story it would be very difficult to believe.
Chris Smith' provides all the awful details of being raised in a large LDS family with feckless parents. The family went without heat and electricity for several months , moved many time to avoid angry landlords, and suffered the tragic death of a 20 month old boy..
Despite all the hardships, Smith and several of his siblings went on to earn advanced degrees and to lead healthy, caring lives with their families.
Despite sleeping outside in his brother's truck bed during a cold winter in Utah, Smith had a stellar record in high school. Smith played football, wrestled, was an elected student leader and a honor student. To support his family because his parents could not or would not, Smith worked several hours a week at a local restaurant which enabled him to eat on a regular basis.
Reading Homeless to Hopkins should give the read perspective and them realize that perseverance can help you overcome obstacles.

This is an inspirational story about a teenage boy becoming homeless and decides to work hard to get into Hopkins. This is also a faith uplifting faith story. Dr. Smith uses his religion to help him get through situations.

I recommend this book who needs an uplifting story and/or about medical school.

Thank you NetGalley and MK Author Marketing Services for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Homeless to Hopkins by Christopher L. Smith

It's always interesting when the title of the book gives away the ending. In Homeless to Hopkins, the name of the book makes it clear that Christopher L. Smith makes it out of homelessness and into the esteemed halls of John Hopkins Hospital as a medical doctor. Don't let this stop you from reading the book, however.

Without giving away too much of the storyline (yes, even memoirs have storylines, the only difference is that it's true), Dr. Smith starts out as homeless and living in his car, scrapes his way through college and medical school, and ends up working for John Hopkins, one of the top hospitals in the country.

My Thoughts on Homeless to Hopkins

Filled with details that make the book come alive, Smith describes his situation without pulling any punches. The book manages to be uplifting and inspirational, without the cheesiness that usually accompanies such stories. I recommend this memoir to anyone who needs a boost, enjoys reading about medical school, and wants to follow someone who went from nothing (literally) to something.

I have always enjoyed memoirs. It is always interesting to see what people have to say about their own lives and what they consider to be important. When I saw Homeless to Hopkins, it attracted my attention because it was such an unusual title. How many homeless people end up working at Johns Hopkins?
Christopher grew up in a dysfunctional Morman family of 11 children in various towns and cities in Utah. With a father who couldn’t hold down a job for long, and a mother who struggled with mental illness, anger and eating disorders, Christopher and his siblings not only had to cope with frequent moves and a mother’s volatile nature, they had to care for each other and work to keep the family going. When their parents’ poor decisions caused the entire family to become homeless for several years, it appeared as though Christopher would never be able to make anything of his life.
Christopher determined that he would break the cycle he found himself caught in. He spent a couple of years serving as a missionary, and then found a way to go to college. He decided to become a doctor and put himself through medical school, even though he also got married and started a family during that time! Over and over again he found himself sucked into his mother’s drama and guilt trips, however; how could he break free from her negativity and control? Many other events brought drama and turmoil into his life, but he remained focused and met his goal.
I found Homeless to Hopkins quite interesting. There were a number of scenes that were especially touching, such as the time when Christopher was a young boy and was invited to spend the night with a friend. In the morning, the friend’s father served pancakes and ice cream for breakfast, saying this was a family tradition for special occasions. I was also impressed with his decision not to study on Sundays and how this impacted his life. Overall, though this book is not the most gripping story I’ve come across lately, it was a very good and inspiring read, and a fairly easy one—except for some of the subject matter. When the story of a hard life is being told, some of it does not make easy reading, but the ending makes it worth reading the hard parts.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

"Homeless to Hopkins" reads more like a journal than anything. The author grew up in challenging conditions, with less-than-stellar parents, as well as poverty and tragedy coloring his years. He overcame this through intelligence and hard work, and he certainly succeeded, but a story that's so very rags-to-riches should feel more compelling, and I just didn't get that here.

He's very religious, being a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), and we learn about his doing missionary work in his youth. He also credits God with getting him through his many tough times, although he seems to have been saddled with much more adversity than most. I suppose that's the perspective of someone so religious, and if you are of a similar mind, you may find that compelling, The book is peppered with many religious references, such as "my faith nourished me during this dark time," "sustained by my faith in God," "I felt that this was Divine intervention for us," etc. If that helped him get through and succeed, good for him! But some may find it off-putting.

That aside, it's interesting to see all he got through, from terrible parents to other challenging family members to his sister-in-law's addiction issues to his own wife's medical issues. While all of that sounds like the basis for a rather dramatic autobiography, the writing itself comes across more as a recitation of facts. I didn't expect this to read like a novel, but the entire story was rather flat.