"With compassion and superb craftsmanship, Eddie Mark invokes a world of fascinating and unforgettable characters whose trials and tears become our own. The Garden of Unfortunate Souls is a powerful debut by a writer concerned, first and foremost, with the human heart." -Charles Johnson, National Book Award-winning author of Middle Passage Phillis Wheatley Award Winner for First Fiction African American Literary Award Nominee for Breakout Author of the Year Readers' Favorite 5-stars In this award-winning coming-of-age story, two families grapple with the effects of child abuse in 1980s Buffalo, New York. Loretta Ford, an eccentric single mother and religious fanatic, lives a reclusive life with her twelve- year-old son, Shadrack. Convinced that harsh discipline is the only way to save a boy, she uses a brand of corporal punishment that blurs the line between parental love and physical violence. Cornelius Brooks is the mayor of Buffalo. His