Running from the Mirror

A Memoir

Non-Fiction - Memoir
250 Pages
Reviewed on 12/03/2015
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Author Biography

Howard Shulman was born in Orange, New Jersey. After losing half his face to an infection as a newborn, he was abandoned by his parents and spent the first three years of his life in a hospital. The doctors, nurses, and orderlies were the only family he knew.

Howard ultimately overcame his tragic beginnings, going from dishwasher to successful entrepreneur, from loner to family man. He lives in San Diego with his wife and two stepdaughters.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite

Running from the Mirror by Howard Shulman is a memoir about Shulman’s life. When Shulman was just a newborn baby, he contracted a staph infection that ate his face off. His parents did not want to deal with a child that had so many health issues so they gave him up for adoption. This is his story about growing up different and looking for a place to belong.

I thought Running from the Mirror was an interesting story. At times I felt really sorry for Shulman and wanted to give him a giant hug. Other times I wanted to yell at him because he kept making mistakes and hurting the only people that seemed to care for him. Growing up a foster kid is hard, but growing up a foster kid that requires a lot of medical care is even harder. Shulman’s foster parents, Shirl and Ed, were great. They might not have been perfect but I have tremendous respect for them opening their home to a stranger.

I thought that this story was going to turn out a little different. I was not expecting Shulman to become a drug dealer. I am glad that he finally found happiness, but he walked a crooked road to get there. I can see this story being inspirational to some people. I liked the little follow up on all of Shulman’s friends at the end of the book. Reading Shulman’s words made me feel as if I too had known his friends personally. Overall, this was a good book.