A destitute 14-year-old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older brother.
Keywords: 1970s , abusive-father , alcoholism , child-abuse , classroom , coming-of-age , debt , diner , money , roller-skating-rink , school-counselor , semi-autobiographical , spanking , syracuse-new-york , teenage-protagonist , theft