?An inspiring story of resilience, told with a vivid sense of character and humour.? ?RICHARD CROUSE, CTV host and film critic

Film critic, writer, and broadcaster Thom Ernst chronicles his life growing up with an abusive father in rural Ontario.

The residents of Waubamik know about the Wild Boy, a somewhat feral child, standing nearly naked in a rusty playground of weeds and discarded metal, clutching a headless doll. They know the boy has been plucked from poverty and resettled into a middle-class family. But they don?t know that something worse awaits him there.

This is the story of a system that failed, a community that looked the other way, and a family that kept silent. It is also a record of the popular culture of the 1960s ? a powerful set of myths that kept a boy comforted. But ultimately, The Wild Boy of Waubamik is a story of triumph, of a man who grew up to become a film critic and broadcaster despite his abusive childhood. It reminds us that life, even at its darkest, can surprise us with moments of joy and hope and dreams for the future.

• A memoir of an adopted boy who suffered abuse by his adoptive father during his 1960s childhood in rural Ontario
• Author shares his journey from childhood sexual abuse to a successful career as a film critic
• The wild boy of the title refers to an imaginary friend or alter ego seen by young Thom, who berates Thom for not standing up to his abuser
• Author is best known as the host producer of televisions? longest running movie program Saturday Night at the Movies, and is comfortable speaking to media, hosting events, giving interviews, and public speaking
• Book setting: Waterloo Region, Northern Ontario, and Toronto
• Author residence: Toronto