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The Wild Boy of Waubamik: A Memoir
“An inspiring story of resilience, told with a vivid sense of character and humour.” ―RICHARD CROUSE, CTV host and film critic
Film critic, writer, and broadcaster Thom Ernst chronicles his life growing up with an abusive father in rural Ontario.
The residents of Waubamik know about the Wild Boy, a somewhat feral child, standing nearly naked in a rusty playground of weeds and discarded metal, clutching a headless doll. They know the boy has been plucked from poverty and resettled into a middle-class family. But they don’t know that something worse awaits him there.
This is the story of a system that failed, a community that looked the other way, and a family that kept silent. It is also a record of the popular culture of the 1960s ― a powerful set of myths that kept a boy comforted. But ultimately, The Wild Boy of Waubamik is a story of triumph, of a man who grew up to become a film critic and broadcaster despite his abusive childhood. It reminds us that life, even at its darkest, can surprise us with moments of joy and hope and dreams for the future.
Film critic, writer, and broadcaster Thom Ernst chronicles his life growing up with an abusive father in rural Ontario.
The residents of Waubamik know about the Wild Boy, a somewhat feral child, standing nearly naked in a rusty playground of weeds and discarded metal, clutching a headless doll. They know the boy has been plucked from poverty and resettled into a middle-class family. But they don’t know that something worse awaits him there.
This is the story of a system that failed, a community that looked the other way, and a family that kept silent. It is also a record of the popular culture of the 1960s ― a powerful set of myths that kept a boy comforted. But ultimately, The Wild Boy of Waubamik is a story of triumph, of a man who grew up to become a film critic and broadcaster despite his abusive childhood. It reminds us that life, even at its darkest, can surprise us with moments of joy and hope and dreams for the future.
- GenresMemoirNonfictionCanada
248 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2023
7 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 19, 2024
Many thanks to both Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Wild Boy of Waubamik: A Memoir.
This is the story of a system that totally failed a young boy and it's a harrowing tale that made me feel incredibly angry. I hope that every adult who suspects something may be amiss with a child will take the time to ask questions and really listen to the answers.
That Mr. Ernst became a successful adult, with a wife and daughter he adores, is nothing short of miraculous.
This is the story of a system that totally failed a young boy and it's a harrowing tale that made me feel incredibly angry. I hope that every adult who suspects something may be amiss with a child will take the time to ask questions and really listen to the answers.
That Mr. Ernst became a successful adult, with a wife and daughter he adores, is nothing short of miraculous.
January 15, 2023
I was incredibly captivated by this memoir and read it in two sittings. Heart wrenching and inspiring all in one. A fantastic memoir.
Thank you @dundurnpress for this complimentary copy
Thank you @dundurnpress for this complimentary copy
September 10, 2024
This is a disturbing memoir, and will make the reader uncomfortable. I was not prepared for it — knowing nothing except it was a "readable memoir of adoption and abuse."
So my reading process was reluctant and critical. I found fault with the "wild boy" device, which felt forced and contrived; I thought scenes were too long; I thought it too ruminative, too much dwelling on so many unanswerable questions. But then — I wondered if my critical opinions were really a reflection of feeling uncomfortable with the material.
That is the challenge with this sort of memoir — how to bring the reader into the scene without making them wish they had never picked up the book.
So that is my topsy-turvy journey through this book. I still feel it was too long, and I'm not at all sure that I'm glad to have read it. Abuse is like that, it's complicated, and as much as we believe in the power of forgiveness, sometimes that power is elusive, or even non-existent.
Four stars, because it was a horrible story that needed to be told.
So my reading process was reluctant and critical. I found fault with the "wild boy" device, which felt forced and contrived; I thought scenes were too long; I thought it too ruminative, too much dwelling on so many unanswerable questions. But then — I wondered if my critical opinions were really a reflection of feeling uncomfortable with the material.
That is the challenge with this sort of memoir — how to bring the reader into the scene without making them wish they had never picked up the book.
So that is my topsy-turvy journey through this book. I still feel it was too long, and I'm not at all sure that I'm glad to have read it. Abuse is like that, it's complicated, and as much as we believe in the power of forgiveness, sometimes that power is elusive, or even non-existent.
Four stars, because it was a horrible story that needed to be told.
December 20, 2022
Releases 2/28/2022, I read an advanced reader copy. 4 1/2 🌟s, for this very well written memoir from Canadian writer and film critic, Thom Ernst. I have a problem with many publisher blurbs for books that are not accurate; I get that they need to entice but many just mislead. The blurb for this one doesn’t as much mislead as doesn’t give the reader the right information. The story of Thom’s adoption story is explained later in the book and isn’t the main reason for the memoir. The blurb alludes to an abusive relationship. Make no mistake, this is violent child sexual abuse and while never graphic is nevertheless very hard to read. That being said, this is a book about making it through, redemption of sorts, and is very well written.
December 20, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Easily 5 stars from me for this book. I hadn't heard of Thom Ernst before so I knew nothing going into this book but the summary. He is such a good writer. He lays out his story so well that the storyline flowed smoothly and it was hard to put the book down. Highly recommend!
Easily 5 stars from me for this book. I hadn't heard of Thom Ernst before so I knew nothing going into this book but the summary. He is such a good writer. He lays out his story so well that the storyline flowed smoothly and it was hard to put the book down. Highly recommend!
September 17, 2022
Thom Ernest’s story is, unfortunately, a story that far too many children live day to day. Thom is adopted by a mother and father who have the typical home in the typical neighborhood and all is well, for awhile. Thom’s mother spends some time in the hospital and his father suddenly shows more interest in Thom. Even though Thom is too old for sitting on dad’s lap, dad wants “lap time” and lap time turns to tickles and tickles turn to secrets. Other than a beating, the abuses Thom suffered are not described in graphic detail and I appreciate that. The confusion and fear is very well written into the pages. One gains some understanding of confusion Thom, and all children who have been sexually abused by the person who they should feel safest with, experience. One gains understanding of how the perpetrator messes with the child’s mind and makes the child-who is blameless- feel responsible for the abuse. I think back to my own childhood and am, once again, so very grateful to have had a safe family. Thank you, Thom Ernst, for telling your story in the way that you did. #TheWildBoyOfWaubamik #netgalley
June 5, 2023
The True Story of Thom Ernst, this was a very hard book to read for me, I really can't stand to see how a child is corrupted, abused, and treated the way Thom was by the evilness of a man who was lost in his own journey and decided that it was ok to ruin the life of a young man who was just starting, I always asked myself " who dod you think you're to make the life of another human being that miserable"???
What entitles you, what makes you better, or who gives you the authority to destroy a child just because you were a freaking pedo?
Thom, you were a magnificent boy, you were not bad, you didn't do anything wrong, the only fault was of that evil person who should have never been a father, people like him don't deserve to hold that title. What really bothers me so much was to learn the mother knew what this evil person was doing to her other children and still she chose to believe in the man when Thom had been an excellent son all his life, I mean come on, if your kid has always been good and suddenly starts to act weird, especially around that evil pedo man, is kind of a huge tell that something is wrong? but hey I guess people like to live in a lie because is better than seeing your own self.
My full support to Thom, thank you for sharing your story, and thank you for being so strong and brave, I'm cheering for you because you deserve a standing ovation.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dundurn Press, for the advanced copy of The Wild Boy of Waubamik in exchange for my honest review.
What entitles you, what makes you better, or who gives you the authority to destroy a child just because you were a freaking pedo?
Thom, you were a magnificent boy, you were not bad, you didn't do anything wrong, the only fault was of that evil person who should have never been a father, people like him don't deserve to hold that title. What really bothers me so much was to learn the mother knew what this evil person was doing to her other children and still she chose to believe in the man when Thom had been an excellent son all his life, I mean come on, if your kid has always been good and suddenly starts to act weird, especially around that evil pedo man, is kind of a huge tell that something is wrong? but hey I guess people like to live in a lie because is better than seeing your own self.
My full support to Thom, thank you for sharing your story, and thank you for being so strong and brave, I'm cheering for you because you deserve a standing ovation.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dundurn Press, for the advanced copy of The Wild Boy of Waubamik in exchange for my honest review.
February 21, 2023
This is a tough but compelling read.
September 11, 2022
Thom Ernst is well known to Canadian movie fans as the longtime host, interviewer, and producer of "Saturday Night at the Movies," though his work has been seen far and wide and he has written for the Toronto Star, Playback Magazine, Toromagazine.com and The National Post. Ernst is a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association and on this week when I had the chance to check out his first book, "The Wild Boy of Waubamik: A Memoir," I'd imagine he's finding himself immersed in film festival obligations even as he prepares for his book's release in early 2023.
While one might expect that Ernst's book would journey through his life as a film journalist, Ernst has instead written a remarkable memoir chronicling his own growing up with an abusive adoptive father in rural Ontario. "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" is simultaneously a harrowing read and an exhilarating one. It's the kind of book that breaks your heart, yet leaves you in awe of the quiet resilience of a young man whose entire childhood was practically defined by abuse and the failure of nearly everyone and everything around him that should have provided protection to do so.
As both a film journalist and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, who also happens to have written a book chronicling my own weird and abusive childhood, I found myself captivated by Ernst's use of language, mastery of structure, and his willingness to tell his story with a strong sense of naturalism yet almost entirely devoid of histrionics.
This story doesn't need histrionics.
You might expect, as well, that Ernst might simply be writing a sort of self-celebratory memoir for not only surviving but actually thriving through these life experiences.
Again, however, Ernst focuses nearly all his energy in "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" on telling his story in a manner that is both surprisingly straightforward that reveals powerful insights and truths about the journey of growing up with abuse. While Ernst at least modestly owns his successes, one can't help but think tha "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" is an exorcism of sorts that courageously pulls back the veil on aspects of the the abuse journey that are seldom captured in books by survivors and especially the relatively small sample of those written by men.
Ernst captures not only the "facts" around his life experiences, but he manages to dig deeper and reveal underlying truths. So vivid is Ernst's storytelling, you can completely visualize how his abuse began, how hit was perpetuated by his father, how the cyclical nature of abuse can and often does lead to one not stopping it even when physically able, coping skills one uses during abuse, and the shame spiral that allows it to be kept a secret. There's much more.
These underlying truths are what I personally found most devastating. This is likely because I'm a survivor myself whose spoken abundantly on the topic and I'm used to getting "the facts." Ernst digs deeper here, a likely years-long journey, and in the process creates story after story that will resonate with those who have experienced childhood abuse. While our lives and abuse were most certainly different, I resonated in both comfortable and uncomfortable ways with "The Wild Boy of Waubamik."
Once you've read the book, you'll be in awe of the courage it took to write the book. It is clear by book's end that Ernst passionately committed himself to breaking cycles as he grew into adulthood, entered relationships, eventually married, and became a father. There are sections in "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" in which Ernst communicates with his daughter that, quite simply, left me sobbing with awe and hope.
As a longtime writer, you can tell that Ernst went to great effort to tell his story truthfully without traumatizing others along the way. While there's often a sense of melancholy here, there's also light that creeps in including that created by Ernst himself. The language used is descriptive without being particularly graphic (a skill I, sadly, have not quite mastered as a writer), and Ernst masterfully portrays how the abuse he's experiencing connects to the world that he's living in.
I will confess that I am in some ways still reflecting upon my evenly paced reading of "The Wild Boy of Waubamik," a book that somehow manages to radiate love while peeling away layer after layer of the kind of childhood we hope no one ever experiences.
With honesty, tenderness, insight, and even a little humor, Thom Ernst has written what will most certainly be considered one of 2023's most remarkable memoirs and in the process has reminded us that even in our darkest moments that we can survive, thrive, and pledge to become the people that we needed in our most vulnerable times.
While one might expect that Ernst's book would journey through his life as a film journalist, Ernst has instead written a remarkable memoir chronicling his own growing up with an abusive adoptive father in rural Ontario. "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" is simultaneously a harrowing read and an exhilarating one. It's the kind of book that breaks your heart, yet leaves you in awe of the quiet resilience of a young man whose entire childhood was practically defined by abuse and the failure of nearly everyone and everything around him that should have provided protection to do so.
As both a film journalist and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, who also happens to have written a book chronicling my own weird and abusive childhood, I found myself captivated by Ernst's use of language, mastery of structure, and his willingness to tell his story with a strong sense of naturalism yet almost entirely devoid of histrionics.
This story doesn't need histrionics.
You might expect, as well, that Ernst might simply be writing a sort of self-celebratory memoir for not only surviving but actually thriving through these life experiences.
Again, however, Ernst focuses nearly all his energy in "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" on telling his story in a manner that is both surprisingly straightforward that reveals powerful insights and truths about the journey of growing up with abuse. While Ernst at least modestly owns his successes, one can't help but think tha "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" is an exorcism of sorts that courageously pulls back the veil on aspects of the the abuse journey that are seldom captured in books by survivors and especially the relatively small sample of those written by men.
Ernst captures not only the "facts" around his life experiences, but he manages to dig deeper and reveal underlying truths. So vivid is Ernst's storytelling, you can completely visualize how his abuse began, how hit was perpetuated by his father, how the cyclical nature of abuse can and often does lead to one not stopping it even when physically able, coping skills one uses during abuse, and the shame spiral that allows it to be kept a secret. There's much more.
These underlying truths are what I personally found most devastating. This is likely because I'm a survivor myself whose spoken abundantly on the topic and I'm used to getting "the facts." Ernst digs deeper here, a likely years-long journey, and in the process creates story after story that will resonate with those who have experienced childhood abuse. While our lives and abuse were most certainly different, I resonated in both comfortable and uncomfortable ways with "The Wild Boy of Waubamik."
Once you've read the book, you'll be in awe of the courage it took to write the book. It is clear by book's end that Ernst passionately committed himself to breaking cycles as he grew into adulthood, entered relationships, eventually married, and became a father. There are sections in "The Wild Boy of Waubamik" in which Ernst communicates with his daughter that, quite simply, left me sobbing with awe and hope.
As a longtime writer, you can tell that Ernst went to great effort to tell his story truthfully without traumatizing others along the way. While there's often a sense of melancholy here, there's also light that creeps in including that created by Ernst himself. The language used is descriptive without being particularly graphic (a skill I, sadly, have not quite mastered as a writer), and Ernst masterfully portrays how the abuse he's experiencing connects to the world that he's living in.
I will confess that I am in some ways still reflecting upon my evenly paced reading of "The Wild Boy of Waubamik," a book that somehow manages to radiate love while peeling away layer after layer of the kind of childhood we hope no one ever experiences.
With honesty, tenderness, insight, and even a little humor, Thom Ernst has written what will most certainly be considered one of 2023's most remarkable memoirs and in the process has reminded us that even in our darkest moments that we can survive, thrive, and pledge to become the people that we needed in our most vulnerable times.
January 13, 2023
I started reading this book and could not out it down!
The Wild Boy if Wabamik by Thom Ernst does something rarely accomplished in memoirs. It tells a tale with such truth and urgency that every page leads you deeper and deeper into the sad and tangled world inhabited by the author as a young (adopted) boy.
Always brave in the writing, and often heart-wrenching, this memoir stays close to the author’s voice from childhood into adolescence and then into adulthood.. Thom Ernst, carefully and thoughtfully leads us into his dark world of childhood abuse and trauma. He starts by slowly peeling away the Band-Aid of betrayal, giving hints of the startling events to come, only to later rip it off exposing the wounds of childhood abuse. And yet, it is not a difficult read. Ernst manages to find moments of light and humor even in his observations about the life around him and, because if this, we cannot help but root for him throughout. It begins with Young Thom, a charming, awkward, and trusting boy, who is filled with innocent curiosity and is eager to please. His love of the movies gives him an early escape and a later career. But even the movies cannot save him from the predatory motives of those he trusts. Courageously honest, and emotionally shattering, The Wild Boy of Wabamik scratches the surface of complacency to dive into the deep, secret waters of childhood sexual abuse, giving a voice to those unheard. Beautifully written, this memoir is as illuminating as it is necessary. A brilliant and important read!
The Wild Boy if Wabamik by Thom Ernst does something rarely accomplished in memoirs. It tells a tale with such truth and urgency that every page leads you deeper and deeper into the sad and tangled world inhabited by the author as a young (adopted) boy.
Always brave in the writing, and often heart-wrenching, this memoir stays close to the author’s voice from childhood into adolescence and then into adulthood.. Thom Ernst, carefully and thoughtfully leads us into his dark world of childhood abuse and trauma. He starts by slowly peeling away the Band-Aid of betrayal, giving hints of the startling events to come, only to later rip it off exposing the wounds of childhood abuse. And yet, it is not a difficult read. Ernst manages to find moments of light and humor even in his observations about the life around him and, because if this, we cannot help but root for him throughout. It begins with Young Thom, a charming, awkward, and trusting boy, who is filled with innocent curiosity and is eager to please. His love of the movies gives him an early escape and a later career. But even the movies cannot save him from the predatory motives of those he trusts. Courageously honest, and emotionally shattering, The Wild Boy of Wabamik scratches the surface of complacency to dive into the deep, secret waters of childhood sexual abuse, giving a voice to those unheard. Beautifully written, this memoir is as illuminating as it is necessary. A brilliant and important read!
February 20, 2023
I am gobsmacked, blown away, can't stop crying, can't stop thinking about it and honestly can't get over Thom Ernst's book, The Wild Boy of Waubamik. I never write book reviews. I am just the host of a radio show and I interview people. And in fact, I have had Thom Ernst on my show Finding Your Bliss on Zoomer Radio for 4 years in a row for our Christmas episode. And when he asked me to read his book and consider having him on the air to talk about it, I hesitated, because it wasn't about Film and Television and I didn't think it had anything to do with bliss. Never in a million years did I expect this masterpiece of writing this heartbreaking, honest, raw, vulnerable and so exquisitely written story about how Thom suffered an incredibly abusive father, and somehow managed to not only survive, but to build an incredible career as a respected Television host, film and TV critic and someone who even took over for Elwy Yost's Saturday Night at the Movies, with excellence and grace. The book is so compelling and heartfelt and I had to stop several times to weep. The writing is so evocative-at times you feel like you were right there. What I didn't expect is the story ends with hope-a miraculous feat in light of what Thom endured in his life. I highly recommend this book and give it a 10 on 10. Five stars and more.
March 7, 2023
Un roman choc, la réflexion de l'auteur sur ce qu'il a vécu pendant son enfance. Les débats dans lesquels il se perd, le lourd secret à porter, la peur d'être découvert... comment tout a commencé, tout a continué, tout a semblé se terminer. Le mot le plus terrifiant dans ce livre est probablement dans le titre "A memoir". Nous ne sommes plus dans la fiction (comme dans le livre "Les longueurs" de Claire Castillon, sur le même sujet). Les souvenirs bien réels de l'auteur nous frappent. C'est effrayant, terrifiant mais aussi rassurant quand on connaît l'auteur et que l'on sait ce qu'il est devenu : un mari heureux, passionné de cinéma et surtout un père épanoui.
Une intrigue bien menée, des souvenirs touchants, un coup de théâtre au moment où l'on s'y attend le moins, une réflexion profonde, vulnérable, tellement humaine.
La parole doit se délier pour que ces abus soient mis à jour, cessent et que les victimes soient accompagnées et entourées. Un livre nécessaire, plus que jamais !
Une intrigue bien menée, des souvenirs touchants, un coup de théâtre au moment où l'on s'y attend le moins, une réflexion profonde, vulnérable, tellement humaine.
La parole doit se délier pour que ces abus soient mis à jour, cessent et que les victimes soient accompagnées et entourées. Un livre nécessaire, plus que jamais !
January 16, 2023
Although I don’t have children I still felt immense sadness that a child who deserves to be loved and protected had to endure a childhood like the author was subjected to. Amazingly he was able to marry, have a family and become successful in his work
I was really touched at the section where he described looking down at his little girl and telling her she would always be safe. It is beyond my comprehension to understand how this can and continues to happen. .
A true story which sadly needs to be told and full marks to the author..
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Note victims of abuse may find parts upsetting.
I was really touched at the section where he described looking down at his little girl and telling her she would always be safe. It is beyond my comprehension to understand how this can and continues to happen. .
A true story which sadly needs to be told and full marks to the author..
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Note victims of abuse may find parts upsetting.
February 2, 2023
Oh!! This book!! What can I say? It was so well written, beautiful in a way but also so freaking heart wrenching, raw and sad. I spent most of the time feeling sick and angry with what the author went trough. This was definitely a very tough book to read but I am glad I did because his life story and what he went trough deserves to be known. It’s so sad that things like this happen and I can only hope for a future where we no longer have to live through something like this.
I am still inspired and happy that he is now living happy and that he was able to over come this.
.
TW: child abuse, death, drugs
.
Thanks to Dundurn Press for sending me a finish copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I am still inspired and happy that he is now living happy and that he was able to over come this.
.
TW: child abuse, death, drugs
.
Thanks to Dundurn Press for sending me a finish copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
March 31, 2023
TW: child sexual abuse, death
This book is emotional, raw and heartbreaking. It is difficult to read and difficult to put down. It made me frustrated, angry and sad. The trauma this young boy endured was horrific and yet, there was an "after" for the author. He got married, had a daughter and a successful career. This book is a reminder that there is hope and joy in our world that we can choose to find. I always struggle to write reviews for memoirs. It feels odd to review someone else life and experiences. I will say that this book made me thinkand it will stay with me. That is how I know it was a good one.
Thank you to Dundurn Press for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is emotional, raw and heartbreaking. It is difficult to read and difficult to put down. It made me frustrated, angry and sad. The trauma this young boy endured was horrific and yet, there was an "after" for the author. He got married, had a daughter and a successful career. This book is a reminder that there is hope and joy in our world that we can choose to find. I always struggle to write reviews for memoirs. It feels odd to review someone else life and experiences. I will say that this book made me thinkand it will stay with me. That is how I know it was a good one.
Thank you to Dundurn Press for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2023
A stark and crisp account of the author’s adoption as a boy into a rural Ontario family headed by an abusive father. Brave, bold, and full of finely textured details evoking the 1960s, The Wild Boy of Waubamik, is a highly recommended read. Thom Ernst illuminates how his systems of meaning — forged through imagination, writing, popular culture, and most of all family — helped him transcend his past and find sustaining beliefs about the future.
June 24, 2023
A very difficult story, told with grace and understanding.
January 31, 2023
This was heartbreaking and at times, hard to read, but also a story of triumph and survival.
December 6, 2022
As heartbreaking as it is uplifting this book had me feeling all the feels. A story that is sadly true for many young people every day, I found myself compelled to keep reading. Thank you Thom for sharing your brutally honest account of betrayal from the must trusted person. This will stay with me for a long time.
TW; sexual abuse.
TW; sexual abuse.
November 16, 2022
Heartbreaking and uplifting.
April 19, 2024
This memoir's subject is grim but the writing itself is well-executed and beautifully crafted. I can't imagine how gruelling it must have been to make sense of such a traumatizing childhood. The author brought out a lot of complex issues and I finished the book with a clearer understanding of the grooming and shame that is part of childhood sexual violence. Personally I am familiar and travelled many times to the area of Ontario close to Waubamik and also I am from the Waterloo region - so hearing the words Blue Moon, Petersburg, Baden, Royal Street (etc.) was a bit surreal. I am so glad that Ernst moved on to develop a successful career(s) in film and writing. I hope very much he writes more books - on any subject - fiction or non-fiction - because his writing is poetic and beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story, Thom Ernst.
March 10, 2023
This book was a thoughtful read with a very important message. The author Thom Ernst, has told his story in a way that allows readers to feel his deepest of emotions. The wild boy brings out the possibility, that anyone can overcome adversity and be better after it.
August 27, 2023
Thom Ernst wrote about his heartbreaking childhood in a beautiful way where others will be able to relate, not only to the twisted way blame is so casually and intentionally put on the victim, but how abuse is easily ignored and dismissed by the selfishness of family and friends.
December 15, 2023
Recommend this read.
Really sad read, telling the story of a boy who suffers sexual abuse at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect him. Shows how this kind of trauma can then affect life later on.
Real powerful, gripping read
Really sad read, telling the story of a boy who suffers sexual abuse at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect him. Shows how this kind of trauma can then affect life later on.
Real powerful, gripping read
January 15, 2024
The abuse Thom endured and then survived is astounding. There must be something so freeing about speaking your truth even when it is so horrific. Thank you for trusting us with your story.
Read
July 16, 2025I don't think I'll rate this, but it left a lasting impression. Very, very honest. Not an easy read, but I think an important one.
February 17, 2023
Thom Ernst, who today is a well-known movie critic here in Canada, experienced more in his childhood than anyone should ever have to. Being adopted at a young age, he thinks his life is about to change for the better. But within the new family, he is treated as a bit of an other, further exacerbated as he becomes the target of abuse.
The Wild Boy of Waubamik is a memoir that reminded me how truly difficult it can be to “review” someone’s life. The experiences of Ernst are nothing short of harrowing, something no child should ever have to go through. I had a hard time reading about the things he went through; please consider this is a trigger warning regarding abuse, particularly towards children. If you’re easily affected by the experience of others, like me, this may not be for you.
This is a story that is incredibly important, and unfortunately still relevant today (including ideas around aiding and enabling abuse, coping mechanisms, and the guilt those who experience abuse carry with them). The bravery and candid vulnerability that Ernst shows in his writing is commendable, as is his positive perspective. What I do appreciate is how Ernst was able to show how we carry trauma with us throughout our entire life (it doesn’t just end one day).
One quick note: I did find the blurb of the book to be a bit misleading (to me anyway), so when I started reading, I didn’t quite feel prepared for the book’s content which is very hard to read and very repetitive. I felt like maybe I didn’t have all the information before diving in, which is why I think it’s important to share it here. I wish there had been a little more hope and triumph, only based on what the back cover promised.
The Wild Boy of Waubamik is a memoir that reminded me how truly difficult it can be to “review” someone’s life. The experiences of Ernst are nothing short of harrowing, something no child should ever have to go through. I had a hard time reading about the things he went through; please consider this is a trigger warning regarding abuse, particularly towards children. If you’re easily affected by the experience of others, like me, this may not be for you.
This is a story that is incredibly important, and unfortunately still relevant today (including ideas around aiding and enabling abuse, coping mechanisms, and the guilt those who experience abuse carry with them). The bravery and candid vulnerability that Ernst shows in his writing is commendable, as is his positive perspective. What I do appreciate is how Ernst was able to show how we carry trauma with us throughout our entire life (it doesn’t just end one day).
One quick note: I did find the blurb of the book to be a bit misleading (to me anyway), so when I started reading, I didn’t quite feel prepared for the book’s content which is very hard to read and very repetitive. I felt like maybe I didn’t have all the information before diving in, which is why I think it’s important to share it here. I wish there had been a little more hope and triumph, only based on what the back cover promised.
December 8, 2023
I picked this up one evening with the intention of reading a few chapters before bed and the next thing I knew, I had finished it. I completely devoured it in a few hours.
I will say, though, that this is not an easy read. Thom Ernst, a film critic, writer, and broadcaster, recounts his experiences of growing up with a sexually abusive father in rural Ontario after being adopted into this family following an earlier life of poverty and neglect.
The book made me angry and sad but also amazed me...Ernst's resilience and courage. Wow. And the fact that he was able to move on, find happiness, love and lead a successful career. Incredible. If you can handle reading about the abuse he endured (it isn't graphic but obviously very disturbing), I do think this is a must-read.
Thank you to dundurn press for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
Follow me for more book reviews: http://www.instagram.com/michy.loves....
TW: physical and sexual abuse
I will say, though, that this is not an easy read. Thom Ernst, a film critic, writer, and broadcaster, recounts his experiences of growing up with a sexually abusive father in rural Ontario after being adopted into this family following an earlier life of poverty and neglect.
The book made me angry and sad but also amazed me...Ernst's resilience and courage. Wow. And the fact that he was able to move on, find happiness, love and lead a successful career. Incredible. If you can handle reading about the abuse he endured (it isn't graphic but obviously very disturbing), I do think this is a must-read.
Thank you to dundurn press for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
Follow me for more book reviews: http://www.instagram.com/michy.loves....
TW: physical and sexual abuse
April 27, 2024
If an unexamined life is not worth living, then Thom Ernst’s life is worth reliving in exacting detail. His memoir is a challenging read, filled with oblique yet telling descriptions of his sexual and physical abuse at the hands of this adoptive father, and under the willfully unseeing eyes of his adoptive mother, who noticed every movement of her son, except for the ones that really counted. Well written and plotted, this memoir reads like a novel, told in a well-honed and surprisingly upbeat manner. And, no, there is not much redemption to be found, and quite a few regrets along the way. Perhaps there are no simple lessons here, no easy answers. There is only a monument to a man who lived to tell of his endurance and eventual prosperity of a kind – to be truly rich in love, and to ensure his own family, unlike his adoptive family, are well taken care of.
October 21, 2023
Did I read anything happy this year?
The Wild Boy of Waubamik takes you to some profoundly dark places, unearthing the harrowing depths of childhood abuse and the horrible lengths people can go to evade facing it. This book feels like a journey towards closure—a raw and unflinching confrontation of the past.
It's a testament to the strength it takes to break the cycle of pain, as much about survival as it is about trauma. It's a narrative that doesn't shy away from darkness but ultimately shines a light on the potential for healing and growth.
The Wild Boy of Waubamik takes you to some profoundly dark places, unearthing the harrowing depths of childhood abuse and the horrible lengths people can go to evade facing it. This book feels like a journey towards closure—a raw and unflinching confrontation of the past.
It's a testament to the strength it takes to break the cycle of pain, as much about survival as it is about trauma. It's a narrative that doesn't shy away from darkness but ultimately shines a light on the potential for healing and growth.
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