THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019 // 19
BOOKMONGER
YA novel confronts what homelessness feels like
‘Sleeping in
My Jeans’
gives voice to a
harrowing reality
Connie King Leon-
ard tackles the unforgiv-
ing realities of poverty
and homelessness in her
new book, “Sleeping in
My Jeans.” Classified as
a young adult novel, this
book is written in first per-
son. Readers will feel the
experiences of 16-year-
old Mattie with a terrifying
urgency.
The story is set in
Eugene. Mattie, her 6-year-
old half-sister Meg, and
their mom have been stay-
ing at her mom’s boy-
friend’s apartment. They’ve
been there two years, but
it’s always been a tenuous
situation — the boyfriend
drinks too much, and when
he drinks, he gets mean.
By Chapter Two, he
crosses a line when he
comes home drunk one
night, roughs up their mom,
and even pushes Mattie and
Meg around.
The three of them flee
in Mom’s rust-bucket of a
car, but they have nowhere
to go.
Mom has been tak-
ing classes at the commu-
nity college and although
she’s been working two
minimum wage jobs, she
doesn’t have the savings to
pay the deposit required for
renting an apartment. But,
as the product of the foster
care system herself, she is
determined not to break her
family up.
So they sleep in the car.
By day, they go to work
and school, where Mattie
worries about keeping her
grades up and her home-
lessness a secret.
“By high school, we
THIS WEEK’S
BOOK
Sleeping in My Jeans
By Connie King Leonard
Ooligan Press
244 pp
$16
Ooligan Press
The cover of Connie King Leonard’s ‘Sleeping in My Jeans.’
should be beyond all the
hateful garbage kids throw
at each other, but I know
better. Bad things still hap-
pen to people that are poor
or different or don’t fit in
with the rest of the crowd.”
In late afternoons and
evenings, the girls take
advantage of the warmth
and safety of the library
until their mom picks them
up after she gets off work
and then they drive around
searching for a safe place
to park, eat peanut butter
sandwiches for supper, and
try to get some sleep.
Sometimes they encoun-
ter other homeless people,
who have staked out their
own territories and don’t
welcome others encroach-
ing on their space.
They also have to deal
with the cops who come
around. The officers aren’t
well-equipped to help
homeless folks get off the
streets, but they do warn
about people who might try
to prey upon them.
Eventually, those dire
predictions come true. In a
harrowing chain of events,
their car is attacked while
they are sleeping inside
it and they’re chased by
some malevolent men.
They escape, but the next
day, when their mom goes
to get the car repaired, she
doesn’t return.
Mattie has zero
resources — including
money — at her disposal.
She doesn’t trust anyone.
But with her little sister in
tow, she tries to figure out
how to find their mom.
The author, who lives
just south of Portland, has
taught in both elementary
and middle schools. She
has seen the toll that home-
lessness takes on students
— Oregon ranks first in the
nation for the rate of home-
less children and youth.
“Sleeping in My Jeans”
gives voice to that reality,
when too often our incli-
nation might be to look the
other way.
The Bookmonger is Bar-
bara Lloyd McMichael,
who writes this weekly col-
umn focusing on the books,
authors and publishers of
the Pacific Northwest. Con-
tact her at bkmonger@
nwlink.com.
THE AUTHOR, WHO LIVES JUST
SOUTH OF PORTLAND, HAS TAUGHT
IN BOTH ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE
SCHOOLS. SHE HAS SEEN THE TOLL
THAT HOMELESSNESS TAKES ON
STUDENTS — OREGON RANKS FIRST
IN THE NATION FOR THE RATE OF
HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
Crossword Answers
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