Three Little Words: A Memoir

by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Book Overview

An inspiring true story of the tumultuous nine years the author spent in the foster care system, and how she triumphed over painful memories and real-life horrors to ultimately find her own voice.

"Sunshine, you're my baby and I'm your only mother. You must mind the one taking care of you, but she's not your mama." Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent nine years of her life in fourteen different foster homes, living by those words. As her mother...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416948066
• ISBN13: 9781416948063
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Three Little Words with big meaning!

This book, what to say about it. How knew that three little words could mean so much!

Great

Great

Really touching + well written

Really well written, realistic and honest book about life in the foster care system

Well written

This was at the same time difficult to read because it hit so close to home, but also hard to put down because it is so real. Maybe harder for former foster kids to read because it is an extraordinary experience from an extraordinary person who was able to function and excel through horrible circumstances, when most kids really just suffer and don't get such opportunity. Possibly eye opening for people with no experience with the foster system? Either way, a heart breaking and an enjoyable read.

Couldn't put it down

This book was so compelling, insightful, and heart-wrenching that I couldn't put it down. I read it straight through, from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. in the morning, which I rarely do. It's a must-read for anyone involved in the foster system, of course. But I think it's also a must-read for anyone who just cares about this sort of thing.

My favorite!

This book is excellent. The author is extremely relatable and I love her writing style. The story is heartbreaking but powerful and a testimony to her strength and the power of love. I highly recommend this book!

Beautiful! I read it all in one sitting

Three Little Words was amazing, and the sequel as well. It was inspiring and is definitely a must-read for anyone thinking about adoption or becoming a foster parent. Definitely eye-opening!

A good book to read

The storyline got my attention as soon as I started reading the book, however, it did have a slower pace than other books I've read. I just think it could have gotten to the point a little bit quicker that's all. The characters were so relatable that at some points of the story I actually teared up a little bit, and other points it would feel like I was there going through Ashley's journey with her. I think this book would good for kids who are in or out of the system. I feel like kids who have been in the system now have someone to relate to help them not feel so alone, hopeless, and hopeless just because there is not a lot of caring people in this world.

This book should be required reading for all DFCS workers.

This is an absoultely incredable book. I cried at times remembering my own experience as a DFCS case worker whose hands were often tied by rules and court orders that made little sense to me. I could only imagine what it did to the children I worked with. I like to tink that I was one of the good ones, caring about my kids and doing my best to protect them and represent their needs in court. I hope I was. What an amazing story of intelligence and resillance in Ashley. I hope and pray that all continues to well with her and her brother.

Lost in the shuffle

Yesterday, my laundry hamper was full to overflowing demanding attention as I opened this book. I had seen the author on Good Morning America, and this seemed like an interesting story. As I started to read thoughts of laundry disappeared, as I was riveted by this compelling story, of a little girl who just wanted to be loved by her mother, or a family. I could not put this book down until I finished. It was like I was there looking on as she went through these various ordeals/ adventures. If you are considering adopting or fostering a child, this book is a must. As you read, you will understand what these children have to go through. That understanding brings compassion. You will also understand what would be parents go through because both sides of the story are told effectively. If you work in childcare services, this ought to be required reading. If you are like me, this is an inspiring story about surviving and succeeding against the odds. You may notice this story has a mythical quality, reminiscent of other stories like Oliver Twist, a Roald Dahl story, or even Anne of Green Gables or Harry Potter which the author refers to, except this is for real. It is shocking to me how a system which is designed to protect children, can fail so miserably at times. How is it possible for a home that is only licensed to have two children end up with 10. How come foster children end up living in a trailer? The children do not have a voice that is heard. I particularly commend Gay Courter her adoptive mother who also persisted against the odds, where some adoptive parents would have given up. She ended up with a remarkable child who has written a remarkable book, who I feel sure will continue to be a voice for foster children, and orphans. Hope this was useful.

A revealing look at the foster care system

Three Little Words is an honest and powerful memoir which shares the painful details of Ashley Rhodes-Courter's nine year journey through the foster care system, while it also conveys a message of inner strength and hope. I applaud Ashley for bravely sharing her story and commend this young woman for her on-going efforts to help the children in the foster care system. -Suzanne Buckingham Slade, author of Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide

Heart-rending memoir with happy ending

Ashley Rhodes-Courter's memoir is must reading for anyone who cares about children and their welfare. This brave young woman's account of the long road she traveled after being forcibly removed from her birth mother's care to eventually finding security with a family who nurtures her in ways she never could have imagined is a heartbreaker. While the often terrifying journey ends well for Ashley, we know there are thousands more "lost" children out there who will never be as smart, as determined--or as lucky. Now twenty-two and a successful crusader for those caught in the foster-care system as she was--almost interminably--Ashley Rhodes-Courter stands as witness that there has to be a better way to deal with the children left behind when "the state" decides their parents are unfit. Three Little Words (they are not the ones you think) is an incredibly well-written tale, all the more powerful for the fact that every word is true.