A man named Dave

Author : Dave Pelzer

Title : A man named Dave

Publ Info : London : Orion, 2001

Call No. : 362.760924 P369M 2001
(This book locates at Au Shue Hung Memorial Library, SHAW CAMPUS, Kowloon Tong)
 

Summary :

As a  child, Dave Pelzer was horrifically abused by his mother, who considered him to be an 'it', not a child. But he survived and lived to tell his courageous story. Haunted by memories of his years bruised and cowering in his mother's basement, his life remained a struggle - buthe was determined to make somthings of himself.

Dave's dramatic reunion with his dying father and a shocking confrontation with his mother led to his ultimate calling: mentor to others struggling to the birth of his son and an enduring friendship, Dave was finally able to break free from his past, to trust, to love and to live.

Lecturers' Book Review : " A man named Dave "

Recommended By : Miss Queenie Lee

Certainly a lot of you have heard of or read The Child Called It, a terrifying yet bitterly true account of how a young, defenseless child went through all the brutal acts of his psychotic mother. In spite of the painful past, as a reader I rejoice when I read this sequel to learn that the child not only grew but blossomed beautifully in the end.

To me, this book is an exceptional good read because it is a real-life story. In it, I learn the strong power of will when Dave tried to materialize his dream to be an air force fighter despite his frequent, unbearable panic attacks. In it, I also learn the power of love when Dave became a father himself and was determined to give the best to his son, Stephen. From the book, I learn unhappy experiences can be valuable lessons in life when Dave married the wrong girl but honest enough to admit that the relationship was not working and had to be terminated, which unexpectedly brought him another woman who truly admires, loves and treasures him in his life as his wife now. Most important of all, I learn the great beauty of human nature when Dave forgave his abusive mother at last and began to travel around the States, sharing his traumatic past with teenagers who have gone astray and bringing hope to people who have lost faith in life.

Apart from the content, I appreciate the language in the book – Dave used simple English throughout, which reflects his frank personality on the one hand and his very natural worldview on the other. Moreover, as a very affectionate person, Dave has filled the book with words of love and truthfulness. Perhaps you may feel for yourself the potent affection of Dave from the following quotation when he dedicated the book to his wife, Marsha:
         'To the lady who gave her all to make me the man I am today, my lovely bride, my best friend, Mrs Marsha Pelzer. You make me whole and will forvever be my Princess.'

Pick this book if you are a happy person who has not experienced too much unhappiness in life – this book can open your eyes to unimaginable yet so painfully real misfortunes some people can suffer; pick this book if you are experiencing great despair – this book assures you adversities will pass. Perhaps in the end, like Dave, we would find that we have a name, dignity and so much more if we believe we can and deserve so.