FISH

FISH
A Memoir of a Boy in a Man’s Prison
T. J. Parsell

When 17-year-old T.J. Parsell held up the local Photo Mat with a toy gun, he was sentenced to 4½ to 15 years in prison. The first night of his term, four older inmates drugged Parsell and took turns raping him. When they were through, they flipped a coin to decide who would “own” him. Parsell’s experience that first night haunted him throughout the rest of his sentence. On top of the almost daily assaults, he must come to terms with his homosexuality and his status as a “white boy” in a majority black community. Purcell does not shy from expressing his raw emotions, realising his brutal experiences in brave, honest language.

324 pages, £9.99 paperback