Raising Gentle Men: Lives at the Orphanage Edge
There are very few benefits to the being the only man in the convent. There are fewer still being the only big brother to 250 boys in an orphanage. But if you keep busy, you stumble into opportunities to help. And if you're clueless, you don't know better than to attempt the improbable. And if you're clumsy, you trip over life's lessons at every turn.
All of the author's proceeds from this book go to support the work of the Mercy Sisters and the Jesuits in Jamaica.
For more than 100 years, a small band of nuns have run Alpha Boys School in Kingston, caring for the abandoned, abused and delinquent boys of Jamaica. From 1984 - 1986, they allowed the author to share their world.
Jay was one of many people during those years who lived on the periphery of the boys' lives, trying to help, and trying to understand. He saw the relationships the boys built with each other, which kept them from being completely alone in the world. Whether from the inside or the out, they all lived at the orphanage edge.
Praise for Raising Gentle Men
"A compelling read, the lovely, often funny narrative of Raising Gentle Men both draws you in and breaks your heart."
Jane Gerety, RSM, Ph.D
President, Salve Regina University
Raising Gentle Men is a well written, easily read book -warm, sometimes poignant and sometimes funny. It's a wonderful book.
Dr. Alec Peck Ph.D
Chair, Dept. of Teacher Education, Special Education, and Curriculum & Instruction, Boston College
"Raising Gentle Men is not full of dramatic, life-altering events. And yet, the story is perfect. The power of Jay's story is in the small details: a bed-time story, a brief moment holding hands. And isn't that the lesson for us all when searching how to serve others? We shouldn't underestimate God's power to work in small ways."
America Magazine
"A beautifully written and inspiring story."
Nell Minow - The Movie Mom Blog - Belief Net.com
"When Jay Sullivan ventured into a section of Kingston closed to tourists, he brought a caring heart to the boys of Alpha-a heart that served as a magnet for their dreams of a better life."
Camille D'Arienzo, RSM
A Past President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious