{"product_id":"breaking-away-a-harrowing-true-story-of-resilience-courage-and-triumph-isbn-9781443444668","title":"Breaking Away: A Harrowing True Story of Resilience, Courage, and Triumph","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the tradition of \u003ci\u003ePlaying with Fire\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Crazy Game\u003c\/i\u003e comes a new memoir about a troubled hockey life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePatrick O'Sullivan was a kid with skills, with natural gifts that catapulted him into the spotlight and made NHL scouts rave. O’Sullivan seemed destined to become one of the next great hockey players in the world. But then it all went horribly wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eBreaking Away\u003c\/i\u003e, Patrick O’Sullivan gives readers a disturbing account of ten years of ever escalating physical abuse and emotional cruelty at the hands of his father. When Patrick proved more skilled than other eight-year-olds, John O’Sullivan decided to dedicate his life to turning his son into the player he had always dreamed of becoming. Shouting at the top of his lungs, John O’Sullivan was the over-involved parent. Many of Patrick’s teammates and their parents and coaches thought it ended there. Few had an idea of the dysfunction and violence at the O’Sullivans' home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBreaking Away\u003c\/i\u003e is a story about abuse, but it is also a story about triumph, as O'Sullivan revisits the ghosts of his past.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Patrick O’Sullivan’s story is the ultimate cautionary tale in all of sports. . . . . That Patrick O’Sullivan survived his childhood to play in the NHL is a testament to his talent. That he tells it all in \u003cem\u003eBreaking Away\u003c\/em\u003e is a testament to his courage.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBob McKenzie, TSN, and author of Hockey Confidential\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A tragic and at times disturbing account of abuse. . . . I hope that writing this brave and honest book and raising awareness of this troubling issue allows Patrick to find peace of mind.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElliotte Friedman, Hockey Night in Canada\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Patrick O’Sullivan had the will to survive in awful circumstances that would break almost anybody else. That he survived and played professional hockey prove his strength of character. \u003cem\u003eBreaking Away\u003c\/em\u003e is not just about the damage done but also moving on and at long last finding happiness.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTodd Marinovich, former NFL and CFL quarterback\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An inspirational story and a cautionary tale. You find yourself rooting for a kid who lived through a nightmare just to play hockey and pursue his dream. . . . No one should have to go through the awful stuff that Patrick endured growing up.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBobby Ryan, Ottawa Senators\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888839225573,"sku":"NP9781443444668","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781443444668.jpg?v=1730229928","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/breaking-away-a-harrowing-true-story-of-resilience-courage-and-triumph-isbn-9781443444668","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}