Book Review: Missing the Mark

Missing the Mark: A Target Child Speaks

Keith Hoerner

142 pages

WestBowPress

$13.99

Available at All on the Same Page Bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

“Drawing from the text The Wounded Storyteller, this creative nonfiction witness recounts a dysfunctional upbringing within the structure of what Arthur W. Frank purports as The Chaos Narrative.

“Author Keith Hoerner writes this piece to reclaim himself, to find his voice from beneath an antagonist who made him mute. Surprisingly, in shaping the fractured pieces of his so-called life, he also discovers the existence of varied selves along the way (not only the ever-present lover but the admitted hater), which he has too long denied.”

Keith has, in spite of the addition of beautiful poetry and prose, managed to cut true and deep into the heart of his story: that of an abused child who suffered nearly his entire life, even and especially after growing into adulthood. He tells his tale matter-of-factly, yet with such simple, soulful introspection and raw feeling that the reader can’t help but live the emotions right alongside him.

This fantastic book is a must-read for anyone, whether or not they suffered childhood trauma or abuse; simply understanding further what some children must face on a daily basis will make the reader a better person, by far.