Michael Seed should have had what every child deserves: love, care and attention, and the chance to be just what he was - an innocent young boy. Instead, Michael's formative years were filled with unspeakable neglect, misery and abuse from an alcoholic father who robbed him of his childhood and drove his mother to suicide. One horrific night, Michael realized that the situation was escalating as his father began the sexual abuse that would continue for years. School offered no reprieve as Michael encountered terrible bullying and a teacher who repeatedly violated him. It seemed he was destined for a life of inescapable misery. Despite everything, Michael was ultimately saved by his own will to live and by the books that inspired him to move on and seek a better life. After years of silence, Michael is ready to tell his story, a story that, though shockingly painful, is a testament to his remarkable ability to triumph in the face of the most appalling circumstances and to escape the horrors of his past.