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Castaway Kid: One Man's Search for Hope and Home (Focus on the Family Books) Kindle Edition

by R. B. Mitchell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 323 ratings
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Abandoned by his parents when he was just three years old, Rob Mitchell began his journey as one of the last “lifers” in an American orphanage. He grew up with kids who were not friends but rather “co-survivors.” As Rob’s loneliness and rage grew, his hope shrank. Would he ever find a real family or a place to call home?

Find out how Rob was able to overcome his past, forgiving his relatives and forging healthy family relationships of his own. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and ultimately triumphant, this true story shows how, with faith, every person can leave the past behind and forge healthier, happier relationships.
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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Focus on the Family
  5. Publication date
    January 12, 2012
  6. File size
    1035 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mitchell is a respected financial consultant and a dedicated youth advocate, but what's not well known is that he had a tumultuous childhood. His memoir reveals his life in an orphanage after his mother abandoned him at age 3, as well as his struggle to find love and acceptance and learn to trust. Mitchell knew his mentally ill mother, who once kidnapped him from the orphanage, but had no real memories of his father, who attempted suicide but ended up brain damaged. His maternal grandmother was the boy's anchor, but she couldn't raise him, which only added to his confusion. He teetered on the edge of disaster as he matured, but at age 17 he prayed, "Jesus, if You are real, come into my nightmare. Forgive me of my sins and change me." Mitchell's story is inspiring both for its spiritual dimension and its conventional Horatio Alger narrative. The facts of his case are also verifiably true, which Mitchell and the publisher take pains to ensure in part through the Web site www.amillionlittleproofs.com, which offers .pdf versions of documents from Mitchell's past. His memoir will appeal to adults with difficult pasts, those who work with troubled kids and anyone who revels in seeing God change a life. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

Would he ever be wanted? Would he ever be loved?
Abandoned by his parents when he was just three years old, Rob Mitchell began his journey as one of the last lifers in an American orphanage. As Rob s loneliness and rage grew, his hope shrank. Would he ever find a real family or a place to call home? Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and ultimately triumphant, this true story shows how, with faith, every person can leave the past behind and forge healthier, happier relationships.
A Tyndale audio presentation
Unabridged 5 CDs
Running time: approx. 6 hours

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B006WSBPGC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Focus on the Family; Unabridged edition (January 12, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 12, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1035 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 323 ratings

About the author

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R. B. Mitchell

R. B. Mitchell

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R. B. Mitchell is a financial consultant, trust specialist, and vice president of investments for a major national brokerage firm. In May of 2002, he was recognized by the leading magazine of his industry as one of America's top-ten financial consultants. Married faithfully since 1980, he and his wife, Susan, have two great kids: Luke, 20, and Alicia, 23, plus her neat husband, Chad. Rob has been active in working with youth from all walks of life since 1975, Christian Business Men's Committee since 1985, and French-African immigrant assistance since 1999. He is also active in church and in his children's lives, and his favorite sports include weight lifting, basketball, and white-water rafting. With a heart for the forgotten and unloved children of the world, Rob Mitchell is what Paul Harvey would definitely have called ". . . the rest of the story."

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
323 global ratings
I made it through until the end and my heart broke! Read this book and then pass along to a friend.
5 Stars
I made it through until the end and my heart broke! Read this book and then pass along to a friend.
You are not your past. Asking God for forgiveness frees you from this past sin. He suffered for us and we are so undeserving of His grace. Listen to those quiet little voices and seek Him in all things.
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Top reviews from the United States

Angels R Kids/Furkids
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and Touching Story
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2012
Verified Purchase
This is a true story of a boy, Rob, who is left at an orphanage when he is three years old and lives there until he graduates from high school. He has many struggles as he grows up being "a kid from the Home". Kids in the school system don't like him, girls don't want to date him, his family doesn't seem to want him, and the other boys in the Home aren't crazy about him either. He has a lot to overcome and he eventually decides perhaps God is the one to turn to for help and trust. But can God really help an out of control orphan boy? Will Rob find God in time to change his perspectives enough to save himself?

This is truly an emotional read with great lessons. This was a true story that read as interesting as a fictional one. It was an in depth and great read. The journey that Rob went through in his life is truly an amazing one, and one that was not easy for him. I found it amazing that he would share his journey with us readers to try and help or inspire anyone he could from his life events. It took real courage to relive his life as he wrote it and be willing to share it with readers all over the world. I was very impressed with the telling of his life story. Some non-fiction reads are "dry" to me, but this one was written in such a way that I couldn't wait to see how it all turned out and how he carried on through his hard times. It was very well written and I could tell that he really put his heart and soul into writing this book. His goal of helping anyone he could through his writing about his life story is truly amazing and inspirational. He had a hard time talking about his life as he grew up, but then to share it in hopes of helping others is truly an inspiration. I felt bad for him and how he was treated at the orphanage and as he grew up. I was glad to see that he could find guidance eventually in God to help him get through it all. This was a a very inspirational read for me.

5/5 Stars!!!
2 people found this helpful
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Shannon Isaacson
5.0 out of 5 stars I find after reading a book like this that my wounds of being rejected and orphaned ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2014
Verified Purchase
At 47 just when I think I have healed as much as I can, I find after reading a book like this that my wounds of being rejected and orphaned go deeper then I ever thought. My birth mother gave me up as a baby, (I was partially disabled by her drinking alcohol while pregnant with me), and she kept all of her other children, and then I lived for a time in a failed adoption situation of a family that had their own birth children who they favored and had a much stronger bond with, in turn greatly neglecting me. Years later when I found my birth mother she did not want me to find her because she had never told anyone that she gave a child up for adoption. I spent hours sobbing off and on, the entire time of reading this book, because I could relate all to well to the author and this was the first time in my life I heard someone feel much of what I had felt as a child. Unfortunately even though I have suffered physical and sexual abuse too, nothing compared to the pain that rejection caused and in combination of all these things it almost destroyed me,but then I found God seven years ago and he is more then any Father I could of ever dreamed of having. He truly has shown me love that runs deeper and wider then the oceans. I was a Christian for twenty years but never had a relationship with God until seven years ago, everything since then has changed. He has brought me out of the pit, redeemed and transformed me, performed miracles in my life and finally after all those decades of horrific pain I am living with unspeakable freedom, joy and peace!!! I am so grateful to this author for many reasons but namely for the fact that he has inspired me to give back, I just recently signed up to help with orphaned/foster children. I know that it will become the most pivotal and most powerful time of my life to come!
3 people found this helpful
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CC
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 STARS - described what I saw but did not understand, when I saw him at school. Highly Recommend.
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
I remembered this look on Rob's face in school. Reading his story showed me what was going on behind what I saw. I feel gratitude, and humbled. Kids and adults of all ages can find lessons in this uplifting journey. You will feel what he felt, from longing for a place to belong, living through heartaches, and growing up. Sometimes we think our families are messed up, but at least we have them. Read this story, and you will appreciate that.
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Avid Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Castaway Kid
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2012
Verified Purchase
I have to admit that after reading a few sentences of the blurb, I downloaded this title, thinking it would be about an orphaned boy destined to live a troubled life of crime and violence. I knew I was settling down to read about kid bashings and emergency room runs by the pages. Boy was I wrong! I cannot fathom the idea of a neglected kid who overcame the awful feeling of being unloved turn out to be such a devout follower of our Lord and Savior. Being loved is something so many of take for granted, but truth be told, it is an ugly, eight-headed monster that affects every aspect of our lives. I, too was unloved by my mother and years of addiction, recovery and counseling has taught me to love myself. I know it sounds cliche-ish, but I lived through it to tell about. I commend Rob on his journey and am in wonderment of what he overcame. Sometimes God knocks us to our knees so we will be in position to reach out and invite him in our lives.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Zulu Warrior
2.0 out of 5 stars Castaway Kid
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is the story of Robby who at 3yrs old was abandoned at an orphanage by his mentally disturbed mother, the only person who ever came to visit him was his grandma Gigi, his mother was her only child and he was the only grand child, two years passed and still nothing had been heard from his mother, he was living in a unit of 8 to 16 boys, a house parent known as Nola was in charge, we all liked her

He was now 5yrs old and his mother just turned up one day to take him to a restaurant, that was it no explanations, she dropped me off and disappeared again, she did this many times, he started Kindergarten and then 1st grade, this is where the bullying and name calling started because of where we came from, during 2nd grade he had enough, he was 7yrs old and the next bully got a beating

In 1962 he was 7yrs old, mother turned up demanding to see him, she took me from the home, because she still had legal custody no one could stop her, we slept on a bench that night, then a train to Chicago where to his surprise they stopped in a posh hotel, mother had inherited some money but it didn't last long, then suddenly it was all over and they ended up in a run down dirty apartment, mother couldn't cook and the meals were awful, mother gave him a run down on how his father had committed suicide and ended up brain damaged

One day the police arrived and mother was arrested and I ended up back at the home, he spent time with his grand mother and asked if he could live there but she said she was to old, in 1964 at the end of 4th grade he was sent to spend summer with some relatives in Atlanta, but it was the same answer, although they were wealthy no one would let him live with them, there were some house parents that he grew to respect and started high school in 1968

In 1972 Guildford high school accepted him as a student he had graduated out of Princeton high school and had left the orphanage, he spent some amazing times in Africa as a missionary and in 1975 returned home, he finally graduated from University in 1977 and after meeting Susan his future wife, married in 1980

Ok this is not a great write up for a book and I will explain why, the first half of the book was interesting and held my attention, moving into the second half suddenly it was religion, christians, bible quotes and hardly any story at all, I struggled to reach the end of this book but I will leave this up to you to form your own opinion
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Carl
1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid X-Rated
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2012
Verified Purchase
I purchased this for my 11 tear old son to read on a Shabbat as I believed that it was a Christian based book that focused on the family.
We deleted the book half way through when my 11 year old came to ask me to explain what sex & pornography was!! Absolutely disgusted NO warning what so ever that the book would be addressing these subject's
This book is seriously rude....
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