Nobody's Boy

by Grover Wilcox

I was a shadow, the silent child, never spoken to or touched except in anger.

No hello. No goodbye. No "I love you." "Bad seed," said my mother. I was Nobody's Boy.

We moved more than 100 times by the time I was in my teens. We kids sometimes ate chicken feed, or chewed tar from telephone poles. But I bore the brunt. One Christmas my six siblings all got gifts. Not me. Not a trinket. I was Nobody.

First Mom disappeared, then Dad; so the State of California gave me a 10114. "Who would want to adopt you?" they said. I learned to hide the tears, the vulnerable child, beneath my warrior mask. Then my parents reappeared and jerked us back into a lower hell.

There were glimmers of hope. A class for the gifted. Straight A's. Graduation with honors. But who cared? My dad's parting "You'll never be able to hold a job and make a living!"

Even as a successful teacher, I was the hollow man. There was no way on earth for heaven to reach me, even if God Himself appeared in the sky. Or so I thought. . .

217 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2004

Reviews

[Emy Roque Cisneros · Rating 5 out of 5]

more of an autobiography, but a compelling story! lost some interest towards the last few chapters as I felt he was reiterating something over and over.
must read for educators!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of this mans childhood and how he comes to terms with what he was forced to go through and now live with as an adult. His realationship with God is strong and sure pulls him through his darkest times in his adulthood. True story with sad and head shaking discoveries of how parents can and are to their children too often. Not as uplifting as I had hoped but it reminded me to lean on God when I doubt him the most. NO matter what happens in your life you can and will get through it with help. I took alot away from this book spiritualy. It was not an entertaining book but serious and moving.

[Mekayla Culverson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was alright, I lost interest after awhile. But, the story is fairly interesting if you like Autobiography, type books.

[Daryl Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being involved in the printing of this book. It was truly one of the most compelling stories that ever passed through my equipment and hands. It is also probably the most gut-wrenching life story i have ever come across. That a boy even survived to adulthood, having passed through the circumstances that made up the childhood of Grover Wilcox, is itself nearly incredible. That he could have developed into a functional adult, with a refined capacity to express care for others—care he never experienced as a child—is incredible. That one day he would arrive at a settled faith and trust in God, the same God in which those who who severely neglected him claimed to believe, is nothing short of a miracle.
Reading Grover’s story quickly puts into perspective difficulties with which we may be struggling in our own lives, and remind us that, however severe those trials, they need not destroy faith.

[Cheyanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half autobiography, half sermon. The story was constantly being interrupted by some theologic musing that was not necessary or revelatory in any way. It wasn't really a book I enjoyed, although it was interesting to read how he justified his extreme pain and hardship with the concept of a loving God. Unfortunately, that justification is one I *cannot* condone and can be summarized in the quote below:

"When God loves you," Jack continued, "He breaks you so that He can remold you in the image of Jesus."

Also, it was wildly unsettling to read about his "Daddy" and the childlike way the author interacts with his idea of God.