Ten homeless people tell their own stories in this book and describe their activities to gain affordable housing. The narrators don't hide any transgressions they might have committed or make excuses for themselves. Their tone is not maudlin. They just tell it like it is. They have attended university or college, served in the army, run their own businesses, and worked at highly-skilled jobs. They are fathers, sons and daughters, husbands, and brothers and sisters. They are people like you and I who slipped off the tracks and are having difficulty getting aboard again.

Their activism includes meeting with local politicians, serving on committees, participating at rallies, writing letters and articles, composing poetry and public speaking. Their efforts are inspirational but there is sadness too - friends dying, having to leave family photos behind when evicted, evading the media so elderly parents won't hear an unwanted truth.

The stories answer many questions often heard from those who aren't homeless: What is wrong with shelters? What was it really like in Tent City? How much do panhandlers take in on an average day? What do they do with the money? Do friendships develop? Why don't they just get jobs? Where do they clean themselves? Do most homeless people want to live on the street? Do they ever contact their families?

Cathy Crowe is a street nurse and a member of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. The first chapter is about her own life, how she became a street nurse, and her move to activism. She intro-duces the narrator at the beginning of each succeeding chapter.

The book is valuable because it is a first-hand account. It reminds the reader of the quirks of fate which can change lives; it informs one of what is being done (and not done) about the serious problem of homelessness; it makes a person realize how lucky one is to have a few rooms which are one's own; and, hopefully, influences the reader to become a better citizen by advocating for affordable housing.