Dear Stephen Michael's Mother

A Memoir

By: Kevin Barhydt

Narrated by: Kevin Barhydt

From first-time author Kevin Barhydt comes a memoir of how a young boy abandoned, abused, and addicted became a man with the hope, courage, and resilience to seek out his biological mother.

Abandoned by his mother at birth, Kevin was enveloped in a labyrinth of adoption, addiction, and child sexual abuse. By age 20, a shell of the boy he once was, Kevin succumbed completely to a suicidal lifestyle of drug dealing and prostitution. At 45, after many years of recovery, Kevin began a painful journey to uncover his origins, and the hopeful search for his mother.

Dear Stephen Michael’s Mother chronicles the unfolding of these two stories. The interwoven perspectives offer an unflinching look at the myriad ways life can cloak us in darkness and helplessness, yet still resonate with joy and recovery.

©2021 Kevin Barhydt (P)2021 Kevin Barhydt

A Vision of Resilience

I have been waiting to listen to this for awhile. As an adoptee and person in long term recovery, I was curious about the depth of Kevin's story. I am also a former teen survivor of SA as well as sex work.

When I heard Kevin's story on the Adoptees On podcast, I felt I finally heard my story. I have had this book in my wishlist and finally took the plunge.

Kevin's honesty with abandonment, shame, self worth, and other aspects we face as male adoptees/addicts/alcoholics really hit home. Where some may find horror and recoil, I finally feel seen, understood, and hopeful that I might have a future.

love

hard book to read, had to keep reminding myself "wait he would have only been 13"
the back and forth might be a little hard to follow but like any audio book if you are listening then its not confusing