Title: Thank You for Smiling
Author: Soul Singh
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services:
ISBN: 978-1483485584
Pages: 223
Genre: Biography
Reviewed by: Gabriella Harrison
Hollywood Book Reviews
Author Soul Singh shares a heart-rending story of a girl who was born to a drug-addicted and abusive mother, who seemed to keep having children she didn’t want and made them well aware they weren’t wanted. This poignant biography Thank You for Smiling chronicles Alma Gonzalez’s struggles as a child from a broken home doing her best to protect her siblings, moving through numerous foster houses, getting separated from her siblings, thriving academically, having determination to succeed, and her eventual struggle for emancipation from the state after getting fed up with the disruption which comes with moving multiple times. To say Alma went through a lot – is an understatement.
The narration starts with Alma as a four-year-old girl looking out for her two younger brothers. The fear they feel for their mother is palpable, and the strain this causes thinking and analysing Alma is obvious. It is amazing how mature she is at age four, but not surprising, given how uncaring, selfish, and detached their mother is. From the moment her mother abandons her at a mountain miles away from their house, the tone of the book is set. Alma’s story highlights the work that still needs to be done in the foster system, given that most of the houses were abusive in various ways: physically by turning her into a punching bag on multiple occasions and making her fend off various rape attempts; psychologically through a persistent need to make her feel worthless and like she would never amount to anything; religiously by turning her into a charity case and means of validation for her foster parents. All this while they told her she wasn’t good enough for God and used the Bible to oppress her through false teachings.
This is a book which will make readers connect with Alma on a personal level and evoke many emotions by the end of the book, from sorrow to anger and joy. Alma’s determination is infectious. Her persistence in getting back on her feet after multiple disappointments and betrayals is inspiring. This is a book social workers and those involved in the foster care system should read and learn from. In fact, everyone should read this story. It is important to treat everyone fairly, no matter their circumstances. It is evil to take advantage of anyone because they were born into a broken family and have unstable parents, and no one should be written off. Hopefully, Alma’s story will inspire compassion in the hearts of those who read it.
The numerous grammatical errors might be discouraging, but in a good way it gives an authentic voice as showing how education was impaired. I am glad I read this powerful story and that it was written. I would urge everyone to read this book regardless of the errors.
Thank You for Smiling is a moving and insightful depiction of what it’s like to be a child of an abusive mother and a ward of the state.