Thomas Zuniga’s New Book, "The Character of a Shoeshine Boy," Documents the Author’s Upbringing and Life Lessons Learned in Los Angeles’s Lincoln Height Neighborhood

Whittier, CA, November 18, 2025 --(PR.com)-- Fulton Books author Thomas Zuniga, a loving husband, father, and grandfather who served as captain from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department before retiring, has completed his most recent book, “The Character of a Shoeshine Boy: Lessons Learned On The Streets Of Los Angeles”: a poignant memoir that chronicles the author’s early life in Los Angeles, providing a look into the struggles and harsh realities of growing up in Los Angeles's Lincoln Heights neighborhood during that time.

In “The Character of a Shoeshine Boy,” author Thomas Zuniga reflects upon his childhood growing up in Los Angeles, California, where, as a nine year old with learning difficulties, he began shining shoes and hawking newspapers in 1963. On Saturdays, he carried his homemade shoeshine box bar to bar in Lincoln Heights, then walked to downtown Los Angeles. All the while, his household was on the brink of collapsing with parents fighting regularly.

“As an accomplished old man, I realized that my children and grandchildren will never know me or my immediate family without a written record of my past,” writes Zuniga. “I didn’t want to make the same mistake as my grandparents and parents by not leaving us a record of their lives to enjoy and cherish. My writing journey began as an informal record of my childhood but later developed into something more—a biography, a memoir, and some history within a story.”

Published by Fulton Books, Thomas Zuniga’s book will takes readers through the author’s adventurous shoeshine days in smoky, loud music bars where he is witness to an adult world of men and women drinking, arguing, and laughing. From wandering the streets to shine shoes to playing baseball at Downey Playground and working a paper route following his parents’s divorce, “The Character of a Shoeshine Boy” is an honest and candid look at the author’s upbringing, highlighting the lessons and experiences that shaped the rest of his life.

Readers who wish to experience this enlightening work can purchase “The Character of a Shoeshine Boy: Lessons Learned On The Streets Of Los Angeles” online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

Please direct all media inquiries to Author Support via email at support@fultonbooks.com or via telephone at 877-210-0816.