"Morgan is seriously fractured, both in mind and in soul. An ordeal like what he had to go through would be enough to do that to anyone, and he is no exception to that rule... it may take years, maybe even decades, for him to recover."
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Finding His Voice by Benjamin Hamilton Trafford Publishing
book review by Wendy Strain
Morgan Calloway is in a bestial state at the opening of this novel, brought to this condition by the psychotic torture of a madman for reasons that remain unexplained until nearly the center of the story. Simply removing him from the darkened room in which he's housed is not enough to help Morgan overcome his abuses to find himself again. Instead, it takes the loving care of a family dedicated to his recovery and an intelligent and compassionate psychiatrist capable of understanding his patient's needs without words. In spite of their care and concern, though, Morgan repeatedly must face his tormentor and find the trust and faith he needs to find a means of communicating to those he loves when he needs help.
The pain and suffering involved in this story is, at times, difficult to read. Hamilton handles this difficult subject matter with finesse, never allowing it to overwhelm but allowing it the room needed to capture a sense of the brutality one human being can inflict upon another. More than the physical suffering, it is the mental and spiritual pain that invokes the greatest reader response. Hamilton's understanding of this suffering, and the pathways back from it, is as sensitive as it is thorough.
The story includes a small amount of explicit homosexual activity. What is important to realize regarding these scenes, though, is the relevance they have to the progression of the story and the significance they offer regarding the state of Morgan's recovery.