BOOK CLUB | JUNE
July 8, 2025: Seeking Shelter, A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America – written by Jeff Hobbs. Sandy Hobbs , Jeff’s mother, will lead the discussion for the July meeting. Seeking Shelter is a powerful portrayal of American homelessness. The story follows Evelyn, a single mother of six in Los Angeleswho courageously struggles to keep her family together. Evelyn’s real-life story takes place in the midst of America’s housing crisis. In 2018, poverty and domestic violence cast Evelyn and her children into the urban wilderness of Los Angeles, where she avoids the family crisis network that offers no clear pathway for her children to remain together or attend a decent school. For the next five years, Evelyn works full time as a waitress yet still unable to afford housing or qualify for government aid. All the while she strives to provide stability, education, loving memories, and college aspirations for her children even as they sleep in motels or in her car, living in fear of both her Ex and the country’s child welfare agency. Eventually Evelyn encounters Wendi Gaines, a recently trained social worker who, decades earlier, had survived her own personal hardships and the housing crisis.
Evelyn becomes one of Wendi’s first clients, and the alliance transforms them both.
Told from the perspectives of Evelyn, Wendi, and Evelyn’s teenaged son, Orlando, Seeking Shelter is a powerful and urgent exploration of the issues of homelessness, poverty, and education in America. The story is compelling for anyone interested in understanding not just social inequality and economic disparity in our society but also the power of a mother’s love and vision for her kids. Evelyn’s story creates deeper awareness of impact of housing crisis on homelessness and obstacles faced by such families and individuals. Jeff Hobbs is the New York Times bestselling author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace , which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was a finalist for the Pen/Faulkner Award in Biography, was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal in nonfiction, and was made into the 2024 film Rob Peace . He is also the author of Show Them You’re Good and Children of the State . He lives in Los Angeles with his family. On a personal note, Jeff and the Hobbs family are long-time members of WCC, and Jeff was on WCC Swim Team, coached by Fred Freibott. Jeff continues to appreciate the life lessons he learned from Coach Freibott, particularly about effort and perseverance. Jeff lives in Los Angeles with his family, and has recently, been commuting weekly to Yale University to teach “Immersive Journalism.”
AUGUST 5, 2025 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. A thrilling and tense mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18 century midwife, who refused to accept anything less than justice when women were considered best seen and not heard. Carroll Shannon will lead the discussion for the August meeting. th
JULY 8, 2025 Seeking Shelter by Jeff Hobbs. A powerful portrayal of American homelessness that follows a single mother of six in Los Angeles struggling to keep her family together and her children in school. Sandy Hobbs will lead the discussion for the July meeting.
Note: We are thrilled to share that Jeff Hobbs, will be here in person for the discussion of Seeking Shelter at our WCC Book Club meeting.
All WCC members and guests are invited to come to the meeting in the Club Room, Tuesday, July 8 at 4:00 pm. After the meeting Jeff is available to sign books. Copies may be purchased through Barnes & Noble or ordered on Amazon.
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