Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

Liz is twelve years old at the start of Chapter Four, when her mother befriends a man named Leonard Mohn. Liz dislikes Leonard; not only does he hate children— despite the fact that he works as a substitute teacher—but he’s also driving a wedge between Jeanie and Peter. The three of them pursue each high together, in a way: Jeanie and Leonard pool their funds for drugs and Peter makes the drug runs, often bringing Liz with him—despite the hour and his outings’ inherent dangers. Jeanie likes Leonard’s company because, like her, he’s HIV-positive. Peter doesn’t use drugs with the two of them; he does so in private.

Liz spends more and more time with Rick and Danny, and stops going with her father on his drug runs. She starts skipping school more and more, riding the subway trains. Sometimes, Rick and Danny join her and the three get into mischief, ultimately setting a shed aflame. One day, Ms. Cole, a social worker, tells Liz that she must go to school and help her mother clean the house, or else she will be taken away from her home.

Meanwhile, Jeanie starts dating a man named Brick, and takes Liz to meet him one day instead of insisting Liz go to school.