ONLY MORTALS CAN BE HEROES
by
David J. Weaver
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Only Mortals Can Be Heroes is a true story about a young
boy, Adam Weaver, who experiences the pleasures and pains of the drug
culture. Adam's adventure describes how he started drugging at age 12
because he wanted to fit in with his peers. After marijuana and beer came
Ritalin, Oxycontin, Ecstasy, LSD, uppers, downers, cocaine and heroin– and
everything in between. The book winds it way around themes of low self-esteem, the insecurity of being adopted, the power of addiction, support of family where none should be expected, incidents of tough love, life on the street, beatings by drug dealers, treatment, relapse, more treatment, and at last hope but no guarantees. Only Mortals Can Be Heroes transfigures the reader by standing him in Adam's shoes and inviting him to wrap his arms around Adam to love and protect him. In a sense, the book challenges every person to be like Adam and risk failure by meeting his own weaknesses face to face. In so doing, we can all be heroes. |
Only Mortals Can Be Heroes makes no attempt to persuade the reader to any particular position regarding drug treatment. The power of this book lies in the human appeal of its gripping story, undiluted by wordiness or complex literary construction. Told in the first person, the voice is that of a young man sharing his inner-most thoughts, seeking acceptance and wanting to be proud of himself. The drama, humor, sincerity, and warmth of the language carries the story in a down-to-earth, unpretentious manner that strikes at the heart.
Those who have read Mortals find themselves swept away by the power of its message of hope. Currently, the book is taught at the university level. It has also been made required reading for youthful drug offenders and their parents by the Juvenile Court of Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Only Mortals Can Be Heroes has been the topic of various presentations to educators, students, and the inquiring public.
To order:
visit
www.atlasbooks.com online.
