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About Running Away from Me (Unabridged)

Kevin J. Marshall's hard-hitting debut novel, Running Away From Me, takes us on one child’s journey, exploring the depths we will go to in order to protect ourselves and the ones we love. It tells the story of Kaleb, a young boy born into a working-class, 1st-generation Caribbean immigrant family in 1980s London. As a child, Kaleb helplessly witnesses his mother’s physical abuse. In the aftermath of his father’s arrest, his grandmother gains temporary guardianship of him and his brother. With his mother having found new love, Kaleb hopes to be part of a family once more. After finally believing he found peace and refuge, his innocence is shattered in an instant when he is sexually abused by a family member. Inside, Kaleb is screaming. Drowning. Buried. Forced to grow up quickly, he hides behind a public persona. He must choose to make the ultimate sacrifice once again: face the darkness from his past or be swallowed by it. Will he be trapped by his inner torment or set himself free? Running Away From Me explores issues surrounding self-image, identity, cultural reactions to abuse, acceptance, and the ability to overcome adversity.