Blanket of Stars

Santa Monica, California, is a beachside resort, its streets filled with trendy shops and trendier shoppers, beautiful homes and gorgeous gardens. . . all juxtaposed to so many homeless people that actor and political satirist Harry Shearer has dubbed Santa Monica "the home of the homeless." Those without a place to call their own are nurtured by the city's warming sun and its healing ocean air; a fortunate few are aided by local social service institutions. Most, however, go unnoticed as they struggle to survive. And many of them--thousands of them--are women.

Blanket of Stars: Homeless Women in Santa Monica is the first book of its kind, the result of the compassion of a mother and her son -- a writer and a fine art photographer who could not turn their heads and ignore the humanity around them as they traversed the streets of their hometown. Together Frances Noble and Ian Noble set out to recognize these women who breathe the same air, walk the same streets and long for the same things . . . peace, understanding, respect.

On the pages of Blanket of Stars, these women speak for homeless women everywhere. Each shares a compelling history of her life, as she has lived it, revealing the intimate details that led to the street. For some, there is a spirit of independence and overcoming the odds; for the vast majority, there is only the fear of each new night where all that protects them is a blanket . . . a blanket of stars. The Nobles tell these groundbreaking stories with tender words and dramatic images: images that haunt us, images that make us smile, images that tear at our hearts, images that call out to us to act. These are not just the women of Santa Monica. They are the women of California. They are the women of America. And the world. Learn from them.