This is the riveting true story of Dan “Lefty” Burnham, renowned sculptor and artist, who traveled the world, exhibiting his artwork among celebrities, political leaders, and art collectors until he fell in love with a beautiful young musician he thought was the love of his life. His dream marriage morphed into a nightmare tale of betrayal, lies, infidelity, and chaos. At the center of it all was Lefty’s greatest treasure — his baby daughter, snatched from him in a vicious smear campaign that cost him everything: his freedom, his life savings, and the joy of being there to raise his little girl. If that wasn’t bad enough, a devastating stroke robbed him of physical strength and mental acuity, leaving him paralyzed in half of his body.
After the stroke, his wife disappeared with her lover and waged war on Lefty, separating him from the child he loved and sending him spiraling through the dark world of jail cells, courtrooms, parole officers, and a corrupt legal system that favors the lies and deception of a troubled woman over the innocent pleas of a battered husband. This is the story of his battle to survive while continuing the search for his beautiful daughter.
Lefty is not alone. We must now face the truth that sometimes the victim is male and the price he pays is the loss of his children. Men are rising up to wage their own battles to prove their innocence and establish their place in their children’s lives. The quest has bankrupted many who have nearly nothing to show for the money, time, and effort they expend as they are left with little to no rights to the child they love and a costly uphill criminal case to defend. But Lefty, like millions of others, continues to fight. This is a book about personal redemption, overcoming incredible odds, and speaking out to expose how a woman can frame a totally innocent and helpless man in her attempt to destroy his life.
