Jim Wahlberg’s book, The Big Hustle, is a frank, humble and painful account of a child’s journey through addiction and prison, to becoming a man transformed by faith. While you’re probably familiar with the surname Wahlberg — Jim is number five in the group of nine siblings that includes actors Mark, Donnie, and Robert, and chef, Paul — Jim has carved a different path that has now led him to write and produce impactful films to highlight issues related to addiction.
Wahlberg gives a raw description of his life on the streets growing up in Boston, his experience with addictions that started at the age of 8, and his desperate need to belong. Through the inspiration of a prison chaplain, Fr. Jim Fratus, attending Mass with St. Mother Teresa, and his wife’s devotion, Wahlberg discovered the beauty of his faith. That faith saved his life, saved his son’s life when he became an addict, and is now what he relies on to help save others.
This beautiful and harrowing story of a life that could have stayed off the rails is not only inspiring, but full of powerful life lessons for us all. To give you a little snapshot, here are just a few of those truths.
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