"The Luxury of Misery: A Memoir about Struggle & Redemption" by Justin Christopher

RAPP XXVII graduate Justin Christopher recently had his first book published!  The Luxury of Misery is a memoir and is available for sale from him as well as online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Better World Books, and The Book Depository, among other places.

From the back cover:

To live, I had to suffer through my own misery.
To survive while suffering - that's the meaning of the luxury of misery.

The Luxury of Misery traces Justin's life from the age of eight to young adulthood.  He was raised by a loving and determined single mother, who worked hard to provide for him and his two older brothers, until crack cocaine devastated her life and the lives of her family.  After kicking the crack cocaine addiction, Justin's mom was again devastated - this time by the onset of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, partially caused by the chemicals she used during her addiction.

Justin writes about how he survived all of the misery of his childhood - domestic violence, an absent alcoholic father, hunger and moving from relative to relative after evictions.   But when the most stable positive influence in his life, his oldest brother Andre, experiences bipolar disorder and commits suicide, Justin begins a downward spiral of crime that ends in a three year state prison sentence at the age of 18.  After becoming Honor Roll Student, Homecoming Prince, Prom King, and an accomplished high school athlete, Justin resorts to crime while he and his mother are homeless.  All within six months of high school graduation his visions of college became a nightmare.  His dreams finally came to light when he began his education at The University of Cincinnati studying English Literature and Africana Studies; pursuing a career in law.