This is the memoir of my life in Chicago, Illinois, as a preteen, and then my life in Mooseheart, Illinois. These were difficult years and yet exciting years. To say that my time spent in Mooseheart was formative would be an understatement. But those years as a teenager were challenging. I sometimes have been asked, "Did you enjoy your time at Mooseheart?" My answer has been, "Do you enjoy your time in a hospital?"

No. But, if I would not have gone to Mooseheart, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have gone to prison or even been shot while committing a crime. But the Lord Jesus knew that Mooseheart was exactly what I needed. I had to learn discipline, obedience to rules, appreciation of learning. And, so, for six years, I was in Mooseheart, the Child City. I have tried to recount those years accurately. Still, a few names have been changed to protect the guilty, some statements may be attributed to the wrong individuals, and the dialogue is as accurate as I can remember it.