Amazon.co.uk Review
The third tale in David Pelzer's autobiographical trilogy, A Man Named Dave is an inspiring story of terror, recovery and hope experienced by the author throughout his life. Known for his work as an advocate against child abuse, Pelzer has been commended by several US presidents and international agencies, and his previous memoirs of growing up as an abused child (A Child Called It and The Lost Boy) have touched thousands of lives. He provides living proof that we can "stop the cycle" and lead fulfilling, rewarding lives full of healthy relationships. Ultimately triumphant, this book will have you living through the eyes of a terrified child, a struggling young man, and an adult finally forgiving his dying father--reading with tissues nearby is recommended. Ending with a touching conversation between the author and his own son, you will finish reading this with a warm heart and an enriched understanding of the need for compassion in all parts of life. --Jill Lightner
Review
Completing the trilogy of bestselling autobiography that began with A Child Called It and continued with The Lost Boy, this painful volume lays bare Pelzer's adult journey of confrontation with the horrifying abuse he suffered from his terrible mother as a child while others, including his father, failed to intervene. When fighting to better himself by enlisting in the US Air Force, he discovers his long-lost and lonely father dying voiceless of cancer in hospital and chillingly re-encounters his unchanged mother, from whom he must break emotionally free to change the family pattern of destructiveness. The scouring of Pelzer's soul, including his regrets over a broken marriage, is the ultimate emotional rollercoaster in terms of growth through adversity. He gives it his all - as he promised "to give everything my all" as an eight-year-old when his mother deliberately held his arm over the gas stove to burn him.
