A Child Born Man

For author Kenneth H. Thompson, childhood was anything but idyllic. In his memoir, he chronicles his life story and the lessons he learned in the process. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up with two brothers and two sisters, but he suffered abuse at the hands of his step-father. Hoping for a better life for her son, Thompson's mother adopted him out to another family. The joy was short-lived, as his adoptive mother was a saint by day and a devil by night, due to her drinking. In this memoir, he tells of his miserable childhood and the circumstances that led him to drug use, crime, and an eventual prison stay at Rikers Island. This autobiography details Thompson's journey through the storms and the darkness in life, but it also narrates how God came to help and instilled light in his mind and his soul and facilitated a complete spiritual balance.