I CAN. I WILL. My Story of Overcoming Abuse, Disability and Racism

Narrator Damian Lynch grippingly conveys the raw pain, endurance, and finally joyous survival of Mark Esho. He was born in 1962 to young Nigerian parents in England who left him to return home because he contracted polio. Listeners will accompany Esho to the foster home of a loving English couple and, later, to Nigeria, where his parents take him when they "reclaim" him and where his father heartlessly abuses and beats him. Each well-delivered chapter's title reflects its subject, including spirited quotes from Bill Gates, Helen Keller, and fictional hero Rocky Balboa, and concludes with inspiring reflections on blessings in disguise, bullying, and love. It is uplifting to hear Esho's valuable advice, along with descriptions of how he learned to walk, succeeded in business, married, and had a family. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]