Mea Culpa: A Plea Of Innocence : FriesenPress : 9781039137462 : 1039137466 : 28 Mar 2022 : A powerful memoir that dives deep into the childhood and psyche of the author, Mea Culpa: A Plea of Innocence chronicles the lifelong struggle of a boy-and later a man-to gain his parents' approval. Longing particularly to ease his mother's ever-present pain, he carries a misplaced guilt into every aspect-and relationship-of his life. In a series of vignettes, the reader is transported back in time to a small mountain village in post-war Italy. Amidst ruins and famine, a young family grapples with poverty. Growing up in such dire circumstances, the only coping strategy for the young boy is to imagine himself as a Roman centurion in command of an army. Adding to his stress is a mother who constantly draws him into a relationship that requires blind devotion and cruel sacrifice. Her craftiness and guilt-inducing methods are revealed in detail, making this a suspenseful narrative about survival. W