CHAPTERS 1-5 SUMMARY
STEVE LOPEZ WAS WORKING IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BUILDING, WHILE ONE DAY ON HIS WAY TO WORK, HE LISTENS TO SOMEONE WHO WAS PLAYING THE VIOLIN. STEVE THOUGHT HE PLAYED VERY WELL SO HE WANTED TO MEET HIM, SO HE DID. THE MAN WAS NAMED NATHANIEL, AND HE WAS A TALENTED MUSICIAN WHO HAD PASSION FOR MUSIC . STEVE WAS VERY INTEREST ABOUT NATHANIEL, SO HE DECIDED TO WRITE A STORY ABOUT HIS LIFE. NATHANIEL WAS HOMELESS, AND HE DID NOT HAVE A PLACE WERE HE LIVED SO HE LIVED IN THE STREETS. WHEN NATHANIEL WAS YOUNG, HE STUDY IN JUILLIARD ONE OF THE BEST MUSIC SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD, IT WAS A SCHOOL FOR THE BEST MUSICIANS OUT THERE. STEVE WANTED TO HELPED NATHANIEL FIND A PLACE TO LIVE AND HELPED HIM GET SOME NEW MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. AFTER STEVE PUBLISHED THE STORY OF NATHANIEL, PEOPLE WERE AMAZED OF THE OUTCOME OF THE STORY. PEOPLE WERE KIND ENOUGH TO SEND SOME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO STEVE'S OFFICE SO HE CAN GIVE THEM TO NATHANIEL. STEVE WANTED TO USE THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO LEAD NATHANIEL TO GO TO LAMP. NATHANIEL DIDN'T LIKE THAT PLAN, BUT MONTHS PASSED BY AND NATHANIEL FINALLY SHOWED UP TO LAMP TO USE HIS NEW INSTRUMENTS. FROM LEADING NATHANIEL TO LAMP THEY PLAN TO HELP HIM OUT WITH HIS MENTAL ILLNESS AND PROVIDE HIM WITH SHELTER AND FOOD.
CHAPTERS 6-12 SUMMARY
STEVE LOPEZ WANTED TO BE A SPORTS REPORTER BEFORE HE BECAME A NEWS REPORTER. STEVE CONSTANTLY ASK FOR ADVICE FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON NATHANIEL'S LIFE. WHILE GOING TO VISIT DR. RAGINS, STEVE MEETS A MAN WHO WAS NAMED DAVID WHO ALSO HAD SCHIZOPHRENIA JUST LIKE NATHANIEL WHO WAS HOMELESS. ONE DAY STEVE OFFERS TO STAY THE NIGHT WITH NATHANIEL OUT IN THE STREETS, NATHANIEL TELLS HIM TO NOT COME OUT BECAUSE IT ISEN''T SAFE OUT THERE, BUT STEVE STILL INSISTS TO GO. WHILE BEING OUT IN THE STREET AND SEEING ALL THE NEGATIVITY GOING ON, STEVE DECIDES STAYING IN A HOTEL. AFTER SIX MOUTHS GO BY OF MEETING NATHANIEL, STEVE NOW FEELS CLOSER TO NATHANIEL THEN HE DID BEFORE. STEVE METS WITH STELLA MARCH WHO HAS A SON WHO HAS SCHIZOPHRENIA WHO KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THE ILLNESS, STEVE WANTED TO KNOW WAYS TO HELP NATHANIEL CURE THE SICKNESS. STELLA TOLD STEVE THE ONLY WAY NATHANIEL WILL BE CURED IS THROUGH TAKING MEDICINE. ONE DAY A MANED NAMED ALEXIS RIVERA WAS RIDING HIS BICYCLE WHEN HE DICOVERED NATHANIEL PLAYING HIS CELLO AND HE LIKED THE SOUND OF HIS MUSIC, RIVERA OFFERED NATHANIEL TO PLAY AT HIS CLUB AND NATHANIEL SAID HE WOULD BE HONORED. DOCTORS CONSTANTLY TRY TO HELP NATHANIEL BUT HE REFUSES TO GET HELP, NATHANIEL DISLIKES DOCTORS OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH DOCTORS. STEVE AND NATHANIEL GOT INVITED TO A CONCERT BY ADAM CRANE. NATHANIEL REFUSES TO GO TO THE CONCERT, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE HIS SHOPPING CART AT LAMP. FINALLY STEVE LEAVES HIS SHOPPING CART WITH A GUARD AND GO IN THE CONCERT. NATHANIEL WAS HAPPY AND OVERWHELMED OF THE OUTCOME OF THE CONCERT AND ON MEETING FAMOUS MUSICIANS.
CHAPTERS 13-19 SUMMARY
THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA WANTED TO COME WITH STEVE TO GO VISIT SKID ROW, AS A RESULT THE MAYOR WAS SHOCKED WITH THE OUTCME AND WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SKID ROW. STEVE WANTED NATHANIELTO MOVE INTO HIS APARTMENT IN LAMP, BUT NATHANIEL RUFUSED TO MOVE INTO THE APARTMENT. THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE NATHANIEL DOESNT TRUST THE PEOPLE AT LAMP, HE 'S NOT INTERESTED IN PUTTING HIS POSSESSIONS IN A ROOM WHERE THE BIGGEST THIEVES IN THE WORLD CAN COME AND STEAL EVERYTHING HE OWNS. LIKE HORAN SAID TO STEVE LOPEZ "YOU'VE BUILT UP ALL THIS TRUST WITH NATHANIEL. HE IS COMING AROUND IN HIS OWN WAY, AND IT HAS TO BE THAT WAY. WITH US SUPPORTING HIM AND EARNING HIS TRUST. OTHERWISE YOU COULD LOSE HIM FOREVER." ONE DAY, STEVE LOPEZ GOT AN E-MAIL FROM PETER SNYDER, PETER THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC CELLIST WHO SHOOK NATHANIEL'S HAND AT DISNEY HALL. PETER SNYDER TOLD STEVE THAT HE WANTED TO GIVE NATHANIEL FREE MUSIC CLASSES, BECAUSE HE KNOW NATHANIEL HAS TALENT AND CAN POTENTIALLY GET BETTER. STEVE LOPEZ WANTED TO USE THIS CHANCE TO CONVINCE NATHANIEL INTO THE APARTMENT AND INVOLVED AT LAMP. FINALLY STEVE LOPEZ WAS SUCCESSFUL CONVINCED NATHANIEL TO MOVE INTO THE APARTMENT, AFTER PETER SNYDER TAUGHT NATHANIEL MUSIC IN HIS APARTMENT. WHEN NATHANIEL WAS IN THE APARTMENT. STEVE WAS IN LAS VEGAS AND DECIDED TO VISIT MR. AYERS NATHANIEL'S FATHER TO FIND OUR MORE ABOUT NATHANIEL, STEVE LATER FOUND OUT THAT MR. AYERS STILL MISSES NATHANIEL AND THINKS ABOUT HIM. AFTER THAT STEVE STARTED MAKING MORE PROGRESS TOWARDS CHANGING HIS LIFESTYLE.
CHAPTERS 20-26 SUMMARY
STEVE LOPEZ PREPARED A EARLY CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR NATHANIEL. HE PREPARED A BEETHOVEN FOR NATHANIEL AND GOT SOME GIFTS FROM NATHANIEL'S SISTER. NATHANIEL WAS VERY HAPPY TO GOT ALL THE GIFTS. NATHANIEL SOMETIMES STAYED IN THE APARTMENT, AND SOMETIMES STAYED IN THE TUNNEL. NATHANIEL'S SITUATION GOT BETTER AND HE WAS IN PROGRESS OF CHANGING. ONE DAY, ADAMS TOLD STEVE LOPEZ THAT IF NATHANIEL DID NOT WATCH OUT, HE WAS GOING TO GET HIMSELF INTO TROUBLE OF BEING DISRESPECTFUL WITH OTHERS. STEVE LOPEZ REALLY CARED ABOUT NATHANIEL, AND WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIM GETTING IN TROUBLE OUT IN THE STREETS . HE WENT SEARCHING FOR HIM AND STILL COULD NOT FIND NATHANIEL ANYWHERE . WHEN STEVE LOPEZ CALLED ROBINSON, HE KNEW NATHANIEL WAS IN HIS APARTMENT. NATHANIEL STARTED TO SPEND MORE TIME IN THE APARTMENT THEN ON THE STREETS. STEVE STARTED SEEING A CHANGE IN NATHANIEL AND WAS HAPPY TO SEE HIM HAVE PROGRESS. STEVE INVITED NATHANIEL TO HIS HOUSE FOR AND EASTER BREAKFAST. WHEN NATHANIEL WAS IN STEVE'S HOUSE, STEVE CALLED NATHANIEL'S SISTER SO NATHANIEL COULD TALK TO HER. NATHANIEL WAS SO HAPPY, AND HE TOLD HIS SISTER "I'M WITH MRS. LOPEZ AND LITTLE CAROLINE. I CAN SEE THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN, JENNIFER. I NEVER KNEW LOS ANGELES COULD B SO BEAUTIFUL." AFTER A FEW DAYS, STEVE LOPEZ WANTED TO RENT AN APARTMENT FOR NATHANIEL ON SEEING HIM HAVE SO MUCH PROGRESS. NATHANIEL ALSO RECEIVED ANOTHER CELLO FROM A RANDOM PERSON WHO WAS KIND ENOUGH TO OFFER NATHANIEL A BRAND NEW CELLO FOR FREE.
Chapters 27-31 summary
NATHANIEL FELL HARD FOR PAM, A DOCUMENTARIAN, WHO SOMETIMES TAKES HIM OUT TO THE BEACH WHO TALK FOR HOURS. STUART ROBINSON TELLS PAM ITS BEST NOT TO COME AROUND AS MUCH TO NOT GET NATHANIEL HOPES UP. STEVE DECIDED THAT IF HE MADE A BOOK OR A MOVIE OF NATHANIEL IT WOULD COVER ALL HIS EXPENSES AND HE WHICH HIS SISTER WOULD HANDLE HIS BUSINESS AFFAIRS. NATHANIEL REFUSES TO TALK TO STEVE ON THE PHONE AND ON THE THIRD TIME HE REFUSED HIM, STEVE GOT WORRY AND DECIDED TO GO TO LAMP TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH NATHANIEL. NATHANIEL WAS ANGRY AT STEVE, AND THOUGHT ABOUT DOING A BOOK OR MOVIE ABOUT HIM, WOULD LEAD HIM TO GO TO COURT AND TO START GOING TO THE HOSPITAL TO GET TREATMENT. NATHANIEL WAS OUT OF HIS MIND AND WAS OUT OF CONTROL YELLING THINGS TO STEVE AND TELLING HE NEVER WANTED TO SEE HIM EVER AGAIN, AND IF HE EVER COMES AROUND HE'S GOING DO SOMETHING BAD TO HIM. AFTER ALL THAT HAPPENED STEVE STILL THOUGHT OF NATHANIEL AND ALL THE THINGS THEY BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER. STEVE DECIDED TO TAKE A BIKE RIDE TO SEE IF HE SEE NATHANIEL ANYWHERE AROUND. STEVE FINDS NATHANIEL SITTING ON CHAIR AND PLAYING HIS CELLO, NATHANIEL IS A DIFFERENT MAN HE ISNT MAD BUT HIS SAME HE'S ALWAYS BEEN TO STEVE AND GREETS HIM AND START HAVING A CONVERSATION. JENNIFER AND HER FRIEND KIM ARRIVE TO LOS ANGELES, SO JENNIFER CAN GO TO COURT SO SHE CAN HAVE THE RIGHT TO HANDLE NATHANIEL'S BUSINESS AFFAIRS. NATHANIEL AND HER SISTER JENNIFER FINALLY MET SINCE IN YEARS OF NOT SEEING EACH OTHER. OVER THE FEW DAYS STEVE TAKES NATHANIEL, JENNIFER, AND HER FRIEND AROUND LOS ANGELES TO THE PLACES NATHANIEL CALLS HOME. NATHANIEL IS INVITED TO YO YO MA'S CONCERT, AND AFTER ARRANGED TO MEET WITH HIM. STEVE HAS FINISHED THE STUDIO FOR NATHANIEL, AND TELLS HIM HE HAS A SURPRISE FOR HIM. STEVE PROVIDED THE STUDIO WITH NEW INSTRUMENTS, AND MANY OF THEM WERE DONATED BY PEOPLE WHO READ THE STORYS ABOUT NATHANIEL. OVER ALL NATHANIEL WAS HAPPY FOR THE NEW STUDIO. STEVE LEARNED ALOT FROM NATHANIEL AND HAS WAS TAUGHT MANY THINGS FROM NATHANIEL THAT HE DIDNT REALIZE BEFORE.