Monk's real name is Walter. His last names have changed based on where he was living. He survived brutal physical and emotional abuse from the age of three. That was in 1939, when times were different, but not so different from today for some readers. You will see him abandoned by family members who no longer would or could care for him. You will see him hunt and kill alligators at age 10, shoot and kill squirrels and rabbits to put food on the table. You will see him struggle to please his step father, doing the chores before going to school. You will see him catch raccoons and other animals and sell them to farm laborers for money. And you will see that he wasn't allowed to keep the little money he earned. He joined the Army at age 17 and later, the Navy, which led him to a fine and honorable life of many adventures and successes It is Walter's hope that readers of this book, who may be facing a hard way of life now, will be comforted to find that other young people have faced hard circumstances, and that they may find hope in reading how Monk overcame his difficulties with courage and determination.
