Sidetracked

Drunken parents. A violently abusive father. Absence of adult supervision and guidance. Those factors in Tony Pallotto''s upbringing produced a calloused heart and reckless disregard for himself and others. He could''ve killed himself. And almost did. He could''ve killed others. And tried. But an overriding spiritual agenda scuttled those outcomes - and dispatched the guy Tony angrily tried to kill as an unlikely personal messenger in a land far from where they''d first locked horns. Later, as an enlightened young man leading the stable, wholesome family life he''d never previously known, moral compromise and corporate prosperity led him down a self-destructive path similar to the one he''d taken as a teen - one that mimicked the disengaged, dysfunctional parents he''d never wanted to emulate. Finally, when it all came crashing down, Tony was left with nothing but fertile wreckage, combined with newfound humility and bearing. It all led to a redeemed life and purpose that has proved vital to families plagued by the same type of rebellion that once - no, twice - defined Tony. And, it led to peace and hope that endure - even amid unspeakable family tragedy.These pages unfurl a dynamic saga of car wrecks, dope houses, drug overdoses, death-defying dashes and workplace drama - all of it incidental to a climax that chronicles souls plucked from the fire and fractured families restored.