A Beautiful World: One Son's Escape from the Snares of Abuse and Devotion

by Gregg Tyler Milligan

A Beautiful World addresses the harsh realities of child abuse and stands out in the memoir category as bold and emotionally shattering. From the beginning, the straightforward prose shows us a brutal world of sadness and depravity. The narrative becomes ever more lurid as the writer recounts in graphic detail the horrors of child abuse. It is a shocking and moving story - rife with gritty realism, hope and the endurance of the human spirit. The reader...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1608440516
• ISBN13: 9781608440511
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

I loved this book!

This is such an amazing book. You feel as though you are looking through Gregg Tyler Milligan's window and seeing it all. I've read many books on this subject, but none come close to this one. It is so well written. Gregg is such a courageous child who has turned into an incredible man. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel alive. You can't help but fall in love with Gregg. It makes me feel safe knowing that he is out there in the world. Making it beautiful.

Powerful

A powerful account of Gregg's childhood and what a little boy had to endure growing up. I love the message that there is always hope. It is an eye opener, especially for people that work with the public's children, as teachers or counselors. This book should be required reading in teacher/counselor education programs.

Truth Always Hurts

Gregg made his own most beautiful world by choosing to overcome a horrific childhood. It was a difficult book to read because it is full of ugly truths and awful child abuse. But Gregg did it and his life will be judged not by what he accomplished (which is a lot) but that he chose to overcome that horrific childhood. Hope the author continues to reach out and help others that are in such unbearable situations.

In the midst of overwhelming adversity stands a young boy . . . You won't be able to put this book

From the first six words of the Introduction, you are drawn into the world of the author, Gregg Milligan, as he delves back into childhood and the last three years spent in his mother's home. Before Gregg's story even begins, the message of the book is as clear as if it were spoken - he shares his experiences hoping to help others "buckle down and bear the ride" through their own hell - and know that they are not alone. Chronicling a young boy's endurance of incredible abuse, A BEAUTIFUL WORLD is a tribute to hope. Through the years of brutal molestations, beatings to the brink of death, horrific manipulation, and severe mental abuse - this young child keeps his hope alive. As time passes, seeds of awareness and independence slowly begin to grow inside Gregg's heart - molding into a plan of escape to save himself and his siblings. The narrative is written with an exceptionally visual style, which plunges you deeply into the story alongside young Gregg. (FYI- If you research the author's background, you'll find that he is actually an award-winning writer - with his work winning first place in the Memoirs/Personal Essay category of the Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition, in addition to several other awards garnered over the years.) Readers who join Gregg's journey will find themselves carried in the momentum of events, including a frenzied search for Gregg's younger sister while the children are left home alone. The night ends in unexpected chaos, and the story hurtles forward, opening the lens on Gregg's world to a full view of the horror endured. In the face of the physical, mental, and emotional anguish, a valiant heart shines forth. Readers will feel the binding devotion Gregg has for his mother despite her abuse, and the lengths he goes to in order to care for her. And - with all the strength he has - Gregg does his best to also care for his siblings. He even takes in a young kitten cast away from its mother. His kind, loving spirit remains unbroken in the cruel torrent of abuse. As the years progress, desperation builds - and readers follow Gregg to the absolute edge of sanity and survival. This is a book you won't be able to put down. It's an incredible account of the perseverance of the human spirit with the resounding message to never give up - whatever adversity you may face. From the Epilogue of A BEAUTIFUL WORLD: "What I do know is that I tried and I am still trying. I will not quit. It is my anchor that holds me in place, so the world (sometimes ugly . . . sometimes beautiful) does not bowl me over. It is my anchor keeping me in place waiting for you." Bottom line - read A BEAUTIFUL WORLD and find out for yourself. Those that do will never forget it.

The most powerful memoir ... This story takes the 'truth' of child abuse to profound depths.

I've read several memoirs by survivors of child abuse ... including A Child Called It, Lost Boy, The Tricky Part, Somebody's Someone, etc ... and this book, A BEAUTIFUL WORLD, really stands apart. First off, A Beautiful World has a unique structure. While most memoirs keep a linear year-by-year structure, A Beautiful World is more like four literary narratives. Instead of looking at a timeline, I felt like I was teleported into specific experiences, standing in the corner of the worn down living room, watching these horrific experiences unfold. Secondly, the writing is amazingly poetic. Here is an example "Our neighborhood was a contorted dirty forgotten place. The last vestige of humanity unwashed. At the center of this life was Mother. She built a relationship with her children based on unadulterated guilt, manipulation, and violence. And as long as I can remember, I was her caretaker. I would spend hours in quiet waiting, at the edge of visibility. It was a worrisome devotion. A strong and ugly love." That poetic voice carries through the most graphic experiences, which I can't include here. And finally, the most profound aspect is the ending. I won't say too much because I know my description won't do it justice, but if there was ever a 'literary device' that could capture the depths of how child abuse affects not only the child (by placing the most unbelievable, life-long, phychological burden) but also society as a whole, Mr. Milligan has perfected that with his ending. I bet the ending will frustrate some, leave others in disbelief, but for those who have been exposed to abuse, you will feel the 'truth' of how this story 'concludes' ... and you'll know that any other ending, any 'whitewashing', would have been a lie. I hope millions will read this book, so we as a society can continue understand the profound and destructive effects of child abuse and we can find a way to stomp it out.