Born different, a boy struggles. His story draws you in. So, too, does his mother's relentless quest: from the fight for a suitable education and effective health care through the fight for his life as he enters the harrowing world of addiction. The boy's poetry--undiscovered in his lifetime--is intertwined, depicting the inner life of a person underestimated.

Facing bitter disappointments and often insurmountable obstacles, mother and son manage to cope with adversity, sometimes in opposition. Equally obvious is the bond between them, with their candid communications--laden with strife but not without humor--as evidence of that bond.

From the discovery of a drug that provided relief to the pure hell of addiction--exploited, humiliated, punished--and from homelessness and jail cells, to rehab and a wanderlust fueled by the relentless quest to belong, his young manhood is full of heartache, but marked by grit and determination and the capacity to love and forgive. The will to keep fighting.

Inspiring sensitivity for those who are different, compassion for those whose battles arise from uncontrollable circumstances rather than faults of character, this gripping story drives home the urgency for drug policy reform.