Garbage Bag Suitcase
Garbage Bag Suitcase is the true story of Shenandoah Chefalo’s wholly dysfunctional journey through a childhood with neglectful, drug-and-alcohol-addicted parents. She endured numerous moves in the middle of the night with just minutes to pack, multiple changes in schools, hunger, cruelty, and loneliness.
Garbage Bag Suitcase is not only the inspiring and hair-raising story of one woman’s journey to overcome her desolate childhood, but it also presents grass-root solutions on how to revamp the broken foster care system
“When we stop asking, ‘What is wrong with that person?’ and start asking ‘What has happened to that person?’ we can begin to change outcomes for those who have suffered great losses.”
Shenandoah Chefalo, Garbage Bag Suitcase
What People are Saying
“You will never see foster care the same way after reading this book. This is a must read for teachers and care givers of all varieties.”
- Barbara R. Campbell
“I would highly recommend this book to anyone working with youth, those who know of children in the foster care system and anyone who has ever loved a child.”
- Lin Benfield
“This plain-spoken memoir about growing up in an abusive and neglectful home, and later within the lonely confines of the American foster care system, is the perfect encapsulation of the quote: ‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.’”
- Ann Elizabeth
"This well-crafted and controlled personal narrative avoids the traps of sentimentality that are easy to fall into when exploring emotional territory."
- Forward Reviews
Meet Shen
Plagued and embarrassed by her name (a humiliation enhanced by a nomadic childhood that made it impossible to build lasting relationships), Shenandoah Chefalo developed a tough skin at an early age. Along the way, she learned to deal with disappointment, push through discomfort, overcome adversity, and accurately gauge people, qualities that have helped her to succeed.
Awards
2017 - DAR Women in American History Award
2017 - Best Non-Fiction Ebook from IPPY Awards
2017 - Midwest Book Awards, Winner for Best Non-Fiction in Social Science, Political Science & Culture
2017 - Independent Publisher Awards, Winner for Best Non - Fiction, Personal E-Book
2016 - Winner of the DAR Women of the Arts Recognition Award
2016 - Pinnacle Awards-Best Memoir
2016- Beverly Hills Book Awards Best Regional Memoir
2016 - Winner, Readers Choice Memoir
Share Garbage Bag Suitcase with Your Community
This memoir has sparked important conversations in classrooms, book clubs, and professional spaces. If you'd like to bring it to your group, here are a few easy ways to get started.
Request Discounted Wholesale Copies
Planning a group read or event? Use this form to request bulk pricing for book clubs, classrooms, conferences, or community programs.
Host Shen at a Virtual Book Club
Hosting a virtual discussion of Garbage Bag Suitcase? Shen can join your group for a meaningful conversation about her story and the larger systems it reveals.
Chat with Us About On-Site Events
Interested in an in-person talk, panel, or custom event? Schedule a quick call with Shen to explore what’s possible.