When Steven's dad, Allen, disappeared, he left behind more than his children-he left a legacy of loss and family secrets. Though working just miles away, Allen gave up his kids for adoption. He was soon replaced by another man, one with his own four children, whose strict rules and explosive temper made home a place of fear rather than refuge.

Steven spent decades wrestling with the wounds of abandonment and abuse, burying his pain so deep it became "the feeling of no feeling." A forced move to Florida, a brutal fist fight, and a grisly car crash pushed Steven to life's edge resulting in a move to Israel, where he discovered that "self-help" meant he would die a failure unless he learned to help himself.

Pretend They Are Dead is a gripping memoir of survival, trauma, and resilience-told with raw honesty, filmic detail, and defiant humor. Steven grew up rejected: Two men claimed to be his father but neither proved to be a dad. Determined not to repeat the past, he become an unwavering presence in the lives of his own five children. His story will both shock and inspire.