At thirteen years old, Stephen Mills is chosen for special attention by the director of his Jewish summer camp, a charismatic social worker intent on becoming his friend. Stephen places his trust in this authority figure, who first grooms and then molests him for two years.
The aftershocks rip through his adult life: self-loathing, drug abuse, petty crime, and horrific nightmares, all made worse by the discovery that his abuser is molesting other boys. Only physical and mental collapse bring Stephen to confront the truth of his boyhood and begin the painful process of recovery — as well as a decades-long crusade to stop a serial predator, find justice, and hold to account those who failed the children in their care.
The trauma of sexual abuse is shared by one out of every six men, yet very few have broken their silence. Chosen eloquently speaks for those countless others and their families. It is the indelible story of a man who faces his torment and his tormentor and, in the process, is made whole.
Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood
September 1, 2021
Discussion Questions
Beautifully written and bravely told, Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood, is the story of sexual abuse that the author suffered as a young boy at Jewish summer camp, and his lifelong struggle to recover and ultimately fight back against the perpetrator.
As a thirteen-year-old boy, Stephen Mills is chosen for special attention by his summer camp’s charismatic director. Mills, whose father died when he was four, places his trust in this authority figure, who first grooms and then molests him for two years. The story follows Mills from the time the abuse occurred into his adult life, as the trauma leads to self-loathing, drug abuse, and horrific nightmares. It is all made worse by the discovery that his abuser is moving from camp to camp, molesting other boys. Only a painful personal reckoning brings Mills to the process of recovery— as well as a decades-long battle to stop a serial predator, find justice, and hold to account those who failed the children in their care.
Inspiring and deeply moving, Chosen is that rare book that is impossible to put down even as it aches the heart.
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