Tarell's story is one that couldn't have stayed hidden. He was both humbled in the sight of God through his innocence and abused in the blindness of many in their own ignorance. This story will evoke emotions ranging from sadness to joy, while making you laugh in between. In a world where movies and literature reign supreme, "Blind Innocence" offers a unique story that has yet to be portrayed, offering a refreshingly, new journey through the life of a troubled adolescent. Tarell is mentally challenged and has been through a lot in his young life, suffering abuse from both his biological mother and his adoptive mother, women in general, and society. Just when it appears as though things are finally starting to look up for Tarell, who after meeting his biological family, all hell breaks loose. What started out as a dream quickly becomes reality, and soon, it all turns out to be a nightmare.

Then he meets Debbie, a young girl who, among all the other women he came across, has a heart filled with compassion and sorrow after hearing his story. Debbie talks her mother into taking in the homeless Tarell, but more drama erupts when Debbie's mother, a conniving, Christian woman, uses his mental disability against him in order to pacify her insecurities, causing him to endure even more mental and emotional damage. But as they say, "What doesn't break you will only make you strong."

"Blind Innocence" shares a poignant glimpse into one man's life as he faces seemingly insurmountable odds and slowly tries to create a meaningful life.

After everything Tarell has been through, will he be broken, or arise, victorious and strong?

This book has been awarded with the Gold Seal of Literary Excellence. "A person diagnosed with EMR, (which stands for educable mentally retarded) has an IQ range of 50-70... learning will take them longer." Tarell Johnson is born on a summer day in 1984, to a mother addicted to crack and a father who does not want him. His grandmother attempts to care for him, but after repeated kidnappings by his birth-mother, he is finally taken by Child Welfare. He is adopted by a Ms. Thomas, a physically and emotionally abusive single mother who keeps him in clothing bought from Goodwill. Tarell's status as an "EMR" or person suffering from educable mental retardation becomes apparent, and before long he is sexually abused by a teacher who only wants to take advantage of him. At eighteen, the adoption agency informs him of his actual parents and his curiosity makes the vindictive Ms. Thomas kick him out. Tarell flees to New York where he sings on the subway for money. He is seduced by a series of women and even a man who only want to use him sexually for a short while before kicking him back on the streets. Eventually the young man is tricked into marriage by a 44-year-old 400 pound HIV-positive woman. Again, it is only for her own benefit, and Tarell finds himself out on the streets. It is not until Tarell finds Theresa, a Christian woman who helps young men in trouble, that Tarell finds true love and care. Theresa helps him mature and learn, until Tarell overcomes his disability and graduates from college, able to support himself. Spotlighting the plight of an educable mentally retarded child of a single, drug-addicted teenage mother, the author has provided a window into the world of mental disability and the concomitant poverty and abuse such a child can face. The theme of human depravity and aggression against the weak is made quite viscerally manifest. It is the author's contention that only a selfless and Christian dedication to the welfare of such individuals can lift them from a condition of dependence to one of self-sufficiency. Some irregular grammar may jar some reader's ears, but the characterizations and plot are gripping and realistic. - US Review of Books

Tarell's story is one that couldn't have stayed hidden. He was both humbled in the sight of God through his innocence and abused in the blindness of many in their own ignorance. This story will evoke emotions ranging from sadness to joy, while making you laugh in between. In a world where movies and literature reign supreme, "Blind Innocence" offers a unique story that has yet to be portrayed, offering a refreshingly, new journey through the life of a troubled adolescent. Tarell is mentally challenged and has been through a lot in his young life, suffering abuse from both his biological mother and his adoptive mother, women in general, and society. Just when it appears as though things are finally starting to look up for Tarell, who after meeting his biological family, all hell breaks loose. What started out as a dream quickly becomes reality, and soon, it all turns out to be a nightmare.

Then he meets Debbie, a young girl who, among all the other women he came across, has a heart filled with compassion and sorrow after hearing his story. Debbie talks her mother into taking in the homeless Tarell, but more drama erupts when Debbie's mother, a conniving, Christian woman, uses his mental disability against him in order to pacify her insecurities, causing him to endure even more mental and emotional damage. But as they say, "What doesn't break you will only make you strong."

"Blind Innocence" shares a poignant glimpse into one man's life as he faces seemingly insurmountable odds and slowly tries to create a meaningful life.

After everything Tarell has been through, will he be broken, or arise, victorious and strong?