Official Review: Running from the Mirror by Howard Shulman
Posted: 31 Mar 2016, 11:26
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Running from the Mirror" by Howard Shulman.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Running from the Mirror: A Memoir by Howard Shulman is about a man trying to overcome challenging obstacles and develop a meaningful life. Inspired by the works of fellow authors, Shulman was encouraged to record his life in the form of this inspiring novel.
A few days after his birth, Howard Shulman obtained a staph infection that ate away half of his face. Once realizing this, Howard's parents abandoned him at the hospital and left the responsibility of raising him to the state of New Jersey. Howard spent the first three years of his life at the hospital, enduring surgery after surgery. As a toddler, the Mackeys took Howard in as their foster child, and he began to feel some normalcy. The ever reticent Ed and the loving Shirl helped Howard as much as they could throughout his tiring life.
When Howard finally began school and after yet another surgery in attempt to reconstruct his face, he was ridiculed day after day by his peers due to his abnormal facial features. In correlation to this, success at school became more arduous as the bullying and teasing continued. Needless to say, Howard also struggled with self-confidence. Entering adulthood, Howard felt lost and lacked motivation. With the help of some inspiring and heartfelt people, Howard finally has found his way in life.
However, after all he's been through, his birth parents still come to mind. Will he ever be satisfied in never knowing what happened to his biological family? Will he ever get the answers he deserves explaining why he was abandoned as a newborn?
Howard's flawless writing helped to vividly convey his emotional roller-coaster life. When reading about his childhood, I couldn't help but feel so distraught for this poor boy. However, at the same token, reading about how his life was turned around made the book more uplifting.
Not giving too much away, but at one point while reading this memoir I found it difficult to find the connection between the main focus of the book and a particular time during his life. However, being a bit disheveled and confused in the novel reflects what Howard went through in reality. Reflecting this way helped me appreciate his maturity and ability to overcome this life struggle.
There are several aspects of this memoir that I could express my appreciation of Mr. Shulman sharing his personal story, but I will leave with one last thought. Due to his facial issues, the state of New Jersey and his foster family placed him a special needs program (down in the basement of a school). However, as time went on, people learned that the infection that damaged his appearance did not, on the other hand, damage his intelligence. Therefore, he was placed in a more typical educational setting. So many of us are quick to judge that we forgot it's not about what you look like on the outside, it's about who you are in the inside that counts. Shulman proves just that throughout the length of his memoir.
I rate Running from the Mirror: A Memoir 4 out of 4 stars due to Shulman's ability to capture such emotion, sincerity and maturity in his writing. I would highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy inspirational reads and need a little reminder to appreciate what you have in your life.
******
Running from the Mirror
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Running from the Mirror: A Memoir by Howard Shulman is about a man trying to overcome challenging obstacles and develop a meaningful life. Inspired by the works of fellow authors, Shulman was encouraged to record his life in the form of this inspiring novel.
A few days after his birth, Howard Shulman obtained a staph infection that ate away half of his face. Once realizing this, Howard's parents abandoned him at the hospital and left the responsibility of raising him to the state of New Jersey. Howard spent the first three years of his life at the hospital, enduring surgery after surgery. As a toddler, the Mackeys took Howard in as their foster child, and he began to feel some normalcy. The ever reticent Ed and the loving Shirl helped Howard as much as they could throughout his tiring life.
When Howard finally began school and after yet another surgery in attempt to reconstruct his face, he was ridiculed day after day by his peers due to his abnormal facial features. In correlation to this, success at school became more arduous as the bullying and teasing continued. Needless to say, Howard also struggled with self-confidence. Entering adulthood, Howard felt lost and lacked motivation. With the help of some inspiring and heartfelt people, Howard finally has found his way in life.
However, after all he's been through, his birth parents still come to mind. Will he ever be satisfied in never knowing what happened to his biological family? Will he ever get the answers he deserves explaining why he was abandoned as a newborn?
Howard's flawless writing helped to vividly convey his emotional roller-coaster life. When reading about his childhood, I couldn't help but feel so distraught for this poor boy. However, at the same token, reading about how his life was turned around made the book more uplifting.
Not giving too much away, but at one point while reading this memoir I found it difficult to find the connection between the main focus of the book and a particular time during his life. However, being a bit disheveled and confused in the novel reflects what Howard went through in reality. Reflecting this way helped me appreciate his maturity and ability to overcome this life struggle.
There are several aspects of this memoir that I could express my appreciation of Mr. Shulman sharing his personal story, but I will leave with one last thought. Due to his facial issues, the state of New Jersey and his foster family placed him a special needs program (down in the basement of a school). However, as time went on, people learned that the infection that damaged his appearance did not, on the other hand, damage his intelligence. Therefore, he was placed in a more typical educational setting. So many of us are quick to judge that we forgot it's not about what you look like on the outside, it's about who you are in the inside that counts. Shulman proves just that throughout the length of his memoir.
I rate Running from the Mirror: A Memoir 4 out of 4 stars due to Shulman's ability to capture such emotion, sincerity and maturity in his writing. I would highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy inspirational reads and need a little reminder to appreciate what you have in your life.
******
Running from the Mirror
View: on Bookshelves
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