Growing up in the sleepy little hollow of Waihi in the late 1930s was very basic and peaceful. However with the death of his father, Ron's life and that of his three siblings was about to be shattered. His mother was to remarry and have nine children to his stepfather, an alcoholic who lorded over the household with brutality. Through extreme abuse Ron and his siblings eventually leave to pursue their own lives. One becomes a politician, another a businessman, whilst others fall into crime and murder. What makes one person overcome the past whilst another goes on to repeat it? Through his memories Ron explores the reasons he believes we choose the path we take. This is a hard-hitting account of survival in a family culture of violence.