What do you think?
Rate this book
So Young: The Taking of My Life by the Catholic Church
"What I wanted was for Malachy Finegan to be exposed. I felt that the wee boy I had been might be stepping from the darkness, and I needed him to be heard and to be believed."
When he was twelve and in first year at St Colman’s College in Newry, Gerard Gorman was abused by pedophile priest Father Malachy Finegan. Gerard was so traumatized that for many years he was unable to talk about what had happened to him.
So Young is Gerard’s powerful and courageous account of how he finally found a voice to tell his story. In this memoir – with the help of his brother, the poet Damian Gorman - he talks openly about the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life and on the lives of those around him. He describes too his role in exposing Finegan and his long and painful battle with the Catholic Church – in and out of the civil courts – to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan’s abuse.
Brave, moving and open-hearted, So Young is a powerful account of surviving abuse and a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims.
When he was twelve and in first year at St Colman’s College in Newry, Gerard Gorman was abused by pedophile priest Father Malachy Finegan. Gerard was so traumatized that for many years he was unable to talk about what had happened to him.
So Young is Gerard’s powerful and courageous account of how he finally found a voice to tell his story. In this memoir – with the help of his brother, the poet Damian Gorman - he talks openly about the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life and on the lives of those around him. He describes too his role in exposing Finegan and his long and painful battle with the Catholic Church – in and out of the civil courts – to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan’s abuse.
Brave, moving and open-hearted, So Young is a powerful account of surviving abuse and a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims.
160 pages, Paperback
Published July 20, 2022
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 20, 2025
So Young is a raw memoir that doesn’t shy away from truth. Diffiuclt to read about the experiences Gerard had to endure but what struck me most was the resilience that shines through the pages. It’s not an easy book, but it’s an important one. I highly recommend it.
July 12, 2025
A courageous and necessary voice
Gerard Gorman’s So Young is a profoundly moving account of childhood stolen and dignity reclaimed. His bravery in speaking out, about abuse by the Catholic Church, and the long road to healing, left a deep impression on me. He writes with clarity, compassion, and unwavering strength.
In writing my own memoir, Not the Perfect Victim, I focused primarily on the female voice and experience of trauma. It was, at its heart, a "she says" story. But reading Gerard’s account reminded me again, powerfully, that male survivors are so often unheard or overlooked, and their stories equally deserve space, support, and amplification.
I regret that I didn’t reference Gerard’s story in my book, especially given how deeply it moved me. His courage is not only personal but political: it breaks silences that have long protected systems of harm. I’m grateful he chose to share it, and I hope many others find strength, solidarity, and validation in his words—just as I did.
Gerard Gorman’s So Young is a profoundly moving account of childhood stolen and dignity reclaimed. His bravery in speaking out, about abuse by the Catholic Church, and the long road to healing, left a deep impression on me. He writes with clarity, compassion, and unwavering strength.
In writing my own memoir, Not the Perfect Victim, I focused primarily on the female voice and experience of trauma. It was, at its heart, a "she says" story. But reading Gerard’s account reminded me again, powerfully, that male survivors are so often unheard or overlooked, and their stories equally deserve space, support, and amplification.
I regret that I didn’t reference Gerard’s story in my book, especially given how deeply it moved me. His courage is not only personal but political: it breaks silences that have long protected systems of harm. I’m grateful he chose to share it, and I hope many others find strength, solidarity, and validation in his words—just as I did.
July 19, 2024
Never in my life have I read a book from start to finish in a sitting. Beautifully written like a conversation with a friend. Even though it shares the most horrific events that should never happen to a child and the aftermath, Gerard makes you feel safe as his story is told. You follow his journey of repressed trauma and grateful of the services and people out there that helped him.
I'm glad that this book was written, it needed to be.
I'm glad that this book was written, it needed to be.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews