In the United States publishing world Barrus' work is cited as an example of a memoir released under misleading pretenses, but his memoirs were acclaimed by Child Rights and HIV/AIDS activists advocating for greater awareness of American children living at acute risk.
In the United States publishing world Barrus' work is cited as an example of a memoir released under misleading pretenses, and Native Americans strongly criticized Barrus for appropriating the suffering of their people. His memoirs were acclaimed by Child Rights and HIV/AIDS activists advocating for greater awareness of American children living at acute risk.