Racing the Past is a story about triumph over adversity. Ricky Gordon is the oldest of three children whose father has just died. This is a good thing. Ricky’s father was an abusive drunk who regularly beat him, his mother, his younger brother, Matt, and his baby sister, Katie. Now that he is dead, life is much better. However, his family cannot bury him, because the ground is frozen. Because of this, his brother has nightmares and wets the bed every night. His father left the family with debt, and humiliation. His poor scarred mother tries her best, but the family is still considered by the entire town to be white trash good for nothings.

An older boy, Bugzie, tells Ricky that the only good thing his father ever did was dying. Ricky agrees, but fights him anyway. He gets into trouble with the principal, and vows never to fight again, to spare his mother the humiliation. In school, Mr. Daniels, the principal, helps him out by letting him stay in a recess, and use the bathroom during class, but the bus is a different story. So, Ricky begins to run to and from school everyday in order to avoid Bugzie. Running becomes a passion, and Ricky begins to try to beat the bus, pushing up his time with each trip. Soon, he begins training on the weekends when he is not working for Mr. Lewis. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis took Ricky under their wing, but Mrs. Lewis died. Ricky misses her much more than his father. Ricky runs for her, for his family, and for himself. He pushes himself to achieve his best.

It is through Ricky’s running that he is able to find a sense of self worth, and ultimately bring some honor back to his family. The message is that no matter how hard life is, goal setting and perseverance pay off. The story is heartbreaking, but such an amazing story. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who have suffered abuse. Ricky is such a dynamic character, and the reader runs along side of him throughout the book. Five Stars.