Excerpt:

I was telling you about a perfect family who live on a quiet suburban street, in a neighborhood with good schools, green spaces, fun (but safe!) playgrounds for the children, spray parks for hot days, abundant community services, and every possible amenity close at hand and a bustling metropolis within an easy commute. A perfect fantasy life. And before we go any further, I want to assure you that there is no serial killer lurking in their midst, this is not a tale of a crazy sadistic murderer who is off to steal this idyllic All-American family. Nor is it a tale of super ninja monkeys who descend upon their small neighborhood, spreading mayhem and terror on all who look upon them. Ah ha, you may be thinking now that there is something dysfunctional about the family, right? There is some underlying current of animosity between the parents? Or better yet, between the young teenage boy (whom I had described as “mature, funny, handsome, athletic”, a descriptor that surely might have raised some eyebrows as to the veracity of my tale) and his angst-ridden parents. A classic “coming of age” story that delineates the common trials and tribulations of adolescents in America and the parents who are fighting against a tidal wave of media influence, peer pressure and general hardship. But you’d be wrong. The tale I intend to tell you has to do with all of those things. You see, it is a story of theft, mayhem and struggle; but it is also none of those things. Instead, it is about hope and change and victory. It is the story of America.