Book excerpt: James Lucot's very personal narrative speaks as a story of the evolution of a soul. His raw, poignant, and sometimes haunting childhood experiences develop into an authentic metamorphosis as an adult. His words reflect a genuine effort to not erase the past in an effort to survive, but to truly wrestle with events and emotions in order to embrace his own life with more resolution, gratitude, and dignity. The culminating triumph of the work rests in the beauty of truth to make us stronger, better, and whole. His honesty in addressing the past and its consequences in his present stand as an open encouragement and call to all of us to recognize ourselves, to dig deeply into the events that shape who we are, and confidently move forward and evolve in hope. - Alison E. Schuster, Esq.