The Pain We Leave Behind

More about the book

Josh was the second child from Jamaica and it took him longer to adjust to this new way of life; he was used to living in a less restricted environment and his dad's parenting could be construed as somewhat unconventional compared to today's parenting. The only thing normal to Josh was that he was fed; clothed; and kept clean. No television was allowed in the house, as a child he would often sit on the step of the stairs and peep through the cracked door-frame of the neighbour downstairs to watch Top-of-the-Pops on Friday evenings. When the neighbour caught him watching they filled in the cracks. Josh, age fourteen, was sent to a boys' home and was sexually abused and threatened he would be killed.