Dave mentions a city called Guerneville where his family would go camping. They visited the Russian River in that city and spent many summers there for vacation. Before the child abuse started, Dave remembers it as his favorite place in the world. He and his brothers would climb the trees, swim in the river, and watch the sunsets with their parents. He recalls a moment watching the sunset with them, when his mom came from behind to hug his shoulders. A few years later, as the abuse from his mother just started, the family returned to the river. This time however, David was rarely allowed to go outside to play with his brothers and father. While they were out playing one day, David's mother forced him to eat his own baby brother's feces and she broke his nose while shoving it into the diaper. After that trip, David never wanted to return to Guerneville because the experience ruined it for him.
David's school is another imporant place in the book because it is where he was rescued on March 5, 1973. He attended Thomas Edison Elementary school in Daly City, CA. His principle and school nurse knew that David was suffering from child abuse, but it was not until they noticed bruises all over his face from being beaten on the kitchen table that they decided to call the police. The police came to the school, drove him to child services, and he never returned to his home again. David believes that if it weren't for his school, then he might not have ever been rescued.
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