Mistaken for Rain

Leo is a young boy growing up in a small and rural Virginia town. He is an only child who is physically and emotionally abused by both of his parents. His family is poor, and Leo has a hopeless future. He takes solace and comfort in a cat named Stripes and develops an unlikely friendship with a stranger along the way. Both friends lean on each other for a trivial bit of happiness in their dejected worlds. Just when things start to look better for Leo, tragedy strikes, and he becomes consumed with heartbreak and anger. He confides in his new friend and fights to fend off the horrors of the world. You will find yourself agonizing and rooting for Leo to overcome the brutality and terrors that his parents have placed him in as a child. There are moments that will bring you to tears from the intense pain you feel for this young boy. Other moments will be joyous as you celebrate his triumphs as he overcomes many challenges and the cruelty of his experiences. The book is a page-turner on a roller coaster of emotions. Leo is the epitome of what a willful and persevering victim can accomplish to become a victor. The author wishes to leave his readers realizing the importance of perseverance, retribution, forgiveness, and what it means to be human. Without forgiveness, victims will always remain victims.