SEEKING SHELTER is one of the most educational books I have ever read about the oppressive and terrifying journey of homelessness that millions of Americans experience each year.

By focusing on one individual, a working mother of six, Jeff Hobbs executes a most visceral look into the endless bureaucracy and precipice-testing world of losing a home or any safe space due to unforeseen emergency circumstances. Evelyn, who is a good and caring mom, a hard worker and a decent human being, is constantly forced to move in the hopes that one day this cycle will end, and security and a true place to call home is a verifiable reality.

"Hobbs tells a story of struggle without sentimentality and gives us an inspirational heroine, as well as an eye-opening education on what being homeless in the Land of the Free really entails. SEEKING SHELTER is an instant classic."

When the general public vilifies homeless people, their back story and how they have come to be there is not explored. Hobbs, a writer with a remarkable sense of empathy, conveys to readers what a typical day for Evelyn looks like: getting her children cleaned, fed and to school on time, working a regular shift as a waitress, and picking up her kids from afterschool activities. But at 7pm, she must call the city and request space…for the night. Despite the behavior of her drunken ex, who stalks her, the sights and sounds of yet another new neighborhood, her baby’s ability to stay quiet, and her other kids’ attempts at a regular night’s sleep in a strange place, she has to go through the entire process again the following night.

It is only when Evelyn finds Wendi Gaines, a social worker who used to be homeless, that any hope comes her way. Hobbs takes us through the enthusiastic move to a big city that begins Evelyn's unfortunate adventure, the relationship that sends her running with the kids in a car that is old and unsteady, and the hopes and dreams of her family. But then she has to deal with the reality of becoming a part of the system and suffering at the hands of those who can only do so much to ensure that she and her loved ones get a roof over their heads for a period of time.

SEEKING SHELTER follows Evelyn and her clan for five long years. I defy any reader not to get hooked or be concerned for their future. Hobbs weaves a story that packs an immeasurable punch and sears into one’s brain and heart this indefatigable woman’s journey through a quick-fix system that cannot handle the amount of people who need it. Evelyn’s optimism and dedication to her kids, as well as her work ethic, deserve every page of this story. She can’t beat the bureaucracy on her own, but with the caring heart and wizened nature of another woman who can relate to her, she finds safety and resolution with incredible spirit and remarkable energy.

Readers will whip through these pages, hoping against hope that this next experience will put Evelyn in a better place. Hobbs tells a story of struggle without sentimentality and gives us an inspirational heroine, as well as an eye-opening education on what being homeless in the Land of the Free really entails. SEEKING SHELTER is an instant classic.