Howard Shulman

Despite appalling misfortune at 3 days old, Shulman manages to avoid debilitating self-pity as he survives the consequences to his life, his emotional make-up and his relationships.

I'm a little unsettled that part of his survival involved illegal activities and it seems acceptable in the story of his life. I'm amazed that part of his survival and growth as a person involved two good women he was initially drawn to solely by their looks.

These are just two of the aspects that made this memoir interesting at every turn. Shulman wrote of his situation, his drawbacks, his survival, his rage and his triumphs with a fine balance.… (més)

*Thank you to the author for giving me a free e-copy of this book to review!*

Actual Rating: 4.0

Wow. I just...wow. This story is absolutely inspiring.

Running from the Mirror captivated me from the very start, as it detailed the life of a young boy who experienced cruelty at the hands of his classmates because of his appearance.

This book completely revolutionized my perspective on what it feels like to be ostracized and judged for something you have no control over.

Beautiful, beautiful book. And the fact that it was real and that someone actually had to go through all this and STILL fought their way out is such an inspiration and display of strength. Amazing story.… (més)

There are many words that could describe Howard Shulman. Pity is not one of them. After reading this story of courage and survival I feel like there are so many lessons we could learn from him. This is an inspiring and uplifting story. Bullied, unloved by his parents, Howard proves to us that no matter what the obstacles or how unsurmountable they seem they can be conquered. There is always room for hope. This is a story that should be read by everyone. What problems I have seem so small compared to what he has endured. This is the way to end the year with a story that is definitely uplifting.

I received a copy to facilitate my review the opinions expressed here are my own.… (més)

Howard was born in to the world with all the promise and hope a new baby holds. But three days later, that was stolen from him and his parents when Howard contracted an infection that ate away half of his face. His parents abandoned him in the hospital; no one knows why. Maybe because they felt they couldn't care for him; maybe their hopes and dreams were shattered; maybe they were terrified of what the future would hold for a baby who only had half his face. Whatever the reason, Howard was now on his own. He became a ward of the state of New Jersey, taken care of by a doctor who did experimental procedures to rebuild his face. Howard had a foster family who loved him, but soon, Howard became too much for them; he was acting out at school and got kicked out of the school and his foster family. He was bullied because of his appearance, and felt he had no one in the world with whom he could connect. This book follows Howard's early life, telling about his early experiences in school and with his family, and then talks about his adulthood. But honestly, I didn't finish reading the book. I wasn't compelled by Howard's story enough to want to finish. The beginning grabbed my attention, but then it kind of dwindled. The part that made this story was unusual was the fact that Howard had an infection that disfigured his face, which then caused him trouble connecting with people. However, the way the story was told, it could have been about any kid who has been bulled for any reason; he talks about trying to hide scars and how people looked at him funny, but the part of the story which would have made this memoir stand out was not really brought out strongly enough, in my opinion.… (més)