Torn Apart: The True Story of a Childhood Lost - Softcover

"Highly readable and emotionally affecting" (Mirror)

"A work of naked truth, as disturbing as it is important ... This true story of Hal Friedman's son, Cory, is a gift of honesty, huge courage, and hope, and a reminder that against all medical advice and odds, human beings can prevail" (Patricia Cornwell)

"[Torn Apart] is both harrowing and heartbreaking, but is also a story of astonishing courage. This book stands as a testament to the amazing power of one family's unconditional love for each other" (Tess Gerritsen)

"In the tradition of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Patterson and Friedman manage to get deep inside debilitating illness, and show us what life looks like from that perspective. [Torn Apart] is an amazing story of courage, fortitude and a family's love, simply told" (Terri Cheney, author of Manic: A Memoir)

"Inspiring . . . a testament to the importance of family and the resilient nature of the human spirit" (George Pelecanos, author of The Turnaround)

Cory Friedman was an ordinary fun-loving little boy. But one fateful March morning in 1989, the course of Cory's life changed dramatically. It started with an irresistible urge to shake his head; before long, overtaken by physical urges, tics and compulsions, his body became a volatile, explosive and unpredictable force.

Cory had developed a rare combination of Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder and other neurological conditions. The life he knew had been torn apart and his family were left watching him suffer. Desperate to help and hopeful of a cure, they embarked on a fifteen-year struggle which took them beyond breaking point.