A Brother's Journey

Although not meant to be a horror story, the chilling descriptions of the author's childhood abuse by his mother could be mistaken for those of a Stephen King novel. The woman beat the children, stabbed them with a kitchen knife, made them eat their vomit from the floor, and called the youngest son, David, "It." Joshua Gates's mean tone for the drunken woman's tirades jumps out like a monster from the dark. However, he mollifies the disgusting acts with a soft voice that makes hearing about them tolerable. These clever inflectional changes allow listeners to both hate the mother and suffer for the children. The taciturn pitch used for the abused boy's thoughts sounds dominated and terrified. A maturation of the boy's character at the denouement scores a partial victory for good. J.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

November 15, 2004
In this gripping, deeply troubling memoir, a follow-up to his brother David's bestselling A Child Called It
, Pelzer reveals the unyielding suffering he says he experienced at the hands of his depraved mother growing up in the 1970s. Once David, the elder of the two, was removed from the household, the author, by this account, became the target of their mother's alcohol-induced rage. As Pelzer details his outward struggle to survive—learning to fall asleep with his eyes open, for example—and his internal efforts to understand and rise above his circumstances, he assaults readers with the graphic facts, told in surprisingly matter-of-fact language, about being beaten bloody for falling asleep when he was supposed to be awake, and being forbidden to bathe and forced to eat scraps from a dog bowl. Family members (including Pelzer's father), neighbors and teachers were aware of the abuse but did nothing to help, and Pelzer credits outsiders, especially his friend Ben, with finally "allowing" him to see himself more clearly. By looking back at—and then releasing—the image of the skinny, red-haired boy who wanted nothing more than his mother's love, Pelzer discovers his true spirit, which he shares courageously and selflessly here in the hope of healing himself, as well as raising awareness of and preventing child abuse. Agent, Jim Schiavone. (Jan. 5)

Forecast:
Print ads and a radio satellite tour to 25 markets will draw in readers who were riveted by 1995's
A Child Called It (interestingly, though, Pelzer doesn't comment on
It, which came under scrutiny because of allegations that its account was embellished).

As adults and writers, Richard and David Pelzer are mining gold out of their agonizing childhoods, when both suffered severe physical and psychological abuse by their sadistic mother. Each brother has written several books on the subject, including David's highly praised bestseller, A CHILD CALLED "IT." As read by the reliably admirable Scott Brick, this title becomes a tedious and numbing series of the unspeakable tortures, regurgitated with self-pity and improbably detailed memories, that made up young Richard's life. Scott wisely tones down the drama but adopts an unremitting tone of gloom that oppresses the listener. How could he help it, given the text? Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

September 1, 2005
The Pelzer family has become famous for keeping secrets. In Dave's best-selling memoirs, he recounted his abuse at his mother's hands. In "A Brother's Journey", Richard, the youngest of the boys, adds another dimension to the family saga. Outsiders, including teachers and neighbors, were less likely to get involved in family situations when the Pelzer brothers were growing up in the 1970s. While they were aware that Mrs. Pelzer, who suffered from depression and abused alcohol, had tried to kill Dave -he had been placed in foster care -and that Richard had become the target of her abuse, they did nothing to intercede on the boys' behalf. Pelzer's story is a testament to the human heart's capacity to overcome obstacles and trauma. Narrated by Joshua Gates, this work is recommended for public libraries with large collections of audiobooks. -Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence

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