The Boy in the Cellar cover art

The Boy in the Cellar

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Boy in the Cellar

By: Stephen Smith
Narrated by: Oliver J. Hembrough
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £13.78

Buy Now for £13.78

Stephen Smith is the boy who did not exist.

Born out of wedlock in the early 1960s, Steve's parents hid him away from the world by locking him in the cellar...for thirteen years.

Starved and beaten, the little boy's world was a darkened room that measured just eight feet by ten with a single makeshift bed, bare light bulb, and a solitary table. Steve would spend his days conjuring up an imaginary world full of monsters he would draw to try and block out the physical and mental torture inflicted on him by his brutal father. Apart from a few admissions to hospital as a result of his 'imprisonment', Steve remained in the coal cellar of the family home where he was deprived of daylight, his childhood, school, and human contact until he'd reached his teenage years.

Eventually, he escaped only to fall prey to the instigators of two of the worst cases of institutional abuse in the UK at Aston Hall hospital and St. William's Catholic School.

The Boy in the Cellar is a horrifying true story of torture and cruelty, that reveals a human's full capacity to fight for survival and search out happiness and hope.
Abuse Child Abuse Dysfunctional Families Dysfunctional Relationships Parenting & Families Relationships Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Inspiring Scary Funny Nonfiction True
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
narrated very well ..this is a must listen!! ..it's vile what this boy went through sickening to the core but come out one hell of a fighter 💪

A heart wrenching story !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Couldn't stop listening and hoping for a good outcome As a foster carer myself I found the way this boy was so let down by the system was heartbreaking.. He should be proud of how he has overcome the torture, and his life now. 👋👋 (don't want to elaborate and add spoilers)

Heartbreaking

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Couldn't put this book down. Shocking true story. Well written . enjoyed it. It draws you in .

Shocking but true an interesting read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A truly and shocking look into the life of a man who's childhood had been ruined by so many. I found this upsetting many times throughout this audible.

True and shocking

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

how one man can go through so much is just baffling. Gripping and traumatic at the same time.

eye opening read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews