Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home
    Unavailable
    A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home
    Unavailable
    A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home
    Ebook330 pages5 hours

    A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home

    By Steve Pemberton

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    “Pemberton’s beautifully told story is a rags to riches journey—beginning in a place and with a jarring set of experiences that could have destroyed his life. But Steve’s refusal to give in to those forces, and his resolve to create a better life, shows a courage and resilience that is an example for many of us to follow.”

    —Stedman Graham, author, educator

    Home is the place where our life stories begin.  A Chance in the World is the astonishing true story of a boy destined to become a man of 

    • resilience
    • determination
    • and vision.

    Down in the dank basement, amidst my moldy, hoarded food and beloved worm-eaten books, I dreamed that my real home, the place where my story had begun, was out there somewhere, and one day I was going to find it.

    Taken from his mother at age three, Steve Klakowicz lives a terrifying existence. Caught in the clutches of a cruel foster family and subjected to constant abuse, Steve finds his only refuge in a box of books given to him by a kind stranger. In these books, he discovers new worlds he can only imagine and begins to hope that one day he might have a different life, that one day he will find his true home.

    A fair-complexioned boy with blue eyes, a curly Afro, and a Polish last name, he is determined to unravel the mystery of his origins and find his birth family. Armed with just a single clue, Steve embarks on an extraordinary quest for his identity, only to find that nothing is as it appears.

    Through it all, Steve’s story teaches us that no matter how broken our past, no matter how great our misfortunes, we have it in us to create a new beginning and to build a place where love awaits.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateJan 9, 2012
    ISBN9781595554161
    Author

    Steve Pemberton

    Steve Pemberton is Chief People Officer for Workhuman, the leading online platform bringing positivity to the workplace through social recognition. Prior to assuming his role at Workhuman, Steve was a Senior Human Resources Executive at Walgreens. Steve and his wife, Tonya, are the proud parents of three children.

    Read more from Steve Pemberton

    Related authors

    Related to A Chance in the World

    Related ebooks

    Personal Memoirs For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Trying To Understand 'What Made Maddy Run'

      Aug 2, 2017

      Journalist Kate Fagan's new book digs into the life of a young woman whose suicide shocked the University of Pennsylvania, where she ran track. Madison Holleran's life seemed perfect, until it wasn't.

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Murder Of James Bulger 30 Years On

      Feb 7, 2023

      This week marks 30 years since two-year-old James Bulger was abducted and murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. James would be in his 30s now. Would he be married? A father? With a career? All that was snatched away from

      4 min read

    • Article

      Cherie Jones

      Jan 7, 2021

      Cherie Jones
      3 min read

    • Article

      ‘It’s Been A Wild Ride!’

      Sep 25, 2020

      ‘It’s Been A Wild Ride!’
      4 min read

    • Article

      Finding Your Public Voice

      Oct 7, 2022

      Early in my career, I joined a writing group with the word change in its name. When friends asked, “What kind of change are you writing about?” I responded, “Whatever kind of change is happening in my life”—whether that change occurred by chance or w

      7 min read

    • Article

      Water marked

      Apr 21, 2023

      Water marked
      6 min read

    • Article

      Meet Sam.

      Dec 1, 2022

      Meet Sam.
      10 min read

    • Article

      Accept This!

      Aug 6, 2020

      Staring at the bright stage light ahead, I held up my script. Reading out my lines, I spoke clearly, loudly, and passionately, just like I’d practiced. At 10 years old, I was auditioning for a school play, and was filled with confidence. I’ve got th

      5 min read

    • Article

      Daniel Mays

      Feb 20, 2023

      Daniel Mays
      6 min read

    • Article

      Sir Kenneth Branagh

      Jan 17, 2022

      Sir Kenneth Branagh
      5 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Apr 23, 2021

      I’M WRITING this the morning after a sleepless night. I was up thinking of the flames racing across Table Mountain. It had destroyed historic buildings, priceless documents and parts of one of SA’s most famous universities. It also resulted in the in

      3 min read

    • Article

      Mind the Gap

      Feb 13, 2018

      Mind the Gap
      6 min read

    • Article

      Editor’s Letter

      Aug 10, 2022

      Editor’s Letter
      1 min read

    • Article

      We Have A Choice

      Dec 1, 2018

      “Shit happens.” I remember seeing this saying on a bumper sticker and loving it. I have always felt its accuracy in describing life. Today, when I scan the news and take in the problems of the world, I find myself repeating these profound words - shi

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Good With The Bad

      Jan 8, 2021

      The Good With The Bad
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Good With The Bad

      Jan 8, 2021

      The Good With The Bad
      9 min read

    Reviews for A Chance in the World

    4/5

    41 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I cannot honestly say that this book grabbed me from page one. Actually, the first 3 or 4 chapters made me wonder if I would stick with it...but then it grabbed a hold of me and I mean a tight hold! God help anyone who interrupted my reading time once I fell in love with the story of this young abused boy! I'm quite sure that no other book has made me feel so angry before - angry with "The System" and bureaucracy in general. The events in this true story took place in the early 1970's and while I hope that the foster care system has improved dramatically since then, I am not convinced that it has. This young boy, Steve (Klakowicz) Pemberton, was failed repeatedly by so many people that we now call 'Mandated Reporters'. What I like the most about this book is the lesson that small acts of kindness can mean more to the recipient than we ever know. A kind neighbor's gift of a box of books may sound small or insignificant to some, but to Steve the books were an escape to other worlds and the hope of making a new reality for himself someday. The books provided a critical coping mechanism that helped him survive in his harsh conditions.Also notable about A Chance in the World is the historical perspective captured during a racially tumultuous time. This book could be used in a classroom setting and would teach volumes about determination and endurance as well as history.Please note that I received a complementary advance reading copy from the publisher which has not influenced my review. Thank you.
    • 3/5
      I guess I'm the only person in the world who hadn't heard about this story. Riveting first half of the book, as the author describes his childhood. 2nd half becomes preachy and if you didn't know that god has a plan to make a little boy suffer years of abuse so that he can attempt to affect some change in the foster system, this book will explain the ever-so-clear (???) logic of this plan. Ummmmm... yah... whatever. But despite the constant god reverence of the later chapters, it was a overall a really good book. Highly recommend.
    • 5/5
      An unforgettable story of tribulations, hardships, and achievements. Not to read this book is a mistake. An all time favorite?