Author:Oran Canfield
Whether he was performing the circus as a reluctant child juggler, living in a punk rock commune or staying with a coke-addled cop in Mexico on a school exchange program, Oran Canfield never had a 'normal' childhood.
After being abandoned as a baby by his motivational guru father (Jack Canfield, author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books) Oran spent time with a succession of friends, relatives, teachers, commune dwellers, socialist rebels and circus clowns. But Oran's life only truly entered freefall when he became addicted to heroin at the age of twenty-three. His parents are again united in their desire to make him quit, but Oran is convinced that he is beyond all help ...
Freefall is Oran's remarkably honest, often hilarious and compulsively readable memoir, which shows that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to start living life fully, and for yourself.
Humorous ... devoid of self-pity ... entertaining
—— GuardianCanfield tells a tough life with the rueful recall and black good humour of a survivor now happy with himself
—— The TimesFar more entertaining than your average heroin memoir
—— Independent on SundayMax is remarkable because of the courage and tenacity he shows, despite the challenges he has had to face
—— TelegraphTo know Max is to be capsized by his intelligence and by his mature sense of self; and he knows who he is
—— Richard Eyre, Director of 'Notes on a Scandal'Working with Max was a lovely and funny time - if only I hadn't introduced tickling!
—— Bill Nighy