Leave Out the Tragic Parts

This is a story of a grandfather in search of his grandson with the love that he has for him. It is beautifully written and a must read for those who have addiction in their lives. Although this was not an easy read as I have worked with many families who have faced addiction, it was well worth it the read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

When I first started reading this book I found it very interesting. By the time I finished reading it my heart went out to Jacob. Anyone who has a problem such as this book description needs to know that help available.

This is a beautifully written memoir about a grandfather's love for his grandson. Dave Kindred (the grandfather) is a well-know sportswriter who has always been close with his twin grandsons Jared and Jacob. The twin boys move around during their childhood and sometimes they live close to Dave and other times they're far away, but their bond never diminishes. After high school Jared decides to leave his home and travel across America by illegally hopping on freight trains. He meets other "hobos" and slowly descends into the pit of alcoholism as he zig-zags across the country drinking and having fun with the people he meets along the way. Jared tries to hide his alcoholism but his family knows he is drinking a lot. He has many brushes with death and is in and out of the hospital as his body deteriorates from the constant drinking. Sadly, it doesn't end well for Jared.

Dave Kindred writes this story about Jared from both his perspective and from interviews with friends of Jared's that he sought out and interviewed. He paints a realistic picture of what it's like to be a "travelin kid" (something I never knew existed before this) and he gives enough information about the science of addiction so that the reader understands the whole picture of Jared's short life. It is a heartbreaking yet beautiful story that I could not put down.

In the acknowledgements section in the back of this book, the author writes that he "wanted this book to be the best I could make it." I wish I could convey to the author (David Kindred) what a fabulous job he did in telling about the life of his deceased grandson, Jared. Jared left home and led a life of riding the rails, drinking excessively, living on the streets, and leading a lifestyle so foreign to anything Kindred was familiar with. Yet what a gift, that he was able to learn what a giving a loving heart Jared had! He did the work, (so painful at times) of talking to friends of Jared, trying to see him through their eyes, and trying to find out what made him 'tick' and what made him choose this lifestyle. (Kindred also did a great job of explaining addiction - my eyes were truly opened to things about addiction I never realized before,) . This book had so much heart and love in it.! Unforgettable.

I knew going into this book it there wouldn't be a happy ending but I wanted to read it anyway. I cried for a little boy then cried for the young man he had become. This story was so complete and the writing so good you just couldn't put it down, you wanted to read about everyone and the stories would make you feel so much and before you knew it, tears were falling. In the end, it shows you that addiction affects everyone, not just the person addicted. This will stick with me for a long, long time.

On January 14, 2014, Jared Glenn Kindred, known among 'travelin' kids' as Goblin, died -- a casualty of addiction. For five years, Goblin rode the rails, slept on sidewalks and under bridges, seeing everywhere and nowhere as his home. This is his story, as painstakingly reconstructed by his grandfather and Goblin's 'road dogs.' As such, it is a love story – an effort to make visible the life of a homeless young man who lived outside the confines of a world that most of us know. But it is also a story of addiction, of missed opportunities to intervene, and of lost chances to change.

Haunting and beautifully written, it is reminder of the importance of early intervention because love alone is not enough to save someone in the throes of addiction and denial can kill.