Va. Festival of the Book -- "Faces of Homelessness and Hope"

On Sunday, March 25, at 1:30pm at Gravity Lounge downtown, as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book, La Trina Neal will be discussing her book He Gave Me Shelter: A Year of Grace, a chronicle of her personal experiences as a young homeless woman in Washington, DC. You should come and hear her story. Erik Speer (from COMPASS Day Haven) and I will be joining Ms. Neal for a discussion about homelessness here in Cville.

Here's the book description: "He Gave Me Shelter is an inspirational and poignant story of a young woman whose dreams were derailed when circumstances forced her into a homeless shelter. Faced with the challenges of getting her life back on track, La Trina finds herself negotiating with the colorful and troubled personalities of the other residents. While settling into a successful routine, a crisis at the shelter forces her into the role of resident manager and, eventually, executive director. Through this animated and emotionally charged tale, the author provides a guided tour of this too-often unseen world, while giving voice to the homeless and dignity to their daily struggles."