Living with Strangers

“[Robin] deftly merges the two parts of her life story—her early life and her Kenyan travels—with maturity and levelheaded reflection and urges readers to both sympathize with others and to pay attention to their own emotional needs.”—Kirkus Reviews
“… a thoughtful memoir about chosen belonging formed through village work in Africa after a childhood of uncertain homes in America.”—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
“A beautifully written exploration of connection and belonging. This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider or has experienced the American foster care system.”—Angela Quijada-Banks, author of The Black Foster Youth Handbook
“What truly sets Rosenbluth’s story apart is her year in Kenya at nineteen, living with semi-nomadic tribes and teaching school. Her courage to embrace a new culture while searching for belonging is both surprising and inspiring.”—David Ambroz, author of A Place Called Home
“Rosenbluth shares her compelling journey of resilience and triumph with such heartbreaking and inspiring honesty that it leaves you laughing, shaking your head in disbelief, and crying—all while holding on to hope that she will prevail against all odds.”—Ta’Nika Gibson, actress and adoption advocate
“Robin’s compelling memoir, Living with Strangers, captures her experiences with and appreciation for the people of the Samburu and Rendille tribes in Northern Kenya. She arrived in Kenya with typical teenage anxiety—after struggling to find acceptance from her foster family—and learned to embrace local traditions and culture, as she searched for a place to belong.”—Bill Ulfelder, executive director of the New York Nature Conservancy
“Weaving her stories as a survivor of the United States’s broken child welfare system and her year in Kenya at nineteen, Robin’s book is a deeply impactful illustration of how leaning into one’s vulnerability can lead to enlightenment and belonging.”—Jennifer Pinder, executive director of You Gotta Believe

Robin Rosenbluth is a former foster teen who now advocates for finding permanent homes for older foster youth. She has worked in the nonprofit sector in New York, raising funds for museums, women’s organizations, healthcare, and environmental causes, and taught fundraising at New York University and Columbia University, also serving as a career coach. She has studied memoir and the craft of writing with many renowned authors and writes a Substack, My Jagged Journey as a Debut Writer. Robin and her wife have raised two children who now have families of their own. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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