A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood

This is a beautifully written memoir of childhood hardship, cruelty, and neglect. The author's candor and equanimity in examining a painful history is remarkable, as is the poignant outcome.

Mr Rhodes' writing is clear as a pristine lake, to the bottom of which one can see, with all stones, underwater plants, fish and monsters visible in sharp outline. I could not put the book down; it made me weep; following his story made me feel both tenderness and horror, and led me to both healing of brokenness, and deeper sorrow for brokenness that can never heal.

Some books excite you; some bore you; some interest you. This book embraces and engulfs you. It is impossible to imagine anyone reading it without both raging and exhulting. A wonderful, beautiful, searing book. The first paragraph (which I read to my students as an example of 'The Event That Most Changed My Life') will suck you in so far you'll read it with fury, passion, and an intensity that makes both most autobiography seem limp and most writing seem pale. Richard Rhodes is a fine writer, but this book is more than written. It is bled.

I read Hole in the World while writing the story of my own dismal childhood. It made me realize that mine wasn't as bad as I had thought, even though it was pretty bad. This is a shocking book, one that causes tears to fall thinking about this boy suffering at the hands of a stepmother while his father did nothing, abandoning his responsibilities as a father. It is shocking that school officials and neighbors didn't intervene. Hurray for Stanley's courage in going to the police. Most shocking of all is to know, from volunteer work I do now as a retiree, that this kind of abuse continues and, if anything, society is even less able now to stop it or cope with the effects on its victims.

I did not read this myself, but heard it read on a local FM station by Dick Estell - the "RADIO READER". I could hardly wait for each day's half hour installment. As the heart-wrenching sorrow and confusion of abuse and abandonment of the author and his brother turned into rescue, trust and healing, this story kept me glued to the radio. Though out of print, it will be inspiring to anyone who loves to see the wonder of human helping human, and the spirit's ability to heal and overcome adversity.