Writings from former children of St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Burlington, Vermont shed new light on the horrific abuses they endured. Their stories reflect those of five million American children who have passed through the orphanage system in the 20th Century alone. Through personal narrative and poetry, these courageous individuals show their tremendous resilience and strength. Their artful renderings, in the form of poetry and non-fiction, demonstrate the way that creative writing can be a vehicle for the communication of important truths as well as an act of healing. Along with poetry and non-fiction developed over the course of a year-long writers’ workshop, the book offers a sampling of exercises for developing writing as well as illuminating conversations with the authors.