The author certainly was not raised in the manner a child should be. The scars of his childhood will remain with him forever. After reading the book, I do not think he has survived this, but is still trying to stay afloat. There were some sections I could not read word by word, but needed to just skim through. It is inconceivable parents would rear their children in such a horrible manner. Warning: This book does have some language, and scenarios that would not be appropriate for younger readers.

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This is a book about a little boy's painful upbringing by a pair of alcoholic parents and the resultant issues he has had to deal with. It is very sad, but does have a message of hope. I would think this would be a very good book for people who are dealing with the mental illness of a friend or family member.

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This is as bleak as a memoir gets, and I hope that it was cathartic for Robert Goolrick to write it. I made it through 100 pages and then closed it. There are simply too many books that enlighten and touch my heart to continue reading. I hope that Goolrick finds the peace that he deserves and people he can trust with his love.

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This is a book you will not soon forget. My heart ached for the author who has obviously lived with lifelong scars from his experiences. I still wonder how he is doing today.

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This book was very difficult to read, one more shattered childhood with the facade of a happy family. If you read this book, though, be sure to read it to the end...even if you have to skim some difficult pages, or his story has no value.

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Raw, powerful, breathtaking.
I found myself drawn into the vivid life of a young boy in this highly dysfunctional family. As a grown man his melancholy is inescapable. I kept wondering why his pain was so incredibly deep and unresolved. Many of us have come from families such as this and worse. Most of us resolve the issues one way or another. But there's so much more to the life of a little boy. He was forced to exist as a "normal" boy and a boy with a terrible secret.
Three quarters of the way through, the reader is hit with the raw truth in a straightforward and unapologetic way. It's painful and somewhat evil. But the author bears his soul honestly and abundantly. I've never read anything quite like this.

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