In 1975, one year after Patty Hearst and her captors robbed Hibernia National Bank, a second kidnapping took place far from the glare of the headli...
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reviews
Mar 20, 2010
Kimberlee
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This book is about a girl growing with a mother who had schizophrenia. Apparently the laws then required the person to have cut themselves or someone to be committed. her mother kidnapped her and her older sister to live in their family's very old and run down summer cabin. She believed she was in a secret war and had to set up a field hospital for orphaned children who would be sent to her. She prepared the hospital, studied and made her daughter study medical stuff and practice night maneu
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Dec 01, 2008
Kressel
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Lest the title confuse you, let me clarify that this book is NOT about Patty Hearst, except insofar as the author identified with her. The book is the author's memoir of growing up with a schizophrenic mother. When the author was eight years old, her mother became possessed by the delusion that she was on a mission to set up a children's hospital for a secret war. The mother recruited the daughter into the mission, and because she was so young, it took her a few years to realize the whole thing
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Aug 02, 2009
Kess
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Found this quick read at the library on Friday and devoured it over the weekend. Although not the best book in history, it was a retreat from the heavier nonfictions I'm currently reading. It is a reality-inspired work of fiction. From a psychology point of view, it is interesting to see mental illness from a child's perspective as well as the toll mental illness takes on families. I only gave it three stars due to the fact that the book promised to focus on her view of "being kidnapped
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Jan 03, 2011
Rebecca
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I’m a little late on this book review, as I finished this a couple of weeks ago, but here goes. This book is set in the mid-1970s—just around the time that Patty Hearst was abducted—and centers on the author’s mother’s late-developing schizophrenia and attempt to set up a camp for a “secret army” of children to be trained.
This memoir is a fascinating portrayal of mental illness—schizophrenia—and the ways in which we are adopted into (sucked into) our parents’ issues and disabled lives More...
This memoir is a fascinating portrayal of mental illness—schizophrenia—and the ways in which we are adopted into (sucked into) our parents’ issues and disabled lives More...
Dec 30, 2007
In the spring of 1974, I was eight years old. Every morning I walked about a mile to school, through city neighborhoods and crossing three busy streets, including one six-lane highway. Every afternoon I walked back. Now, my mother and I just shake our heads at the folly of it. But it was a different world back then. A safer world where a little girl could walk to school without the fear of drugs, violence or being snatched by strangers.[return][return]In the spring of 1974, Virginia Holman was a
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Jan 07, 2009
Anastacia
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I didn't dislike this book at all, but from what I had heard I thought it was going to be more...more. An easy read on a difficult but interesting subject. Read in a day.
Note: Only giving two stars because, while I liked the book, it was just okay for me. I'm not sorry I read it and it wasn't a waste of time, but I probably won't remember it. There needs to be an option for no stars, in my opinion, because two stars makes it seem like this book seem like it was awful, but it wa
Note: Only giving two stars because, while I liked the book, it was just okay for me. I'm not sorry I read it and it wasn't a waste of time, but I probably won't remember it. There needs to be an option for no stars, in my opinion, because two stars makes it seem like this book seem like it was awful, but it wa
Feb 27, 2010
Lisa
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This easy to read book has nothing to do with Patty Hearst, so don't let the title fool you. This is the story of a family with a severely mentally ill mother told from the perspective of the daughter. It is somewhat reminiscent of The Glass Castle, but less compelling, shorter, and not as well written. The setting is Tidewater area of Virginia, which I found very interesting because I have lived in that area--although not in a cabin.
Nov 07, 2011
Kristen
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WOW. What an interesting experience, albeit eye opening. Virginia Holman reflects on her own mother's schizophrenic episodes and the effect they had on her and her younger sister, being kidnapped and raised under the delusion their mother built for her self and pulled her children into. i love Holman's reflections on the experience and use of her letters to her mother, this piece is a very heavy read, but a recommended one.
Jun 15, 2009
Matt
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Heard Catherine Keener reading excerpt on NPR and was sold, the memoir didn't have the same strange quality that the excerpt had, wherein the author's mother's schizophrenia forces her to take her kids (from their father) and seek hidden messages about how to prepare the family beach house to receive and care for the wounded children from a secret war.
Jul 31, 2011
In general I'm a supporter of the idea that everyone with even a medium interesting life should write a memoir—in theory—but this one, though well written and interesting in places, did not really build up to anything, petered out, and lacked the connection to pop-culture or Zeitgeist insanity that the title promised.
Jan 31, 2009
Tamira
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Not a bad book. More just the personal insight into a family where schizophrenia is allowed to run unchecked and no one is willing to do anything about it. Written from the child's perspective, when a parent has this illness, shows how confusing, conflicting and hard to deal with it is for everyone involved.
Apr 11, 2010
Jillayne
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Interesting. I'm glad she wrote about her childhood because it was traumatic. I hope it helped her understand it and I hop it helps me have more understanding of this sickness and a bit more empathy.
Dec 29, 2009
Jessica
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Fascinating story about a schizophrenic mother who kidnaps her daughters for three years and prepares them to fight against a "war" that never happens.
Apr 02, 2009
Liz
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Interesting book - but not about Patty Hearst at all, just in case you were confused about the title like I was..
Jul 16, 2009
Allison
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I was interested in seeing what this girl's life was like living with a schizophrenic mother, but it wasnt as dramatic as I had hoped. I finished it but it was no great shakes.
Jun 14, 2008
Erin
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Very interesting book by Holman, whose mother was schizophrenic. Focuses mainly on a three year period when Holman, her mother and her sister lived in a cabin in eastern Virginia, preparing for a "secret war". Holman's situation wasn't as bad as I had feared - she went to school, had friends and her father and other relatives were a constant presence. The book didn't try to explain the disease, but merely bore witness to Holman's upbringing. If you are interested in the subject, it
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Mar 18, 2010
malic
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I first heard a section of this book on This American Life, and wrote it down as a must read.
However, the book was pretty disappointing. Each chapter is a short vignette, which i found hard to follow. Not that the book was hard to read, just that a solid narrative never formed. Because the book also lacks deep insight on her childhood and her relationship with her mother, I never felt like I really understood what the family dynamics were like or how it felt for Virginia.
However, the book was pretty disappointing. Each chapter is a short vignette, which i found hard to follow. Not that the book was hard to read, just that a solid narrative never formed. Because the book also lacks deep insight on her childhood and her relationship with her mother, I never felt like I really understood what the family dynamics were like or how it felt for Virginia.
Jan 26, 2009
Joyce
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A pretty fast read...its amazing how resilient we are....this woman's mother was totally off her rocker...interesting story of growing up with a mad woman. Happy to loan to you if you want to read it.
Jul 08, 2009
Jane
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Ms. Holman writes of her life with her mother who has schizophrenia in Rescuing Patty Hearst. She presents a brutally honest and painful look into the effect of severe mental illness on her family. It is heartbreaking, yet true. An excellent book for any family member of someone with mental illness. Although Ms. Holman's story is more tragic than most, it captures the anger, pain, guilt, love, and compassion that a family member endures.
Sep 16, 2007
Jennifer
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An amazing and striking biography about a girl raised by a schizophrenic mother. One of my favorite lines come from after one of her mother's episodes where their father takes the two daughters out of the house to somewhere safe. He says to them, "Girl, if you're going to get sick, get cancer, okay? At least you die." Wow. Powerful stuff. Not an uplifing book but totally powerful!
Mar 14, 2008
Elizabeth
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A true account of growing up with a schizophrenic mother. This book is a quick read because of Holman's ability to write so well. The chapters a brief, but she cpatures the mania well. Holman was eight when her mother's illness first reared its ugly head and it only got worse as the years went on. She grapples with feelings of hatred and sadness towards her mother.
Mar 25, 2008
Wendy
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You know how they say that truth is stranger than fiction? This is a testament to that. Schizophrenia is a debilitating disease and my heart goes out to Virginia Holman who had to try and make sense of having a mother afflicted with it and on top of that deal with it at the age of 8. And without her mother getting treatment. Compelling and eye-opening.
Sep 17, 2008
Dagmar
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personal account of growing up with an undiagnosed schizophrenic mother. Very specific memory scenes, developing through childhood until the author saves herself, her father and sister. Probably helpful for a lot of people out there, since psychiatry has been abolished in this country.
Dec 31, 2007
Scott
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I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. Mainly I wondered why Holman simply didn't write this as a novel instead of a memoir? As I read it I kept thinking that much of the literary detail had to have been made up. Memoirs are always a type of fiction.
Jun 22, 2008
Cynthia
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Innovative writing. Extremely person, of course, but as a book, it's much more than simple autobiography. Heart-wrenching too. A young friend of mine wrote an honor's thesis on it; well-worth her time and analysis. Worth anyone's time to read.
Oct 05, 2007
Heather
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I thought this was going to be more about her mom's schizophrenia but instead it was about how she dealt with her mom's illness. I was kind of disappointed, it wasn't as good as I thought it would be.
Jun 08, 2007
Jennifer
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It is a true story written by a woman whose mother suffered from schizophrenia. She tries to understand how it was that no one tried to stop the madness that surrounded her childhood.
