Scorching Bars

This book is unique, though-provoking, and also partly informative. It uses facts and fiction. The main character of the book grew in the countryside. It was a farming community and the majority of the villagers were poor. The book seeks to bring to light how poverty can lead to crime and violence and other consequences.

In this community it was commonplace for husbands to lead their wives and children. Many of the men encouraged the boys to fight and behave violently. A great number of these men barely knew how to read and write.

Rock, Rex, or Baby was not only a product of such community but his parents trained him to become worse than other youths in the community.

Why? Such a question will be answered by the fact that Rock’s mom, who was tired of the frequent beatings she received from his father and was determined to train her son to better stand up against his father on her behalf. She encouraged him and provided weapons for his violent use from an early age. His father and the other heads trained him, provided weapons also, and taught him the language for violent behavior.

Rock’s violent behavior was openly demonstrated after he started school. Such behavior continues to be displayed in the public. It grew in all dimensions, at home on the street, and in the community. The violence was continuously encouraged by both parents as Rock’s father claimed to be training him to get tough and become a boxing champion.

The violence continued and grew in immensity leading to disabling, manslaughter, and eventually murder—which earned him a life in prison sentence as the ultimate result. The murder was in Brazil, where he served part of his life sentence, then he luckily escaped.

The propensity for violence always followed the individual.

This book blends facts, fiction, lust, betrayal, violence, love, adventure, murder, and imagination.

-- Joseph Whittington