As a child, Dave Pelzer never had a real home. Rescued from an alcoholic, abusive mother, his only possessions were the old torn clothes he carried in a paper bag; the only world he knew was one of isolation and fear. In The Lost Boy Dave Pelzer relives his life as a foster child, in and out of five different homes. There were those who felt that all foster kids were trouble - unworthy of love - and resented his presence, forcing him to suffer yet more shame. But through it all Dave never stopped hoping and searching for the love of a real family.