The Boy From Ashfield

The Boy From Ashfield is a vivid insight into the complex world of a young Catholic boy from Ashfield, Sydney and his transition to manhood. The story elicits his intense struggle to survive in a bigoted, orthodox Catholic family of eleven children and an overburdened mother. Deprived of love and privilege young Adrian is subjected to alcohol fuelled violence from older bully boy brothers and opportunistic sexual abuse by a trusted religious teacher. Bubbling constantly are the psychological and emotional traumas associated with battling the forces of evil, disadvantage and undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The story unfolds (often humourously) the ethos and social values of the Catholic broader community in which he lived through the 1950’s to 1990. The powerful mentoring by an insightful teacher provided Adrian the wherewithal to choose between his often negative errant ways or otherwise. He eventually finds love with a wife who becomes the innocent victim of his violence.