Jonathan Conyers's memoir tells the story of his overcoming difficult family circumstances with extraordinary grit and intelligence and by creating a "chosen village" whose members he selected "based on their knowledge, skills, and attributes rather than on where they came from or what they look like." This memoir enlightens, inspires, and, as Conyers intended, shows "that opening yourself up to the kindness of strangers, to guidance from people who may have taken an unconventional path, and lessons from unlikely sources can lead to innumerable blessings and a life well lived." Everybody needs chosen as well as given family. I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here is a lovely illustration of how to build a village that includes both.

I first read Jonathan Conyers story when he was featured in Humans of New York and could not wait for his memoir book release. In I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here Conyers explores his origin story as a boy growing up in the Bronx with two parents who struggled with addiction his entire life. He writes about the housing instability they navigated while living in the shelter system and his journey of becoming a young father.

I enjoyed reading about the educators Conyers meets along the way who forge bonds with him and make it their business to encourage him and support him along the way. As a result of being surrounded by so many good people he was able to get guidance when he needed it the most. This was key in his development as a young man and prevented him from falling into the many traps street life can present. There is a conversation had with Dr. Ubinto where Conyers realizes that despite his parents imperfections they are able to still show up for him in important ways. It's the moment Conyers moves from judgement to compassion towards his parents and it was definitely my favorite part of the narrative. We cannot control who our parents are but we can hold them accountable and also honor the ways they are trying to do and be better. I could read the compassion in Conyer's narrative.

The story ends with Conyer's journey into debate and provides a well rounded overview of how being on the debate team elevated his life and hopes for the future. Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read the e-arc copy of this amazing testimony!