Paul Ecke shares intimate details of his life from roughly the age of four into the present day in his book, Boy Dreamer: An Artist’s Memoir of Identity, Awakening, and Beating the Odds. Ecke’s journey has not been an easy one and throughout his life he has had to contend with a number of difficult battles including life in a foster home, abusive relationships, and a cancer diagnosis. While the material is very deep Ecke works to provide moments of happiness and hope throughout to show the balance of life.

Ecke begins Boy Dreamer by discussing a period of time he and his sisters spent in foster care during a difficult period in their parents’ marriage. During his time there he and his siblings were treated very differently than the biological child of the couple who cared for them. This period of time led to some issues for Ecke once he began school, but over the course of his life he is able to overcome this early trauma. When he was able to return to life with his biological parents there were additional issues that arose between his parents. Detailing every moment of Ecke’s life in this review would take away from the experiencing of reading all of the moments that changed his life.

Outside of events in his life, Ecke also discusses his emotional and personal changes. This includes coming into his own as an artist as well as truly accepting himself. As he was growing up Ecke began to realize he was attracted to men, but was not ready  to come out officially to his family for a period of time. We watch this journey in connection to relationships he had. There is so much to take in throughout Boy Dreamer and the portion dedicated to Ecke’s cancer treatments show just how strong his character is. Boy Dreamer is a book that will show you that no matter what has happened or will happen in your life that there is hope. You can find it on sale now.

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