Story Synopsis
Based on a true story, Saving Joey Peterson chronicles the life of a boy whose entire world is shattered upon discovering he’s adopted. Exposed to pornography at a tender age, he’s an impulsive dreamer with trust and self-esteem issues.
His adoptive parents struggle with alcoholism making it difficult to battle the forces ripping apart their dysfunctional family. A raging conflict ensues, pitting them against adoption agency and Child Protective Services personnel.
Two social workers and a school teacher work feverishly to open an investigation into his parents’ abusive conduct hoping to remove Joey from their custody before it’s too late.
As this powerful drama unfolds, the couple’s increasing egocentricity places Joey in more danger. And during a lapse in judgment, they hire a nanny with a secret criminal past and a sexual appetite for little boys.
The nanny sets her sights on Joey. And when the Petersons uncover her monstrous scheme, they sweep it under the rug. Abandoned by relatives and teachers, his cries for help are ignored. Left to fend for himself, he grapples with the specter of victimhood.
Politically insulated, the Petersons seem untouchable, while Joey cries out for solidarity and justice in his favor.
Author Bio
J. B. Harding was born and raised in Chicago. He served in the Air Force and the Army (USAREUR/USEUCOM). He attended several American universities in Munich and has a degree in business management. Mr. Harding spent 37 years in Europe, living in Germany and Italy. He taught IT and HRM at a private university in Italy, as well as English courses in both private and public institutions. He’s also traveled to various European and Latin American nations. Mr. Harding currently lives with his Italian national wife in the U.S. They are staunch conservatives and strongly support traditional family values.