Chapter 1 - The Rescue

In the first chapter, Pelzer begins with describing the day that he is finally rescued and gets to leave his mother and the rest of his family. Instead of starting right away with how his life and his child abuse began, Pelzer starts at the end. As I began reading the story, it was reassuring to know that no matter what I was about to read, I knew that David had a safe rescue from his mother. This seems pretty obvious at first because he wrote this story, meaning he has to be alive and well now. However, after finishing the story I realized that this first chapter explaining the rescue was one of the most important, especially because it was in the beginning of the book. This first chapter makes it easier for the reader to endure the painful stories that Pelzer later explains in his childhood. Even though without this chapter we know he will turn out okay, it is imperative to know exactly how and when David was saved so that the rest of the book is bearable to read.