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Book Review of Hollywood Park: A Memoir

Hollywood Park: A Memoir
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 594 more book reviews


"Everyone I love is broken. That's how we recognize each other." - Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett

The origin story of this powerful memoir is stated in its final chapter: "Well, my father died and nothing made sense so I had to write it down so it could make sense again." Mikel Jollett was born while his parents lived in the Synanon cult in California, and experiences in his early years both during and after cult life impacted him, his parents, and his older brother for decades. Jollett shares it all with honesty and beautiful writing that lets the reader use all their senses to travel with him through his childhood and young adulthood.

I highly recommend experiencing this as an audiobook skillfully read by the author and featuring music by his band The Airborne Toxic Event specifically written to accompany the memoir. Thank you Mikel Jollett for sharing your story - may your future be filled with success and good people.