There is a sense of aimlessness in the telling of the autobiographical Rising From The Ashes that I first found distracting, until I realized how perfectly it reflected the lives of the LaRocca family.

Meet Michael and his younger brother, Barry, and their mother, Jo. Jo is a devoted mother, but one who makes very bad choices with relationships. After leaving the boys' alcoholic father, she moves from one abusive relationship to the next, her young sons in tow. Mother and sons move across North Carolina, from town to town, apartment to apartment.

Michael is a quiet boy, small for his age, introspective. Barry quickly grows larger than his brother and delights in tormenting his smaller, big brother. It would be easy to view Barry as a bully, but his affection for stray kittens and need to protect other kids from bullies demonstrate a caring side. As Michael observes later on in the story, Barry had a "hero's heart".

The boys' father plays an occasional role in their lives. At one point, tired of being tormented by his brother, Michael goes to live with his father. This sets up one of the most vividly told sections of the book. Michael describes his father's nice home and furnishings, and his father's new wife, in memorable detail.

Sometimes humorous, often poignant, Rising From The Ashes is a touching story of a family's struggles. Naturally, readers will hope for a happy ending but, sadly, that wasn't to be. I do not wish to give away too much of the story. Only by reading the book and getting to know the family firsthand, will readers truly appreciate the tragic ending.