I was very much moved by this book. Lisa Ditchkoff uses honest language to describe the sometimes brutal challenges of her life. The tales are engaging, and you keep turning to see what happens next. This is not just a true story of life on the run from her father Tommy Connors, an associate of South Boston mobster Whitey Bulger. These are not "poor me" stories by any stretch; they are stories of survival, and I think part of her success is tied to how much of her energy she puts into giving others a hand upward. Instead of giving up, Lisa found alternatives, even created new pathways when the traditional ones were closed to her. This book has it all: drama, pain, humor, suspense, a family on the run from The Mob, tenderness and tearful joy. It is about pushing through to the light, about healing, and about conciliation and reunion. This book is as inspiring as it is entertaining. A great read.
By writing this brave expose of her chaotic and often frightening childhood, Lisa challenges the rest of us to rise above our troubles and reach out to help others. Never preaching, never dogmatic, she writes honestly and openly about not only coping with a past which none of us would choose but of finding opportunities to better herself and help others around her. Her straightforward style is refreshing and poignant. Congratulations are in order to Lisa Ditchkoff, not only for writing the book but for living a life of example.