His mother abandoned him. His drug-dealing dad landed him in the middle of a gunfight. After entering the foster care system, he fell through the cracks. He was rejected by everyone, known by no one.

Born to a teenage mother whose hopes and dreams for her son were shattered by her own drug addiction, author Shane Salter was thrust into parenting his younger brother at the tender age of four. His first look at the world was through a broken windowpane into an alley leading nowhere. When his mother walked out and left him, he kept it together and took care of his brother until they found foster care, a system as threatening to a child as any dark alley in New York, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, or Los Angeles.

He sought what his mother was unable to give: nurturing, guidance, and the opportunity to be a child. With all odds against him, he survived and emerged more determined than ever to succeed.