"In his unflinchingly honest memoir, Mitchell Raff candidly recounts his journey to overcome generational trauma and break free from decades of addiction. With raw vulnerability, he lays bare his destructive coping mechanisms and the far-reaching consequences they wrought on his life and on those around him. Beaten mercilessly as a child by his Holocaust-survivor mother, Mitchell was later kidnapped from Los Angeles to Israel before finding refuge with loving relatives back in America. In his adult life, the echoes of trauma forced Mitchell into patterns of substance abuse, sexual vices, and toxic relationships. But at a certain point, Mitchell explains, you need to own your decisions, for better or worse. After years of painful self-examination and work, Mitchell settled into a healthy relationship and found the strength to endure blows that once would have destroyed him. Mitchell's unfiltered account of his trials, failures, and ultimate breakthrough to become the man he always wanted to be is living proof that cycles of generational trauma can be broken, even the deepest wounds can soften, and though the road is difficult, it is within reach to not only survive but thrive."--Back cover.
A mother's betrayal -- A disturbed, damaged woman -- Issa the Tzadik -- Running -- Adrift in a strange land -- Aliyah -- "Mitchell, the most amazing thing happened..." -- No shiksas -- Betty, Sally, and Issa -- Mother's final abuse -- Falling apart -- Lee -- Mourner's Kaddish -- Joshua.
