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NOVEMBER 7 @ 7 PM EST – ZOOM
November 7, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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Author: Stephen Mills – Virtual
Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood
Moderator: Michael Singer
NONFICTION
“An unparalleled achievement, a work of shattering, almost-unbearable radiance. Chosen is destined to be a classic because this is a book that will save lives.”
—JUNOT DIAZ, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
“Chosen is a masterfully written story of love and hate that is as tender as it is traumatic. I couldn’t put it down.”
—GERALDINE BROOKS, author of People of the Book
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.
Stephen Mills is the co-author with Roger Fouts of Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees, a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. He has worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council since 1983, building campaigns that have mobilized millions of Americans in support of environmental protection. He lives in California with his wife, Susan.
