Ostensibly about the launch of Troop 6000 in NYC’s shelter system, this book chronicles the journey of Giselle Burgess, the mom-turned-Girl-Scout-leader who dreamed up the idea. Ultimately, this book is about how challenging life is as a homeless family in New York. The Girl Scouts provide the backdrop and an ultimate source of comfort/empowerment, but I found the cohesive thread to be the repeated injustices and indignities faced by Giselle and her family. So many of her set backs were due to the shelter system; in fact, I got the impression that her homelessness was exacerbated rather than helped by the hoops and bureaucracy presented by social services. At times it was hard to read because you just knew something else would go wrong right at momentum was building. ⁣
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Giselle’s drive and resilience is beyond admirable and the story of Troop 6000 is worth reading. It gave me a new understanding of homelessness experience in my city and the importance of empowering our girls. ⁣