Ask Me Why I Hurt: The Kids Nobody Wants and the Doctor Who Heals Them

Summary (from the publisher): The unforgettable inspiring memoir of one extraordinary doctor who is saving lives in a most unconventional way Ask Me Why I Hurt is the touching and revealing first-person account of the remarkable work of Dr. Randy Christensen. Trained as a pediatrician, he works not in a typical hospital setting but, rather, in a 38-foot Winnebago that has been refitted as a doctor’s office on wheels. His patients are the city’s homeless adolescents and children.
In the shadow of one affluent American city, Dr. Christensen has dedicated his life to caring for society's throwaway kids—the often-abused, unloved children who live on the streets without access to proper health care, all the while fending off constant threats from thugs, gangs, pimps, and other predators. With the Winnebago as his moveable medical center, Christensen and his team travel around the outskirts of Phoenix, attending to the children and teens who need him most.

With tenderness and humor, Dr. Christensen chronicles everything from the struggles of the van’s early beginnings, to the support system it became for the kids, and the ultimate recognition it has achieved over the years. Along with his immense professional challenges, he also describes the trials and joys he faces while raising a growing family with his wife Amy. By turns poignant, heartbreaking, and charming, Dr. Christensen's story is a gripping and rich memoir of his work and family, one of those rare books that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Review: This was a GREAT read. I won this early on Goodreads, so it's not for sale yet but everyone should read it when it comes out in April. It's a non-fiction book about a doctor who runs a mobile health clinic for homeless kids in Arizona. The stories of his patients were devastating - kids living in drain pipes, beaten to the point of brain damage and left to survive on their own, teenagers trying to take care of infant siblings while on the streets, etc. I found Dr. Christensen's honesty and heartfelt discussion of his mistakes and triumphs refreshing and relatable. This book made me want to help those kids too.

Stars: 4