Born into a poverty-stricken family, Fred did not have time to experience just being a child. His life was one of hard work, abuse, and survival. One Lost Boy, A Memoir of A Missing Childhood, is a coming-of-age story of a young boy whose family worked as sharecroppers picking cotton on an African American owned plantation in Texas. At a time when children are told to be seen and not heard, his childhood is a moving story of barriers he overcame and wisdom gained.Fred’s story is one of a stolen childhood, a father’s betrayal, and how one little boy’s courage, determination, and sacrifice helped his family when they needed him the most.