Growing Up Without a Place to Call Home... Mattie has never known what it means to have a safe and loving family. She's had to rely on herself from an early age, as she and her siblings grew up with an alcoholic father and stepfather who were verbally and physically abusive, as well as neglectful. Finally, when Mattie is fourteen, the cycle of hurt and abandonment at the hands of her biological family comes to an end...only to throw her into a sea of new challenges as she experiences the wild ride of the foster system. Through four years and five foster homes that push her to the limit, Mattie develops inner strength that startles even the girl gang at her new school, when Mattie attracts the interest of a handsome boy who has already been claimed by the school bully. But Mattie doesn't give up easily-she can't afford to, moving around as much as she does. She goes through experiences unimaginable to most of us, including a nightmarish foster mother with a subservient husband and a mentally ill son; a cold and unloving home where she is valued only for the state-mandated money she brings to the foster family; and a bizarre but oddly endearing woman who treats Mattie as if she is a small child...and who has a secret hidden behind "the forbidden green door." Finally, Mattie is placed with a warm and loving family who nurture and cherish her, and allow her to blossom emotionally. But will she be ready to face life on her own when she turns 18 and has to leave them? And will she be able to embark on a journey of forgiveness and reconciliation with her family of origin? Vivid, realistic, compassionate, and compelling, Mattie Celi is the haunting and inspiring odyssey of a young woman determined to flourish despite the odds against her.