A deep dive into the homelessness in the US through the eyes a single working mother. It was indeed eye opening. And I think that everyone needs to read it.

This book has it all :
~ Great storytelling
~ Compelling intertwined heartbreaking struggles of two women-headed households, to find stability and keep their lives above water
~ Book title ... " seeking" describes the struggle to continue striving for what the women hope to gain, without the guarantee once its attained that its retained

Very reminiscent of Tracy Kidder's " Rough Sleepers " this book tells the story of two women-headed families working hard to keep their heads above water. Barely. Sometimes. Intermittently. Barely.
It's educational and informative without being preachy or sappy. The author does a fair, honest and respectable job of sharing the triumphs as well as the missteps of the two women in the face of challenging circumstances, both ( the missteps and the triumphs ) largely of their own making. Which again, the author recognizes as the truth : they made their own bed, now how do they lie in it and survive?

This book differs from "Rough Sleepers" in that Tracy Kidder's book tells the true story of a medical doctor who works the streets trying to assist mentally ill and drug addicted street people. Seeking Shelter is about two families ( without drug or mental health challenges ) but in a cycle of low income / sometimes no income working to keep their families off the street, in a sheltered, safe place. Reading both books gave me the fuller perspective of the homeless issue in America.

This book allowed me to navigate the line between compassion for the two women and requiring some accountability on their part. I appreciated that. It isn't a sob story where accountability is given a " pass". The author holds the two Mothers to task, calling them on their poor choices, while heralding their accomplishments. Well done navigating this fine line !

I read the author's earlier nonfiction " The Short & Tragic Life of Robert Peace " several years ago and that book still haunts me. In a good way, it haunts me. I learned so much from that book ( because my life is vastly different and very bountiful ) and from this book - Seeking Shelter - also taught me a great deal. And reading the author's " A Note on Reporting and Sources " at the end of the book was very helpful in answering my burning question of how the author came across and had such in-depth access to the women's stories...

Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. My review is my honest feedback on this book.

Seeking Shelter is, in Hobbs words, “primarily a work of reconstructive journalism.” He pieced together Evelyn’s story and that of Wendi largely through after-the-fact interviews with both women instead of reporting on their story as it was unfolding, which (in one interview I saw with him online) he notes was also an option he did not pursue at the time due to the sensitive nature of their particular situations. I found myself questioning some pieces of specific recreated dialogue at the very beginning of the book because of this. There were just a few dialogue pieces that seemed out of place for me and took me out of the story for this reason.

Most of Hobbs’ writing is straightforward, but occasionally, his writing can be labored. At one point he describes Evelyn’s “specific unfolding situation” as being “as plain as a mother’s hope, as knotted and psychotic as America’s racist, classist education system.” I found other parts really dry in their delivery. Evelyn is this, Evelyn is that, almost like a long list of traits and actions. I guess the writing left me wanting something balanced in between the two – more nuance here, less fluff there. Once we got into her kids’ lives at school, the pace picked up more, which I thought was an improvement, and at that point, I was more engaged.

Evelyn is a survivor of both childhood sexual abuse and an abusive relationship with a gang member with whom she had two sons. Her husband, Manny, the father of her three youngest, spends his days drinking. She leaves him only after he punches his stepson Orlando and chokes her. Wendi is the mother of seven, one of them autistic. She, too, marries a physically abusive man. He expels her from their home before she gathers the strength to leave. But she finds shelter through a religious nonprofit, Door of Hope, which supplies transitional housing and social services. Evelyn finally encounters that organization and the possibility of a more stable life.

As Hobbs points out, California’s tens of thousands of unhoused families and individuals, no less sympathetic and deserving, still await help. The recent fires, displacing thousands more, have only made the issue more urgent. This makes this book even more relevant when viewed through the lens of the homelessness crisis in LA.

This is a book that digs into process and procedure and eligibility and the complicated systems in place for Section 8 housing and other programs pretty early on in the book. I found myself having to get a way into the story before I was invested in it. I’ve read books on this topic or with this storytelling structure before, and this seems exactly like the kind of nonfiction book I’d be drawn to, so I’m not sure why that was the case for me. I just didn’t feel as engaged as I thought I would in the story, but I still think it is worthy of being read and discussed.

It is difficult for many people, who have never had to struggle for shelter or food, to imagine what kind of path would lead you there in the first place — and many never get beyond that wonder. The thought is, well, they are bad with money and must spend irresponsibly, or they must have had criminal pasts and aren’t hirable, or they are lazy and don’t want to work or find a better job. Jeff Hobbs writes so candidly, but with just the right amount of insight that the reader is not bogged down, but still has enough information to care about the people in his book and others like them. As a mother, I identify with the moms in Seeking Shelter, wanting to give their children the best opportunity to learn and build a foundation for a life that might have less worry about meeting basic needs, and more room for enjoying the things they are passionate about. They focus on being present for their kids, even as they work odd and long hours; they want to see their kids understand boundaries and politeness — and when it is appropriate to push against them, too. We also all make mistakes, and they always have some kind of consequence, but when life feels like it is conspiring against you to dump additional cosmic woe on top? Their struggle is understandable, At the end of this book, I feel like I am leaving friends. Reading this in January of 2025, I worried about all of these folks who were so close to the devastating wildfires, and I hope they are safe, housed, and healthy. Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to read an advance copy of this important book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
This is an important reportage of a family--a woman and five, then six, children--who became homeless upon moving to Los Angeles. I finished this just as fires devastated so much of the Los Angeles area, and this problem is certain to become worse. The mother was willing to fight and do everything for her children to be able to go to a decent school, even sleep in motels, in her car, etc. and then still send them to school clean and put together, all while working and having another baby, and it showed the challenges that she faced throughout this time. Also, she finally got a placement into a supportive homeless placement service that helped her and her children prepare to get their own place, and then the additional challenges she faced trying to stay housed. Great book, one that anyone interested in our national homelessness rolling disaster should read to learn more about the specific problems of women and children in the homeless system.

SEEKING SHELTER offers a window into the life of a determined mother of six raising six children in Los Angeles without stable housing. Looking to escape gang life, domestic abuse, and pursuing the best education for her children Evelyn moved away from her familial support system in the desert to LA with a dream and a prayer. For 5 years she lived in fear of social services and slept with her children in their car or various hotel rooms across the city. This harrowing uphill battle was marked by avoiding social services that could provide assistance due to the risk of separation from her oldest sons.

Evelyn’s story challenges reader’s preconceived notions about homelessness as she worked full-time, volunteered at her children’s school, and was not plagued by addiction or laziness. SEEKING SHELTER is an illuminating look into the housing crisis, economic disparity and the heart of a mother committed to set her children up for success.

Read This if You:
-were moved by stories like Evicted or the author’s previous book, The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace
-are concerned about the housing crisis and economic disparity in America
-know the power of a mother’s love

RATING: 5/5
PUB DATE: February 4, 2025

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me so emotional, and rooting very hard for Evelyn and her children. This book is amazingly written, and will hopefully make ppl think that not all homeless people are unemployed or lazy. Thank you for this great piece of work. It was amazing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed the story of Eveyln and her children. The mostly downfalls of her one decision to give her children a better education has serious consequences.
After moving away from her family, Evelyn with her children and boyfriend rely on her aunt and long term hotels to house them.
Then the boyfriend gets abusive to her eldest son and Evelyn flees.

Eveyln holds down a full time job, volunteers at the childrens schools, but is homeless. No longterm solution other then sleeping in the car or trying to get a hotel voucher.

I liked that this is a real story, that this shows the struggles of homeless working mothers and their children.

What I didn't like was that it was very detailed in the first part. Then all of a sudden Eveyln is living in the Door of Hope shelter. IT was such a 180 turn that I had to go back and reread several pages, thinking that I had missed what happened.

At this point in the book, it was really hard to follow what all was going on and how the two women were to interact.
I felt that the author did a great disservice to the reader by NOT including the steps that Evelyn made to get to the shelter and how she interacted with Wendi.

This was a half finished book in my opinion. The later half needed just as much attention as the first.

Seeking Shelter is an excellent piece of journalism that follows two families that work to overcome homelessness while raising their families in the Los Angeles area. Evelyn and her family moved around the city from shelter to shelter and motel to motel, giving readers a glimpse of what life is like for the homeless in Los Angeles. The author gives a detailed account of the numbers and the reality of its growth in the city.

Based on one woman in particular, Evelyn's journey was one of extremes. With six children in tow and no matter where she found herself living, her main concern was getting a good education for her children. A private woman, Evelyn asked for little help, keeping her circumstances between herself and her kids. She was forever afraid that her children would be taken away from her by social services. Despite little education herself, she made education a constant priority for her children. Everything she said and did was based on that. Her love for and strong relationship with her kids and their deep concern for one another greatly impressed me.

A well-written and eye opening account of what it's like to raise a family at the poverty level in the U.S. A must read.

An extremely well written look at the housing and homeless situation in this country. Should be required reading.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214151246