Neglected and abandoned by one father, and threated, verbally abused and psychologically terrorized by another, Brian Guarding endured a childhood of silent suffering. Who would believe a boy with no bruises?

The signs were there — straight A's giving way to failing grades, and quiet compliance replaced with angry outbursts — but like Brian, they were ignored. When his stepfather's cruelty reached a vindictive new low, Brian found the courage to break his silence. And in doing so, he discovered that words don't just inflict pain — they can also set you free. Brian's voice led him to the one thing he had so desperately longed for: a father.