Normal Human Beings

Normal Human Beings is a memoir by Robert Fulford, written in collaboration with his wife, Amy Fulford, that examines the long reach of childhood trauma and the complex process of healing. The narrative moves between then and now — from Robert’s upbringing in suburban New Jersey to his experiences decades later at a wellness retreat in Costa Rica. As a child, he was raised in a household governed by control, perfection, and a insistence on “acting like normal human beings.” Beneath that command was a family dynamic marked by verbal and physical abuse, emotional manipulation, and the suppression of truth. As an adult, Robert begins to recognize how deeply those early patterns shaped his sense of self, his relationships, and his understanding of strength. The retreat in Costa Rica becomes the turning point — a setting where memory, reflection, and vulnerability collide, forcing him to confront what he has long buried. Written from the couple’s home in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Normal Human Beings explores themes of forgiveness, mental health, childhood trauma and recovery. It is not a story of blame but of accountability — a testament to the courage it takes to look backward in order to move forward, and to redefine what it truly means to be “normal.”