In this memoir, Christenson tells scores of stories of teenagers who broke the law and faced jail time, battered women who killed their abusers in self-defense and were serving long prison sentences, immigrants who fled war-torn countries and are struggling to reunite with family members who were not able to escape, prostitutes who hoped to leave the life of prostitution behind, children who wanted to visit a parent in prison, and elderly people who wanted to live as independently as possible as long as possible. Many times, Iris worked behind the scenes to advocate for the people she served, and she didn't stop when she couldn't achieve the hoped for results. Some projects were complete failures. A failure became another lesson so the next project could be more successful. Some of her most successful projects were the result of collaboration with other dedicated advocates.