We are joining McGuffy’s Reader’s Sparks (even though she is on hiatus), Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? 

The Hundred Story Home by Kathy Izard is a touching memoir of one woman’s quest to make the world a better place.

*Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of The Book Look Bloggers book review program. I am not required to write a positive review, all opinions are my own.

Kathy Izard was a graphic designer, happily married with four daughters when she felt what she described as an “insistent whisper”. At the time, she was volunteering at a local soup kitchen in Charlotte, NC. One day, while working at the soup kitchen she meets a man who was formerly homeless and later became a famous author, Denver Moore. He asks her one simple question that changes the course of her life. “Where are the beds? ”

Prior to that , Kathy thought the soup kitchen was doing a great job serving the homeless of Charlotte. She had never given a thought to where they go after they eat. This one question inspires her to quit her job so she can find a way to create homes for the homeless.It takes a lot of work, prayer and donations, but she finds a way.

Throughout the memoir, she revisits her childhood. Until she was six, she had a fairly normal life with two sisters and her parents. Eventually, her mother’s bipolar disorder takes her away from the family for years.The author realizes now how easily her family could have become homeless because of this. So not only does she provide homes for the homeless, she finds a way to keep them stable once there through medical and psychological care.

Unfortunately, her focus on helping the homeless takes her away from her family and even when she is with them, she is not giving her all. It takes finding a letter of despair her college aged daughter wrote to make her realize this. Eventually, she finds a happy medium between work and family, but it takes a lot of effort.

I highly recommend this book as an inspiration to anyone that feels they are not living the life they were meant to live. Kathy Izard says, ” I wrote The Hundred Story Home not to convince you to help solve the homelessness in your community but to help solve the homelessness in you. ”

This book also has a reader’s guide and FAQ from readers at the end. I think it would be perfect for church groups or book clubs. It would also be a great gift for a friend that needs a little push to living their dreams.

I am going to spread the joy and give this book away so if you are interested, just tell me in the comment section. We will announce the winner on Wednesday’s post. I can only afford to mail it in the USA though, sorry, but books are heavy.