A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood

by Richard Rhodes

When he first published A Hole in the World in 1990, Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Rhodes helped launch and legitimate a decade-long publishing phenomenon—the memoir of abused childhood. In this tenth anniversary edition, Rhodes offers new reflections on the abuse he and his older brother endured at the hands of their terrorizing stepmother and negligent father. He also describes readers' powerful and moving responses to his book, considers his changing sentiments as the years have passed, and provides additional details on his brother Stanley, who remains the author's true hero in this moving memoir.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Richard Lee Rhodes is an American journalist, historian, and author of both fiction and non-fiction (which he prefers to call "verity"), including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Making of the Atomic Bomb (1986), and most recently, Arsenals of Folly: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race (2007). He has been awarded grants from the Ford Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation among others.

He is an affiliate of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. He also frequently gives lectures and talks on a broad range of subjects to various audiences, including testifying before the U.S. Senate on nuclear energy.

Reviews

[Zade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of books about child abuse. I'm well aware of all the horrors that take place in our world and there are more than enough accounts of them living in my brain as it is. I require no further goading to sustain my outrage. Nonetheless, I am extremely glad I took the time to read Richard Rhodes's memoir of his childhood. Writing as a man of over fifty, Rhodes has a perspective on his past that allows him to both make sense of it and acknowledge his own sometimes maladaptive responses to his experiences. Nowhere in the book does he wallow in self-pity, nor does he make excuses for his later struggles with alcoholism or his broken marriages. Instead, Rhodes presents with painful clarity the events of his growing up in Kansas City--his mother's suicide when he was barely a year old; his father's inability to maintain a stable home for his boys, allowing them grow attached to families with whom they roomed and then taking them away abruptly and without further contact; his father's later marriage to a sadistic woman from whom he refused to protect his children; and his brother's valor in seeking the help that eventually got them removed from their father's care and placed in the tough but stable residential farm home for boys in which they finished growing up. Rhodes coming of age, his gradual development from nearly fatal victimization to self-reliant if damaged manhood, makes for fascinating reading--at times absolutely heart wrenching and at times deeply encouraging. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to understand the lasting effects of childhood trauma and also for those dealing with those effects themselves. Rhodes did not set out to write an inspirational book, but he has done so despite himself and with a great levening of realism that makes his story all the more valuable.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, now hear this, everyone who liked that piece of shit A Child Called It. If you want to see an example of a credible, well-written account of child abuse, pick up A Hole in the World. Oh, I mean, Rhodes's books is nowhere near as fascinating as Dave Pelzer's -- I mean, who on earth could possibly be interested in reading a book about child abuse where the mother doesn't stab the child in the heart with a carving knife and rub a shit-covered diaper in his face? That's real writing for you! -- but unlike Pelzer, Rhodes, a Pulitzer Prize winner for The Making of the Atomic Bomb, manages to write his story without coming across as narcissistic, self-congratulatory, and untalented all at once. The prose in the book is spare and striking, and the story is told without an ounce of sensationalism or self-pity.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with its prose, what's beautiful about this book is that it's not sensationalistic, hyperbolic, or sympathy-seeking. Rather, it depicts a well-balanced, middle-aged man attempting to achieve peace despite — and reconciliation with — the traumatic abuses of his upbringing. A Whole in the World is as courageous as it is intelligent and humbly restrained. Highly recommended.

[Chana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is excellent; the story is crushing and frightening. This an abused-child memoir, but it encompasses so much more of the author's life in order to give the reader a bigger picture. The abuse is the crushing part. The frightening part is the author's inner world after the abuse. He is just somewhat frightening to me in both his pain and his rage. He gets help, quite a lot of help in many ways by many people. His older brother Stanley experiences another trauma in the school the boys go to after they are removed from the family home. It sears into him in a way that is heartbreaking. I do understand the 'hole in the world' concept being both an adopted child (even with excellent adoptive parents there is still a baby with a hole in her world where the birth mother is absent) and there is a hole in my world where my deceased son is absent from this world. I sympathize and empathize, and thank the author for sharing his story.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a number of years ago, and it was interesting to reread it as a middle-aged person, about the same age as Richard Rhodes was when he wrote it. Your fifties are a time you start to reflect on your own life's journey. This book resonated with me because of the rage that still permeates this man toward his malevolent bully of a stepmother. The unnamed villain, of course, is Rhode's father, too weak-willed to protect his sons from her systemic abuse.

The book is divided into 3 parts -- 1. Life before the abuse, 2. Life during the abuse (with a quotation from Kafka's "In the Penal Colony") and 3. Life after the abuse. The remarkable thing about this memoir is that the actual time around 'Granny Anne' was only about two and a half years, because it left lifelong psychic scars. The after part was due to Richard's older brother Stanley, who ran away and asked for help from the police. A judge allowed the brothers to leave their abusive home and go the Andrew Drumm Institute, an orphanage that was also a working farm.

The description of their life on this farm was a balm. It reminded me of my favorite of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, the second book: Farmer Boy, which describes her husband Almanzo Wilder's upbringing on a prosperous farm in New York state. There is a lot of work to be done, but there is order, calm, and plenty of food eat. It is the opposite of the cruelty and starvation they endured. Ultimately, Rhodes is able, with the help and mentorship of some kind adults, to go to Yale University.

The book lags a bit at the end; there is a lot of reflection on science fiction and other influential books (Schweitzer, etc.) that Rhodes read as a young man. It is about his search for meaning and purpose in life, after the chaos and disorder of his childhood. Again, as a fifty-five year old I had more patience this time around for his digressions.

[Kirstin Elaine Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this right after re-reading Scott Peck's People of the Lie and was astonished at the similarities. My motivation was the realization that there are some people in my own family who have been acting with evil intentions and in a destructive way towards their own children, now adults. I had been "in the middle" for many years but now realize that we all need to be alert and aware to this issue and protect children from harm caused sometimes by those who should be taking care and giving unconditional love. This book is brilliantly written and moving. I met Richard Rhodes back in the 80's when I was at the University of Kansas and still a resident of that state (my mom and sister still live in Shawnee Mission, KS) and I had bought that book a few years ago only because I recognized his name. Only now though did I open up and read it. Amazing how these things happen in one's life...you buy a book, it sits on your shelf and then one day it becomes a life-changing experience.

[Spider the Doof Warrior · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful book. The best thing about it is its lush writing style and descriptions.
But the pain and abuse Richard Rhodes and his brother dealt with was painful and depressing. Recovery was difficult. The abuse seemed to scar the both of them. They eventually ended up at a rather lovely orphanage that encouraged hard work, though I wonder about allowing kids that young to slaughter animals. That was kind of creepy.
But it was amazing reading about how they survived their childhood, going from being deprived of food to having as much as they need to eat and how they struggled to become whole.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Independence, MO, down the street from Drumm Farm (where Richard Rhodes lived in this book), and went to school with many boys from there. This book gave me so much insight into, and empathy for, those "odd/mean/orphaned/outsider" classmates and their struggles. Rhodes's achievements are amazing considering his obstacles.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very powerful story of the effect of neglect and abuse. Richard's life stays with you long after you finish the book. The story was interesting to me from a local standpoint as well. Richard lived at Drumm Farm in Independence, not far from my home.

[Tamra J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately I could relate #metoo

I feel less alone in the darkness of trauma. He did a great job telling his story. I would recommend

[John Larrabee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching story about overcoming childhood trauma inflicted by a neglectful father and a cruel step-mother to earn a full scholarship to Yale. Richard Rhodes, author of Pulitzer prize-winning "The Making of the Atomic Bomb," writes with simplicity and clarity about surviving the cruelest form of childhood abuse and finally conquering the demons that followed him into his fifties.

Highly recommended!

[Jace Phelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So my friends and I were at a used bookstore and couldn't figure out what to get. We decided to do a biography roulette where we picked something random from the shelf and forced ourselves to read it.

My pick was this book, about Richard Rhodes, who wrote newspaper columns for the Kansas CIty star, just like C.W Gusewelle who was the author of the last book I read. Weird coincidence.

I gave it 3 stars but have to admit my review is tainted by confirmation bias. Wasn't very excited to read this biography going into it, and found myself losing focus at many points throughout the read. Despite this, I still think it's a valuable insight into child abuse and if you're into that type of stuff for some reason, then definitely check this one out.

[Rainbowgardener · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this at the same time as "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. Both are in the genre of memoirs of growing up in an abusive, neglectful, alcoholic, severely dysfunctional, impoverished family. "The Glass Castle" was better. It showed the terror and misery in her family, but also some of the creativity and adventure. Hole in the World, published in 1990, is interesting because it shows life starting in the 40's, when ice was still delivered to people's houses and polio was an epidemic. It is revealing about how much freedom children back then (not only ones from dysfunctional families), had to roam neighborhoods with no adult supervision. But about the time the evil stepmother comes in to the story, it becomes just a recounting of one torture after the other and being put to constant slave labor. There is no development of evil stepmom's character, nor any motivation given for how/why she would commit all these atrocities, except that that is what evil stepmoms do. There is no way to understand why the father permitted all this. And mostly it is all about the what happened, not what it felt like, or how it shaped the author's character, perceptions, relationships, etc. It seems a little like he is writing someone else's life. None the less, the writing is powerful and the book is very readable.

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the autobiography of the author, Richard Rhodes. I never heard of this author, nor read any of his other books. This book was sad in that Richard, along with his brother Stan, were emotionally and physically abused as children. This would obviously affect them for the rest of their lives. But this story was fascinating to read about the lives of two boys living in the 40’s. They made do. They were forced to be outside but created adventures. Richard loved books, especially science fiction. No television or video games were mentioned, of course.
Once the boys were able to leave their abusive step-mother and father who basically was afraid of his wife, they went to live at the Drumm Institute for boys. This was probably the best thing that could have happened to them. There, they were fed, put to work farming, planting, picking, canning, and even slaughtering the animals used for food. They went to school and learned about life. Richard even was accepted into Yale. This book is a great read for young people today who need to appreciate things more and learn how good honest work can be achieved.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-written, powerful memoir of an abusive childhood. Rhodes and his brother were physically and emotionally abused by their stepmother before being rescued and sent to a boy's residential labor camp/farm. (That sounds horrid, but it was definitely a life-saving step up for the boys.)

I have read several memoirs of childhood abuse. Many are triumphant or sympathy-seeking. This is neither. It is hard-hitting and honest, and it is *angry*. The author's fury at his stepmother (and his father for not protecting him) blazes off the pages. I can picture it being written by hand, with the pen pressing through several layers of paper. It is also touching and painful. There is a fair bit of introspective on the part of the author, investigating how his childhood impacted him as an adult. A difficult, but recommended, read.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes has written a compelling account of his difficult childhood in which his mother committed suicide before he was fully aware of her and he and his older brother then had to endure their father's second wife, who was quite the shrew and emotionally abusive to the two boys, who finally ran away and wound up in a very supportive wayward boys' school and farm, which turned their lives around. Rhodes went on to college at Yale but never forgot the school that helped him overcome the extreme challenges of his young life and has served for a number of years on its board of directors, presumably supporting the school financially as well.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1990, this is a granddaddy of the tortured-childhood genre that has become so ubiquitous in the last decade.

What's most interesting about it is the author's intensive work to come to terms with the abuse that was heaped on him as a kid...his attempts as an adult to deal with the rage and anger it left behind.

Easy to see why someone with that background could make poor choices as an adult. Made we want to take even better care of my kids than I already try to.

[David Gunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long enjoyed Rhode's books on the history of the Manhattan project and the wider nuclear weapons history at large. This book was a totally different departure. It is about his life growing up in Kansas City during the 30s and 40s, the same time period as my own father and in the same town. Because of its setting and timeframe I felt it offered me a little insight into my father's upbringing as well. Major similarities.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine mentioned this book while we were chatting at the xerox machine. I’m so happy he did. Rhodes has written a beautiful, restrained memoir—first, telling the story of a hellish childhood without self-pity or drama, but then recounting his rescue from that abuse with real joy. He’s also exceptionally careful about what he can and cannot remember, a scrupulousness unusual among memoirists. A truly extraordinary book.

[Amy Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is poignant and heartbreaking and so well written. The author captures the child's hope when there is no reason to hope, for a good and loving parent. I am currently writing a book entitled, "Bonded to the abuser" based on memoirs of childhood abuse and this was one of the books I read for that reason. I highly recommend it, although it is dark.

[Greg Thaggard · Rating 5 out of 5]

That deep.hole.

I've heard the phrase " hole in the heart" more than once. It generally means so pain, or absence of joy, some in your childhood or youth. A cancer that was difficult to deal with long into.adulthood maybe forever. I knew I would benefit from this read. Obviously was always very talented.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood Story

The author has written an insightful memoir about his childhood. He and his brother were starved, beaten and generally abused byy a stepmother and ineffectual father. I t is obvious that he has thought about and tried too find meaning in it for years.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hole in the World is a wholly unselfish endeavor, in contrast to most of what is offered for the public's edification (and titillation) in this day and age of confession. Richard Rhodes is coming to share with us three really important and beneficial things. Even though his narrative is challenging, I found it to be intriguing since it was conveyed so well and honestly.

[Cam Torrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always find authors' origin stories fascinating. Richard Rhodes' "A Hole in the World" was no exception. From an abusive childhood to a boys' home that saved him, Rhodes used his resilience and love of reading to make it through. If ever there was an example of the importance of needs-based scholarships for college, Rhodes would be the poster child.

[Brenda Eagles]

A masterpiece

One of my very favorite books. I read it when it first came out in 1990, and I just reread it. As a fellow half-orphan, I recognized many of the feelings if not all of the details of Rhodes’s story.

[Maryann Zulueta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent--an aspiring , pull-yourself- out-of the-dumps memoir

[Suzanne Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, his stepmother was abusive, but I don't feel much for him somehow, and he blames years of alcohol abuse on his early experiences.

[Deborah Cleaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important look the child abuse and its after effects. If it’s this hard to recover from a shortish spate with an evil step-parent, it’s much harder when there is no respite or rescue.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made a strong impression on me when I read it ten years ago. Appreciated reading it again.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by my husband.
2017 Reading Challenge - a memoir or journal