Taryn C. (TarynC) -
growing up in the Patty Hearst Era I found this fascinating. I think it was fairly written and gave me insight into the entire affair. Some of it was boring and I needed to skim but worth the time reading it. Patty was an extremely unlikeable person and I dont think the book in any way glorified her or her actions. Sadly she was pardoned for her crimes due to her family money and politics and lived her life in comfort and wealth.
Sharon G. (mustangsharon) reviewed American Heiress: The Wild, Strange Saga of Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army on + 84 more book reviews
I really enjoyed this book. Toobin did a fantastic job bringing together media accounts, court transcripts, interviews, personal accounts and anything else he could get his hands on. I was 13 when Patty was kidnapped. I remember seeing the 1st bank robbery footage on the 6:00 news. What I didn't remember was the social upheaval at the time, the hundreds of bombings that were happening, the general unrest. As I was comparing what I was reading to what is happening now, it was a real eye opener. Toobin did not insert his final conclusion, you get to have your own feelings about that. I very much enjoyed the background story to every major and minor player. That made it more than just an account of the facts. What was really fascinating was how many now famous people were part of the happenings, what Toobin didn't mention was the fact that Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead) is now married to Patty's daughter. I would strongly recommend this book.
