Publisher's Synopsis
Young Arthur Berndt is fighting to survive his childhood but the odds are stacked against him. He lives in two worlds-the violent one he shares with his father at home and the confused one outside his house, where he continually gets into trouble in a futile attempt to gain acceptance at any cost. Every day of his life Arthur finds himself trapped under the same roof with a mortal enemy-August Berndt. Though terrified of his abusive father, Arthur dares not reveal his fears to anyone else. Instead, on the street, he becomes a follower in his desperate effort to be accepted by someone-anyone. His need to please would-be friends compels Arthur to commit antisocial acts that suck the young boy into the legal system, make him an alien in his own neighborhood and only heighten the tension and violence he endures at home. Despite further complicating his life with his own self-defeating actions, subconsciously( and on the very rare occasion consciously), Arthur rationalizes his criminal behavior, telling himself that if no one cares what happens to him, why should he care about what he does to anyone else? Is Arthur doomed to meet the dark fate he seems headed for or will he live to see his life get better? You'll be captivated by Arthur-the embodiment of the human struggle to survive.
