Against All Odds: True Stories of Hope in Meridian, Idaho by Various, Samantha Jaquez

Against All Odds: True Stories of Hope in Meridian, Idaho by Various, Samantha JaquezThe odds are stacked against them Fifteen and pregnant, Julie miserably gripped the porcelain bowl. While her friends enjoyed cheerleading camp, she hovered over the toilet and retched, each flush representing another dream down the drain. What would she do? Sitting on the floor with blood streaming from his nose, Nathan wanted to be anywhere else but home. With a mom who couldn t seem to find or keep a decent man, Nathan found himself the target of

The odds are stacked against them ... Fifteen and pregnant, Julie miserably gripped the porcelain bowl. While her friends enjoyed cheerleading camp, she hovered over the toilet and retched, each flush representing another dream down the drain. What would she do? Sitting on the floor with blood streaming from his nose, Nathan wanted to be anywhere else but home. With a mom who couldn t seem to find or keep a decent man, Nathan found himself the target of his latest stepfather s violent abuse. He was broken, alone and angry. Could Nathan ever escape this vicious cycle? Alana slipped on her pajamas and crawled into bed, then heard a slight noise and turned. Something someone dressed all in black landed on her. She screamed and scratched, terrified. Then he was gone, like a hit-and-run driver. Alana stumbled to the phone and tried to push words past her lips. How could this have happened? Snow blanketed the ground, making the roads especially slippery. Daniel s car started to skid, and before he could regain control, it slid over the edge of a 15-foot cliff and plummeted into the creek below, landing upside down. With ice-cold water filling the car, Daniel and his friend had to get out fast, but Daniel s seatbelt wouldn t unlatch. He tugged at it, panicking. This did not just happen. I am trapped here, and I m going to drown in this creek if I don t get out right now. Meet seven real people from Meridian, Idaho, who each faced circumstances that seemed overwhelming and impossible to survive. Learn how they find a way to beat the odds. And be inspired that, no matter what obstacles you may face, you, too, can not only survive, but thrive, Against All Odds.