THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

Howard Dully’s memoir details the years of physical and mental abuse he suffered at the hands of his stepmother whose continued persistence of complaints against Howard convinced a doctor, Dr. Freeman, to perform a lobotomy on the twelve-year old child.  Howard’s father permitted the procedure.

 

Howard Dully, born in 1948, loses his mother after the birth of his second brother.  After the loss of his wife, and the victim of a stroke at twenty-seven years old, Rodney Dully involves himself with a woman who helps care for his three sons.

At first life proved good for the Dully’s but before long, Howard realized his new stepmother singled him out for punishment.

Howard Dully details the events of his life with his abusive stepmother, his uninvolved father, the medical procedures he endured and his long and difficult road to recovery.

 

A documentary film crew from England contacted Howard about his lobotomy as the film exposed Dr. Freeman’s work.   NPR produced a special on lobotomies and helped Howard procure his medical files from Dr. Freeman.  In 2008, Howard published his best-selling memoir.