Beaten, battered and subjected to terrifying psychological cruelty at the hands of his sadistic, alcoholic father, by the age of twelve Andy McQuade realized that he and his family had suffered enough. Afraid for the lives of himself and his mother and brothers, tortured by painful memories of years of domestic violence, and unable to run away with his family lest they were hunted down and killed, Andy decided there was only one thing he could do to guarantee their safety. So, late one night, the frightened boy took an axe and smashed it into his father's head.

Breaking the Chain is a brave, compelling and searingly honest tale of a damaged childhood torn apart by domestic abuse. It is a story of strength, tenacity and hope, of one person's sacrifice for the sake of his family, and of his resilient struggle to come to terms with the horrific secrets of his youth.