The Wealthy Loser

Book excerpt: . . . (my grandfather) said his father had died during the war. When he said it, he suddenly got this look in his eyes. Like he wanted something he could never get. I sensed something painful inside of him. Vulnerable and broken. Instinctively, I wanted to reach out to him. But I had no concept of the depth of the ocean he was swimming in . . . And so, the moment passed. And then he was smiling again. Back on point. For a long time after that, I felt like a window had opened in that moment—a window through which terrible secrets could be seen. If only I had the courage to look and the wisdom to understand them. Clues that could unlock a mystery that throbbed in our familial blood and infiltrated our dreams. Joey Ter-Mitchell spent his early years caught up in vicious cycles of bad influence, including crime, drugs, abuse, and psychological damage. Unsurprisingly, his life went on to become laden with addictions, recovery, and relapses as well as physical abuse, toxic relationships, car wrecks, arrests, jail, probation, and other painful realities—including “dying” at least once. He spent years riding a roller coaster of shame, chaos, and pain. But, thankfully, this isn’t where Joey’s story ends. In The Wealthy Loser, Joey describes how he was spared from ultimate destruction by the grace of God, and how he was led to uncover a family mystery at the core of the madness that ruled his life. While searching for healing and answers, Joey takes a journey into the past, where he discovers secrets that he comes to understand were the catalysts for a multi-generational tragedy. Beautifully weaving two stories, The Wealthy Loser is a poignant memoir about survival, redemption, healing, and most of all, love.