Summary

Relative Distance is a powerful memoir of resilience and faith. While it’s an unflinching look at brothers being raised by a violent, abusive father and a detached, mentally ill mother, it’s also an inspiring account of two distinctive life journeys and an examination of the role played by family and society in individual homelessness.

After surviving his tumultuous upbringing, David Pruitt rises to become a CEO in Corporate America, while his brother, Danny, becomes a long-time homeless traveler. As David helps to grow a fledgling North Carolina business into what is at the time the largest specialty bicycle retailer in the United States, Danny sleeps under overpasses, jumps passing freight cars, lives in and out of shelters, faces death more than once—and encounters the best and worst of America in a restless search to find a better place in the world. Yet, despite their differences, a common thread runs through the distinct trajectories of the brothers’ lives: each of them struggles with difficult psychological issues stemming from their troubled past.

This deeply moving memoir examines the lifelong challenges that often come for those raised in an abusive home, along with the limitless possibilities we open ourselves to when we allow faith and determination to overcome judgment and fear.

Review

There are no words to describe the experience of reading this book. This was a difficult journey to read but a story that needed to be told. It saddens me deeply how their circumstances robbed them of perhaps a greater destiny but at least for one, found light from a dark place.

Relative Distance hit the core of my being. David, sharing the life of himself and his brothers, just aches the heart. Growing up with a mother with mental health challenges and a father who’s love went hand and hand with his impulse for abuse, crippled their chances of a life full of dreams, hope and aspiration. Despite this, what inspired me the most was how each tried fighting through the adversity to work towards being better than anything they ever knew.

Despite the hardships two of the three brothers faced trying to find their way through life, David is such a testament of the power of faith and perseverance. There is a moment in the book that just exalted my spirit when he decided that he wanted to go to college and do better. That moment despite the lack of support and pushback, the catalyst that ignited that fight within, really inspired me. When you’re told over again that you are nothing and won’t amount to anything, that moment that he decided to defy that fight for himself to show that he was somebody truly was remarkable. The trajectory of his life from that moment on, no one can take that away and for those who experienced the same give hope that anything is possible.

Overall, this is a beautiful memoir that is honest and filled with a story that deserves to be told. I truly feel that the journey of his family is similar to others and can bring hope and healing for those who have struggled or want to have a better life. If you like memoirs, consider this for your reading list.

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