For the most part, I don’t gravitate toward memoirs as my favorite genre to read. However, I was lured to this novel of Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollet instantly. I couldn’t imagine what his life must have been like growing up in a cult and the lasting effects on his life that could have remained. Therefore, I just had to find out more.
How his family came to the Church of Synanon is fascinating. At the beginning, his father was trying to get help at a drug rehabilitation center, which eventually evolved into the Church of Synanon. Mikel and his brother landed up basically separated from their parents in the cult’s group orphanage while their parents were assigned other jobs. Other women in the cult were the ones in charge of the children. Parents only rarely could see their children.
After a few years living this way, Mikel’s parents finally separated and left the cult. Mikel’s mother took the boys to Oregon to live. However, what happened in his young life left a mark that stayed with him into his adult life with experiences and a changed outlook that kept making me to turn the pages.
How his family came to the Church of Synanon is fascinating. At the beginning, his father was trying to get help at a drug rehabilitation center, which eventually evolved into the Church of Synanon. Mikel and his brother landed up basically separated from their parents in the cult’s group orphanage while their parents were assigned other jobs. Other women in the cult were the ones in charge of the children. Parents only rarely could see their children.
After a few years living this way, Mikel’s parents finally separated and left the cult. Mikel’s mother took the boys to Oregon to live. However, what happened in his young life left a mark that stayed with him into his adult life with experiences and a changed outlook that kept making me to turn the pages.