This book is a story that sends the reader careening through episodes of childhood abuse, teenage drug addiction, and as an adult the compulsion to repeat the sins of his father.

Wayne Theodore and his eleven brothers and sisters grew up in rural New England, the children of a violent, abusive father and a passive, dysfunctional mother. His father ordered him to drop out of school at the age of fourteen, pocketing all of the money Wayne earned working at menial jobs. Through adolescence and into adulthood, Wayne struggled with profound feelings of shame and worthlessness as his life progressed through episodes of drug addiction, marriage failure, and attempted suicide. Eventually, he summoned the courage and strength to learn from his mistakes and channel his life into positive new directions. Today, Wayne runs a successful contracting business, has re-married, and is the proud father of six children, ages five to twenty-one. Wayne and his family live on a small farm in New Hampshire where they keep horses, cows, and other livestock. He coaches a Little League team and enjoys boating, snowmobiling, and riding his Harley-Davidson. Wayne has made two appearances on national TV's The Sally Show. They are the top-rated, most-asked-about programs in the show's history. Leslie Alan Horvitz is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books, including Eureka: Scientific Breakthroughs that Changed the World; Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC (with Dr. Joseph McCormick and Dr. Susan Fisher-Hoch); and Understanding Depression (with Dr. Raymond DePaulo). He makes his home in New York City.