Blow is no stranger to hardship. His memoir opens with the death of his beloved great-grandmother, Mam’ Grace, an event that sends his mother out of the house in gut-wrenching sobs. Later, his grandfather Jeb—the closest thing to a loving father he has—passes away, leaving an emotional void he cannot fill. An older cousin sexually abuses him, exacerbating an already deep despair that he struggles with for most of the book. He is bullied, undervalued, and underestimated, but through it all he accomplishes remarkable things. He becomes captain of the basketball team, class president, valedictorian, president of his fraternity, and an intern at the New York Times followed by an appointment to head the paper’s nascent graphic arts department at only 25.

The juxtaposition of Blow’s early hardships and later successes suggests a connection. Had his early life been a cosseted one, Blow may not have achieved such startling success. Some research supports such a connection. Early struggles during a child’s formative years build and reinforce important skills, like learning to handle conflict, overcoming obstacles, and the importance of resolve and perseverance. The key to this connection seems to be self-reflection, and Blow has the intellectual rigor for it.