I Still Can't Fly: Confessions of a Lifelong Troublemaker
Author: Kevin John Carroll
Synopsis: On his first day of Catholic school, six-year old Kevin Carroll endured Sister Mary Monster's first smack in the head for cracking a joke. Ten agonizing years of corporal punishment in the Christian behavior modification program failed to suppress his rebellious spirit. After ten years of escapades and escapes, he completed the eighth grade and left school to find work, and at age sixteen he met and married Ellen, the love of his life. The first time Kevin tried heroin he was sure he'd never wind up a strung-out junkie. Six months later he did indeed become a heroin addict, and for twenty-seven years he haunted the darkest, most dangerous streets of Harlem and the South Bronx to support his habit. He worked for the NY City Sanitation Department, always in trouble, always talking his way out of a termination, until yet another arrest for drug possession threatened his career and his pension. Going away to a three-month drug rehabilitation program, Kevin began to write about his life. It was cathartic. It was healing. When he finally breathed the fresh air of a life without drugs for the first time in his adult life, his loving wife Ellen had the biggest smile. Now twenty-three years clean, his hilarious, harrowing and heartwarming story will captivate readers and give hope to anyone who has been mistreated and believes there is no hope.
Also available on:
eBay
AbeBooks
Author: Kevin John Carroll
Synopsis: On his first day of Catholic school, six-year old Kevin Carroll endured Sister Mary Monster's first smack in the head for cracking a joke. Ten agonizing years of corporal punishment in the Christian behavior modification program failed to suppress his rebellious spirit. After ten years of escapades and escapes, he completed the eighth grade and left school to find work, and at age sixteen he met and married Ellen, the love of his life. The first time Kevin tried heroin he was sure he'd never wind up a strung-out junkie. Six months later he did indeed become a heroin addict, and for twenty-seven years he haunted the darkest, most dangerous streets of Harlem and the South Bronx to support his habit. He worked for the NY City Sanitation Department, always in trouble, always talking his way out of a termination, until yet another arrest for drug possession threatened his career and his pension. Going away to a three-month drug rehabilitation program, Kevin began to write about his life. It was cathartic. It was healing. When he finally breathed the fresh air of a life without drugs for the first time in his adult life, his loving wife Ellen had the biggest smile. Now twenty-three years clean, his hilarious, harrowing and heartwarming story will captivate readers and give hope to anyone who has been mistreated and believes there is no hope.
Also available on:
eBay
AbeBooks
Author: Kevin John Carroll
Synopsis: On his first day of Catholic school, six-year old Kevin Carroll endured Sister Mary Monster's first smack in the head for cracking a joke. Ten agonizing years of corporal punishment in the Christian behavior modification program failed to suppress his rebellious spirit. After ten years of escapades and escapes, he completed the eighth grade and left school to find work, and at age sixteen he met and married Ellen, the love of his life. The first time Kevin tried heroin he was sure he'd never wind up a strung-out junkie. Six months later he did indeed become a heroin addict, and for twenty-seven years he haunted the darkest, most dangerous streets of Harlem and the South Bronx to support his habit. He worked for the NY City Sanitation Department, always in trouble, always talking his way out of a termination, until yet another arrest for drug possession threatened his career and his pension. Going away to a three-month drug rehabilitation program, Kevin began to write about his life. It was cathartic. It was healing. When he finally breathed the fresh air of a life without drugs for the first time in his adult life, his loving wife Ellen had the biggest smile. Now twenty-three years clean, his hilarious, harrowing and heartwarming story will captivate readers and give hope to anyone who has been mistreated and believes there is no hope.
Also available on:
eBay
AbeBooks
Product details
Publisher : Hard Ball Press (October 8, 2018)
Language : English
Hardcover : 402 pages
ISBN-10 : 1732808899
ISBN-13 : 978-1732808898
Item Weight : 1.42 pounds
Dimensions : 5.5 x 1.06 x 8.5 inches
“A truly remarkable, engrossing story of someone with an unconventional thought process that led him down a horrific path of self destruction from which he was able to survive, finally overcome and eventually lead a normal, happy and productive life.
As an overactive and defiant boy, Kevin Carroll did not fit in with his rigid Catholic School upbringing, where he was totally misunderstood and often received the severe and sadistic disciplinary measures that were used there. Rather than break his rebellious spirit, it was strengthened, which led to much greater trouble as an adult. That trouble was a full blown drug addiction. Most of us have a difficult, if impossible time realizing the horrors of what heroin addiction entails, and it’s that story which encompasses the second half of the book which Kevin Carroll tells in very explicit, graphic and honest detail, using a remarkable sense of humor to help the reader get through some of the very dark times he describes. Throughout his 27 years as a heroin addict, Kevin managed to hold a job with the Sanitation Department of NYC, which enabled him to support his loving wife and two young sons by means of his incredible perseverance, amazing resourcefulness, lots of luck with perhaps some Divine intervention, along with the devotion to his family.”
“I find it hard to believe it was authored by a recovering heroin addict. Skepticism aside, l couldn’t put this book down. I read it in one day and read it again a few days later. One of the better books I’ve read in on long time. Totally engrossing. While reading it, l kept thinking the author should try his hand at a screen play. It would make a great movie.”
“I found this to be a well written gritty memoir of a young guy coming of age during the turbulent 60s. It is written with humor, and honesty while depicting growing up in a middle income housing project in The Bronx. The role of the Catholic Church and school, played a critical part in shaping the author’s life. The nuns were clearly the leading characters in the author’s least favorite childhood memories. But age we must, and trouble followed him with far greater consequences. He writes graphically of his descent into addiction and describes behaviors necessary to feed his demon daily. Consequences mounted until he was out of options. I found this part of the author’s story difficult to read at times. Reading this book brought me back to simpler, yet challenging times. Throughout the book Kevin Carroll shows a creative side to his never ending insane approach to life. I enjoyed this reading very much.”
“If the truth will set you free then Kevin Carroll is a free man. This is an honest, sad, uplifting journey that will make you laugh, cringe, wonder and hope. With a great imagination, fearless perseverance, a little luck and maybe some Divine Intervention Kevin makes it through and we are all the better for it. Great read!”
“Highly recommended for those who believe in hope and redemption... truly inspiring story of how bad things can happen to good people and how the human spirit can prevail. Overcoming heroin addiction is one of the great struggles of our time. A true accomplishment”
“Overcoming heroin addiction is one of the great struggles of our time...a true accomplishment. It’s hard to pin down a simple way to describe this book. It will make you laugh, make you cry, and definitely make you wonder. I enjoyed all of those!”