Toy Cars

In introducing Toy Cars, Nathan Spiteri describes his poignant memoir as “honest, raw, intimate, and vulnerable.” There couldn't be a better way to describe a work in which the author shares recollections of his traumatic experiences with forensic clarity. At eight, Nathan was sexually abused by a manipulative pedophile. In graphic terms, the author shares the experience of being cornered in the shower by his abuser who grabbed and shoved his head against the wall before forcing him to give oral sex. The memoir follows the author as he grows up, riddled by the consequences of traumatic events in his childhood. He bore the pain into his thirties, at times seeking refuge in drugs and other addictions. But the healing path is delightful, filled with manifold lessons for readers.

While this book honestly documents the author's trauma, it is also a story that is filled with a message of hope. In a voice that is compelling and confident, Spiteri takes readers on a journey through the important moments in his life, allowing readers to clearly see the effects of childhood abuse while sharing moments of triumph as he healed. This book contains deeply moving scenes that will draw tears to the readers' eyes. The scene in the shower is most troubling as the pedophile approaches the young boy, naked: “...Don’t lie to me...This is what you want, you’re a very special boy...I like you very much and your parents told me to spend special time with you.” To have survived this kind of experience means the author has been courageous in his struggle with pain, but writing about it with vivid descriptions of the pain is bold and liberating. Toy Cars is a gift of love that will encourage anyone who has experienced abuse to move on. In sharing his journey to inner freedom, self-love, and acceptance, Spiteri charts a path that others can use to experience healing and freedom from a painful past.