Broken Plates & Old Forests:
Navigating Childhood, Age Eight to Sixteen
https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Plates-Old-Forests-Navigating/dp/1941478727
"Broken Plates & Old Forests" is a coming-of-age story about a young boy and how he struggled through a past that most cannot imagine. Today, college professor Jeff Anstine dives into his painful past, revealing for the first time the thoughts of a young boy trying to persist day by day. While experiencing the typical childhood ups and downs of school, sports, and friends, Anstine was also forced to face issues involving divorce, semi-poverty, a missing biological father, and “dads” who were not father figures. His story also shines a bright light on how pedophiles prey on vulnerable children, and on how skeletons in the closet, like keeping a biological father a secret, affect a child’s development, as well as the functionality of an entire family. This is a story about finding the strength to rise above, even under difficult circumstances. The path that Anstine was forced to take could have led to his demise. But his inspiring message shows that even out of bad circumstances, there can still be hope for the future.