Even intelligent, strong, and successful adults could be victims of abuse as a child. Understanding the causes of child abuse can be challenging, but the saddest thing is that it often occurs within the family. Pondering about what they’ve gone through is a monumental task. Let alone think of their healing process.

 “Can we avoid problems?” These things strongly impact us, whether it’s financial problems or any form of abuse. Is it possible for a person to turn his pain into something inspirational and rise as a phoenix? One person who faced challenges and made remarkable recoveries is Joseph Waddy. Now a successful medical professional and a published author, Joseph Waddy proves nothing is impossible through his book “Bertha’s Son.”

A Tale of Courage

“Bertha’s Son” is a memoir that will astound, surprise, and motivate its readers. It tells the challenges and wins of Joseph Waddy. As a young boy, life’s darkest chambers did not spare him. Being a son of a single mother, little Joseph suffered bullying and discrimination. His apathetic father left him and his mother, Bertha, in tears without love and support.

Despite his great enthusiasm to go to school, Joseph couldn’t study until he was almost ten years old due to several factors, which are mainly economic. His mother, Bertha’s love, paved the way for him to pursue the education he deserves. Joseph was almost ten years old when he formally began schooling.

When he thought everything was going smoothly, Joseph suffered daunting forms of abuse from his relatives. His two teenage cousins molested him when he was ten, while his aunt physically abused him. His devastating experiences at the hands of his relatives didn’t hinder Joseph’s future. Instead of bellowing over his undesirable fate, he turned it into a source of power that fuels his dreams.

The Gift of Education

Joseph set out to pursue a profession in medicine and began working at the Georgetown Hospital in British Guyana after receiving a high school diploma from Cambridge that opened doors to the rest of the world. He ultimately left his home country for the United States to escape the political upheaval and provide a better life for his family. Most of all, Joseph seeks to serve humanity. Although Joseph Waddy has never had it easy, he succeeded despite all the setbacks he has encountered.

Meticulously, Joseph Waddy recounts his experiences coupled with the slow unraveling of political concerns in Guyana during the 1960s. Readers of the book will find its author determined, brave, and bold. In many ways, they will discover “Bertha’s Son” relatable as it forces them to consider what it means to be brave. 

A Story of a Life Well-Lived

In “Bertha’s Son,” the readers are introduced to unique characters, each navigating their path and helping form Joseph Waddy’s identity. Waddy’s book, written with raw, uncompromising honesty, comprises thirty-seven compact chapters that include intimate details of his life. It also tackles Waddy’s dedication to education, his mother’s impossible love, and his joy as a husband and father to wonderful children. Readers may also enjoy some spark of humor from Waddy’s flimsy flings as a young man. More importantly, the book is a testament to how he rose from seemingly unassailable dilemmas he has encountered.

Despite its surprising, plain, and unlikely details, “Bertha’s Son” encompasses themes that will inspire its readers to reflect on their lives and be grateful for the challenges that come along with it. Waddy’s book is a story of a life well-lived and a great reminder that amid life’s bumpy setbacks, it is a worthwhile journey. The book is a son’s ode to a great woman.

Joseph Waddy’s story provides a glimpse of a captivating personal portrait that shows readers that behind a successful man lies a tale that is variably inspiring, courageous, and eye-opening. Today, secure a copy of Joseph Waddy’s “Bertha’s Son” on Amazon.