First published 2012
After losing her son, Danielle Steel channels her grief into action on the streets of San Francisco. For eleven years, she works in secret with a small team, moving through the city at night to reach its most vulnerable residents. They visit makeshift shelters and encampments, bringing food, clothes, blankets, and basic supplies to people living without homes. Steel maintains complete anonymity during these missions, seeking no recognition for her efforts. She meets individuals whose stories reveal the complex realities of homelessness in America. Through these encounters, Steel discovers that her work provides something beyond material aid. Her nightly rounds become a bridge between two worlds that rarely intersect. This memoir breaks Steel's long silence about her advocacy work, offering portraits of the people she served and calling for greater action to address homelessness. What began as a way to process personal loss becomes a mission to give voice to those society overlooks.
Genres: contemporary, non-fiction, biography-memoir, activism
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-loss
Setting: San Francisco
129 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press
Content warnings: mental-illness