Running from the Mirror
A Memoir
By Howard Shulman
Howard Shulman lost a good part of his face to a staph infection shortly after he was born, and his parents abandoned him. He became a ward of the state of New Jersey and spent his early childhood confined to a hospital. Years later, a veteran of the foster care system and a homeless dropout, Howard did what he had to do to turn his life around, ultimately becoming the owner of a thriving business. He currently lives in San Diego with his wife and two stepdaughters.
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First Horizon Legacy Nonfiction
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Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Short List
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2018 Montaigne Medal Finalist
'Compelling memoir ... [Running from the Mirror] provides a memorable reading experience, as well as an education' - US Review of Books
'Vivid and engrossing from start to finish. As much as Shulman is influenced by his physical appearance and his childhood traumas, he is also driven by an inner resolve to create a better life for himself.' - Midwest Book Review
As quickly as his face disappeared, so did his mother and father
Just three days after he was born, Howard Shulman contracted an infection that attacked his face, devouring his nose, lips, lower right eyelid, tear ducts, and palate. Abandoned at the hospital by his parents, he became a ward of New Jersey under the care of a state-employed surgeon who experimentally rebuilt his face.
Running from the Mirror is a poignant story of one man's struggle to survive against staggering odds and create a meaningful life for himself. With unapologetic candor, Howard gives an unflinching account of growing up a bullied outcast, with no family to officially call his own. Relying on little more than street smarts and grit, he rises from dishwasher to successful entrepreneur. Along the way, a European actress, a schoolteacher, and a fiery Latina help transform his life.
Filled with heart-wrenching suffering as well as soul-lifting joy, Running from the Mirror is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Additional Information:
Published 2015 (Sandra Jonas Publishing) - ISBN: 9780985581534 - 248 pages - Paperback
Rights: World