A poignant and compelling story of extreme child abuse, betrayal, adolescent trauma, and an early life spent in a never-ending flux of changing environments and survival. Born in the small town of Espanola, New Mexico—Robert had the furthest thing from a happy childhood. He lived with Lucinda, his mentally unstable and highly abusive mother, and his younger siblings. He also had another sister who was given up for adoption by his mother, resulting from his mother's profligate promiscuity with the several men that caught her fancy. Enduring his narcissistic mother's abuse and constant relocation for most of his childhood and early teenage years, Robert found comfort in the unconditional love of his grandmother and his Aunt Betty. Forced to deal with the fallout of his mother's frustration with life and her poor taste in men, Robert shielded himself from his rough childhood with alcohol, introduced to him at the age of five by one of his mother's several boyfriends. The alcohol turned into a habit and stay with him for forty more years! Disturbing yet captivating, Robert spares no detail, no matter how sordid, of his childhood and early teenage experiences—from youthful and sometimes life-threatening exuberance to juvenile romance that shaped his worldview on people and love. Profoundly personal and palpably raw, Asleep(Drifting) is a touching story about the resilience of a child's spirit in the face of extreme physical and mental abuse and highlights the power of personal agency and self-forgiveness on the road to recovery from childhood trauma. “ASLEEP ~ DRIFTING, Is an AMAZING true account of a son who is doing his best to survive his childhood. His so-called “Mother,” Lucinda, is cruel and brutal, to say the least. Such a GREAT read! Bravo to Robert Paul for giving us insight into his life.” –Kathie Kitagawa, Office Manager / Chiropractic Assistant “Robert Paul takes you through a journey that gives you a plethora of emotions. I was sad, scared, happy, and angry for him, and so on. His story pulls you in and has you living his experience right along with him. This book will stay with me for quite some time…. A must-read!” –Barbara Davies, Retired Retail Supervisor / 20 years “I’ve read this amazing book! I can’t wait to read the next two. This is an awesome story of a boy growing up in horrendous circumstances and a man who managed to put aside Everything that happened to him to reach his full potential. Truly an inspiring tale for today’s world.” –Elizabeth Ayers, Author of Historical Westerns and Contemporary Romance