Carpenter takes us on a heart-wrenching journey through one man's nightmare of child abuse, an abuse that continues into his adulthood and nearly drives him to suicide. My Safe Haven will leave you emotionally spent as you experience: Sadness for a little boy named Rick who's only crime was being born. Anger toward the mother who brutalizes him. Horror at her methods of abuse. And ultimately, inspiration and encouragement for the man who grows to finally realize that he's not the monster.
About the Author: Richard Carpenter grew up in central New Mexico as the middle child and only boy in a seemingly typical middle class family. His father worked for the government and was on the road for much of the time and his mother was a stay at home mom. Through the early years of his childhood, both father and mother began to take out their anger and frustrations on little Ricky. As a result he grew up with little self esteem and no confidence in himself. After taking all he could endure, at fifteen he left home for the first time. Although totally unprepared for the real world he did his best to survive. Living off of the kindness of others and eventually dealing drugs to stay alive. Now after more than half a century he has decided to tell on his abusers in this uncompromising depiction of what it is like to be at the bottom of the food chain in an abusive home. Then he delves into the devastating effects that a painful upbringing can have on adult life. His book "My Safe Haven" the Richard Kiesler Story, started out much as his own life did, a plain white canvas. As memories of abuse came into focus again, it began to take on color and faint shapes started to emerge. His father's actions and his mother's reactions painted a picture of deceit and spitefulness that haunt him to this day. The story begins to take on a gray tone blur starting in the back of the authors mind and evolving, stroke by stroke, memory by memory, into an infinitely colored, multifaceted, three dimensional, high resolution work of art. Worthy of any collection. A must read for anyone who has been abused or knows someone who has. Since completion of his first book Richard has concentrated on his web-site http: //www.faceoftheabuser.com in a cathartic attempt to give something back to the community of abuse survivors. He offers them a place to talk about what's bothering them and even submit pictures and stories about their abuser, something nobody has done before publicly. He started a Child Abuser Registry where all can see those who have abused children, even if they haven't been brought to justice.