Toy Cars

As a child and adolescent, Scott D. Stenzel suffered from emotional abuse at the hands of his adoptive parents, primarily his adoptive father. Belittled and manipulated, Scott endured humiliation and isolation as a result of his father’s maniacal temperament. For years, Scott lived with shame and guilt over his unhappy childhood – until the day he chose to forgive his parents and found the confidence to move on. Having reclaimed his life, Scott revisits his painful past and reflects on the traumatic experiences he endured while living in an emotionally abusive home in this moving memoir. A compelling series of vignettes and short stories depicting the psychological impact of emotional abuse, Toy Cars challenges us to counter emotional abuse by learning how to recognize it, and urges adult victims to confront their abuse in order to move forward.