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Title: Snow Blind
Author: Douglas Kalajian
ISBN: 0966788389
Description:
Cocaine's rampage through America's cities is well documented, but a new book by a Florida newsman offers a rare and chilling look at the drug's power over the human soul. Snow Blind by Douglas Kalajian is the true story of an idealistic young lawyer who became addicted to cocaine and found himself swept up in the drug wars that ravaged South Florida in the 1980s.
Howard Finkelstein was a pony-tailed public defender from Fort Lauderdale who made every case a cause. He was witty and charming, especially to a generation of journalists inspired as much by Woodstock as Watergate. He became as much a staple of local news as hurricanes and carjacked tourists, celebrated for his rousing defense of people who were swept aside along with the old beach bars and seashell shacks. But the reporters who glorified Howard missed the bigger story, when he stopped fighting for the poor and started fighting himself. They didn't start paying attention again until Howard stopped fighting altogether -- when he nearly died. They missed the story because what happened to Howard was happening to so many people everywhere it didn't seem unusual.
In South Florida in the early 1980s, getting hooked on cocaine was like getting hooked on bowling: not everyone did, but everyone knew someone who did. You didn't stop inviting these people to your house, even if they made you a little nervous every time they went into the bathroom. But in time, as it did to so many others, cocaine transformed Howard from an admirably decent and generous man into a self-absorbed, self-destructive wreck. The defender became a defendant, facing a long prison term. He came as close to utter ruin as any human can. So did his wife. This is also her story, and the story of many others like her. Snow Blind follows Howard and his wife through an overwhelming challenge. It isn't just about recovery from addiction; it's about recovery of the human spirit. Howard became a better man, a better husband and a loving father because he rediscovered his purpose in life. Howard didn't see himself as a man whose life was ruined by cocaine. Instead, he saw himself as a man who ruined his own life and took cocaine to pretend he hadn't -- a man who came to care too much about foolish pleasures and about himself. The proof of his ruination wasn't a lost job or a lost home but his lost ideals. The proof of his redemption would lie in what he could do for others. As long as he held on to that purpose, he had nothing to fear from cocaine -- and, as Snow Blind shows, he was determined to hold on with all his might.
The book follows Finkelstein's early rise as a champion of the poor,
his plunge into addiction and the arrest that left him facing prison
and professional ruin. An inspiring story of redemption, Snow Blind
follows Finkelstein as he recovers his health and his spirit. Today, he
is again a public defender as well as a popular consumer advocate and
Miami television per-sonality. Kalajian tells the story in riveting
detail against a vivid backdrop of the cocaine wars that rav-aged the
region in the 1980s. He makes use of first-hand expertise earned as a
long-time South Florida reporter and editor. Kalajian is currently a
feature writer for The Palm Beach Post and lives in Boca Raton, Florida.
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Highlights:
The people close to Howard:
Donna Chase: The college classmate Howard married
Maury Finkelstein: Howard's father
Andy Mavrides: Howard's teacher and role model
Ed Stack: The sheriff Howard battled
Judy Stern: The friend and secretary who tried to save Howard
Kelly: The young love Howard hurt
Alan Schreiber: The public defender who gave Howard a second chance
Roger Stark: The drug dealer who haunted Howard
Harry Gulkin: The judge-turned-lawyer who came to Howard's rescue Howard's path
Chapter summaries:
Chapter One: Two men on trial, looking back to the beginning
Chapter Two: In the belly of the '60s, the origin of Howard's ideals
Chapter Three: Zen in the '70s, a time when nothing could go wrong
Chapter Four: The eyes of truth, when Howard turns away and gets lost
Chapter Five: Into the '80s, alone, as Howard turns inward from fear
Chapter Six: A leader lost, the danger of being a follower
Chapter Seven: Fire in the night, the violence all around closes in
Chapter Eight: Settling accounts, a close call with the mob
Chapter Nine: Losing his balance, the addiction becomes harder to hide
Chapter Ten: Sharing the blame, Donna is drawn into his sickness
Chapter Eleven: First poison, then suicide: Donna's hope evaporates
Chapter Twelve: Killing Howard, Donna strikes back
Chapter Thirteen: A jury that won't listen, friends insist Howard face the truth
Chapter Fourteen: Learning to live, Howard finally gives up
Chapter Fifteen: One last lesson, Howard gets the advice he needs
Chapter Sixteen: The verdict, Howard passes a crucial test
Chapter Seventeen: A gladiator once more, Howard wins again in court
Chapter Eighteen: Sense in the '90s, Howard learns to live with the past
Chapter Nineteen: Only human, Howard accepts his limits
Chapter Twenty: Two familiar voices, Howard begins to earn his second chance
