Walk to Beautiful
The Power of Love and a Homeless Kid Who Found the Way
- History & Biography
- Publisher: W Publishing Group (Thomas Nelson)
- Published: 2015
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Publisher's Description
A New York Times bestseller! Imagine yourself a thirteen-year-old hundreds of miles away from home, in a strange city, and your mom leaves you at a bus station parking lot and drives off into the night with her lover. That’s the real-life story of country music star Jimmy Wayne. It’s a miracle that Jimmy survived being hungry and homeless, bouncing in and out of the foster care system, and sleeping in the streets. But he didn’t just overcome great adversity in his life; he now uses his country music platform to help children everywhere, especially teenagers in foster care who are about to age out of the system. Walk to Beautiful is the powerfully emotive account of Jimmy’s horrendous childhood and the love he received from Russell and Bea Costner, the elderly couple who gave him a stable home and provided the chance to complete his education. Jimmy says of Bea, “She changed every cell in my body.” This moving memoir chronicles: Jimmy’s life as a foster child and homeless teenager His adoption by Russell and Bea Costner, an elderly couple who gave him a stable home and provided the opportunities for him to thrive His surprising rise to fame in the music industry His tireless advocacy for children in the foster care system through his Meet Me Halfway awareness campaign, a 1,700 mile walk halfway across America from Nashville to Phoenix Join Jimmy on his walk to beautiful and see how one person really can make a difference.
Endorsements (25)
“I loved this book. Jimmy’s story is moving and motivating. Read it and you’ll be ready to join him in changing the world for our children.”
“Words cannot adequately express how deeply impacted I was the first time I heard Jimmy Wayne tell his story. Because of the tragic and painful childhood that he experienced, and all that he has overcome, I knew his story would bring great hope to every resident in all of our Mercy homes. I am convinced that every person who reads the pages of this book will be both challenged and inspired to make a difference in the lives of others.”
“This is such a compelling read. Jimmy takes you though his ups and downs. He makes you laugh and makes you cry. What an incredible journey. You won’t be able to put it down.”
“A compulsive page-turner that tugs at the heartstrings while simultaneously demanding a call for action! Readers will be blessed by the inspiring story of Jimmy Wayne, who goes beyond overcoming adversity and leads by example.”
“Ignored, abandoned, and disregarded by both family and society, Jimmy had one match left to keep warm . . . and find the way! Walk to Beautiful is a riveting, poignant look into the complex world of children in the foster care system as seen through Jimmy’s eyes, words, and experiences. From unwitting victim to vocal advocate, his story underscores the flaws in the system, paints a face on these children, and becomes an effective plea for extending the dates where a child ‘ages’ out of the system from eighteen to twenty-one to give them a better chance. Finally, it shows that while love does not always conquer all, it does form the bridge to build the human soul.”
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