This true story written by Dave Pelzer, tells his heroic story on how he struggled to live in his mothers home. He was severly beaten and starved by his own mother. The author tells of how his life was before and during the time he was abused. This story is truly amazing and will touch the heart of anyone who reads it. Dave tells of how the alcohol changed his caring, loving mother, into someone who he couldn't recognise.
His father (a firefighter) did absolutely nothing to help Dave, instead he spent most of his time either at work or in a bar. Still Dave thought of his father as his hero, he felt safer when his father was around. Gradually he tells of how his mother changed everyday and continually abused him. As time went by the beatings got worse and the starvation periods were longer. Dave had always told himself that he was going to someday make something of himself, and make his mother proud of him.
Dave was made to do all the household choires and complete them within a certain amount of time, if he didn't complete his task he did not receive any food and he got beatings for it. He was then sent to school in the same clothes day after day, week after week. He was not allowed to wash, and in order to feed himself he had to steel food, which he had to pay for with a beating. His brothers helped him get the beatings by saying he had stolen or had said something to one of them. Dave as not allowed to play with his brothers or any children inside or outside of school.
Dave tells of how all of the pressure had go to his hero (his father) and had spent more and more time out of the house and at work or at bars, if he wasn't there he was at a friends house. His mother and father had sperated and his father moved out. Instantly Dave knew that the abuse was going to get worse for him.