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From his frenetic entrance into the world, where he found himself with a cord wrapped around his neck—a “blue baby”—David was exposed to an unfathomable dimension of life, a gut punch to the meaning of humanity. Nevertheless, his resilience became his calling card as he navigated through one mind-boggling circumstance after another. Worthy of commendation for his raw and authentic portrayal, David uses his work as a platform to demonstrate what happens when a child is raised in the ultimate dysfunctional family system.
The details shared here are excruciatingly visceral. As the title suggests, the sexual abuse started early, while the author was a toddler, and was carried on into much of his childhood. Though the abuse was mostly at the hands of an alcohol and drug-fueled mother, it did not end there and got to the point where most authority figures, from babysitters to his uncle who were meant to protect him, were precisely the ones doing him harm. As David alludes, perhaps the most heartbreaking element of all this is that these heinous acts were all he was privy to and, thus, gained a sense of normalcy in his life. It is not all that different from one who has only known darkness to not grasp light.
Dave tells his story with unflinching candor. With a mother who was mostly under the influence, even during his pregnancy, it is unsurprising that the author dealt with infant blood pressure and hardened intestines. In the midst of this unending chaos, David’s knack for academic excellence is seemingly swept under the rug, yet he is unceasingly determined to study. At its core, this a story of unification, a narrative for all those in need of healing to know that help awaits them, and to never stop seeking it out.