'Phenomenal woman' The Oprah Magazine
'Dazzles you with the amazing change that is possible in one lifetime.' Washington Post

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This is the heart-wrenching true story of a girl named Cupcake Brown.

Orphan, runaway, addict, all before she was twenty. That's when things got really interesting...

Cupcake was just eleven years old when, orphaned, she entered the child welfare system. Moved from one disastrous placement to the next, like so many, she was neglected and sexually abused.

She fed her appetite for drink and drugs by selling the only thing she had. Her body. Before long she had stumbled head first into a world of gangs and extreme violence. After one crack binge she woke up behind a dumpster. Half-dressed and more than half-dead, she knew she had a choice. Change her life or die.

Brutally frank and startlingly funny, A Piece of Cake is the remarkable true story of a resilient spirit who triumphed over the very worst that life could throw at her.

There are shelves of memoirs about overcoming the death of a parent, childhood abuse, rape, drug addiction, miscarriage, alcoholism, hustling, near-death injuries, drug dealing, prostitution or homelessness. Cupcake Brown survived all these things before she'd even turned twenty. And that's when things got interesting.

About the Author
Cupcake Brown was born in San Diego, in the heart of the ghetto. After years of living on the streets, addicted to both alcohol and hard drugs, she managed to turn her life around. Following years of dedicated study, she achieved her ambition, graduating from law school in the spring of 2001. She now practices law at one of America's largest law firms and is a motivational speaker. You can catch up with Cupcake via her website: cupcakebrown.com She lives in San Francisco.

Reviews
"It dazzles you with the amazing change that is possible in one lifetime. We see a woman learn to build a family from strangers who help her because she is another human being trying to overcome horrendous circumstances. It is a story that is poetic in its simplicity, beautifully stripped to the basics" Washington Post "Extraordinary... An engaging account of a remarkable life filled with pain and wisdom, hope and redemption" San Francisco Chronicle "Her story of survival and triumph is incredible and often rough. Readers who like gritty, urban nonfiction will enjoy this" Booklist "Want to be inspired by a story that's far from run-of-the-mill? Curl up with Cupcake Brown's harrowing, sugar-free memoir..." Marie Claire "Incredibly frank and funny memoir " Closer


Awards
Short-listed for YoungMinds Book Award 2007.



Book Information
ISBN 9780553818178
Author Cupcake Brown
Format Paperback
Page Count 544
Imprint Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
Weight(grams) 367g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 127mm * 32mm