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It's About Time
"It's About Time" is the compelling true story about a young boy growing up in the city of Compton, California in a broken home during the late 1950's and 60's. His mother was always in and out of the hospital, dealing with chronic sickness and his father was busy hustling, trying to make ends meet. He had very little guidance or supervision. His peers felt that getting into trouble with the law, being truant from school, getting high and running trains on girls was cool and he desperately wanted to fit in and be accepted. At fifteen years of age, he thought he was in love. He impregnated his girlfriend at sixteen and dropped out of high school. He got involved in a robbery spree with an associate and they were arrested and convicted. In and out of jail, testing fate with dangerous gangs, and selling hard drugs, he was eventually caught by the feds for selling heroin. Indicted and convicted, he was sentenced to five years in the federal penitentiary. While he was serving his time, his mother passed away and he was devastated. Miserable and deep in the depths of despair and hopelessness, his journey in life was at an all-time low. He knew there had to be a better way to live, but he didn't know how to find it.
200 pages, Paperback
Published June 29, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 1, 2026
It’s About Time is a deeply moving memoir that takes readers into the heart of Compton, California in the 1950s and ’60s, showing the realities of growing up in a broken home and a community where survival often came before guidance.
Mickey Bridges tells his story with raw honesty, recounting the challenges of an absent father, a chronically ill mother, peer pressure, early fatherhood, brushes with the law, and entanglement with gangs and drugs. What sets this book apart is the author’s unflinching willingness to examine both the mistakes and the moments of resilience that shaped him.
The narrative is compelling because it blends high stakes, emotional intensity, and vivid storytelling. Readers witness not only the trials of youth and incarceration but also the internal awakening that drives Bridges to seek a better path. The memoir offers insight into the social and personal forces that shape young lives in marginalized communities, making it resonate far beyond the author’s own experience.
It’s About Time is ultimately a story of endurance, reflection, and the pursuit of change. It will appeal to readers of memoirs, true crime, and personal transformation stories, providing an authentic and powerful window into a life shaped by both adversity and determination.
Mickey Bridges tells his story with raw honesty, recounting the challenges of an absent father, a chronically ill mother, peer pressure, early fatherhood, brushes with the law, and entanglement with gangs and drugs. What sets this book apart is the author’s unflinching willingness to examine both the mistakes and the moments of resilience that shaped him.
The narrative is compelling because it blends high stakes, emotional intensity, and vivid storytelling. Readers witness not only the trials of youth and incarceration but also the internal awakening that drives Bridges to seek a better path. The memoir offers insight into the social and personal forces that shape young lives in marginalized communities, making it resonate far beyond the author’s own experience.
It’s About Time is ultimately a story of endurance, reflection, and the pursuit of change. It will appeal to readers of memoirs, true crime, and personal transformation stories, providing an authentic and powerful window into a life shaped by both adversity and determination.
August 26, 2022
It’s About Time is a gripping true story that takes readers on a roller coaster of emotions from the turn of the first page. Mickey Bridges has written a riveting memoir detailing the life of a young boy that lived in Compton, California. We live through his experiences growing up as his family struggled to make ends meet. Mickey’s father was in and out of his life and when he was around he was not a good influence. Mickey’s mother did her best to work and take care of her children but she was always sick. With little parental guidance, and living in a rough neighborhood, Mickey is left to explore the streets on his own.
Readers follow Mickey as he grows up and starts experimenting with drugs, which then evolves into drug dealing. He falls in love and becomes a young father but he himself is in and out of jail. After his mother passes away while he is in prison he makes the life changing decision to be a better person.
This is a compelling coming-of-age story of sorts, following a young man who is provided little guidance and set loose on dangerous streets with few resources. This thought-provoking memoir sheds light on the realities of growing up in an unstable environment, surrounded by drugs and violence.
One of the things that I loved about this memoir is the amount of detail each encounter has, and the ability Mickey has to transport readers to that period in time. Mickey describes his emotions so vividly that you feel as if you are teleported to his past. Some examples include the desperation he felt to see his daughter during his incarceration to the extent that he ran away. That was heartbreaking, but I feel like I understood the situation so well that I felt as if I would have done the same thing if I was in his situation. Another vivid encounter is his setup in Gary by Nora, Tut’s girlfriend. I could visualize how terrified he was and yet, he managed to escape.
While I enjoyed this book I felt that the time jumps in the writing can be a bit confusing. Reading through his story, you sometimes forget that he was under twenty-five years old. The story takes leaps through time; one moment he’s sixteen and the next he’s nineteen years old and so much has changed. As a bonus, I was able to look him up and the album he mentioned in the book and I enjoyed every note from that saxophone!
It’s About Time is an illuminating and fascinating memoir. I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a raw but inspirational read, especially since the author was able to turn his life around for the better.
Readers follow Mickey as he grows up and starts experimenting with drugs, which then evolves into drug dealing. He falls in love and becomes a young father but he himself is in and out of jail. After his mother passes away while he is in prison he makes the life changing decision to be a better person.
This is a compelling coming-of-age story of sorts, following a young man who is provided little guidance and set loose on dangerous streets with few resources. This thought-provoking memoir sheds light on the realities of growing up in an unstable environment, surrounded by drugs and violence.
One of the things that I loved about this memoir is the amount of detail each encounter has, and the ability Mickey has to transport readers to that period in time. Mickey describes his emotions so vividly that you feel as if you are teleported to his past. Some examples include the desperation he felt to see his daughter during his incarceration to the extent that he ran away. That was heartbreaking, but I feel like I understood the situation so well that I felt as if I would have done the same thing if I was in his situation. Another vivid encounter is his setup in Gary by Nora, Tut’s girlfriend. I could visualize how terrified he was and yet, he managed to escape.
While I enjoyed this book I felt that the time jumps in the writing can be a bit confusing. Reading through his story, you sometimes forget that he was under twenty-five years old. The story takes leaps through time; one moment he’s sixteen and the next he’s nineteen years old and so much has changed. As a bonus, I was able to look him up and the album he mentioned in the book and I enjoyed every note from that saxophone!
It’s About Time is an illuminating and fascinating memoir. I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a raw but inspirational read, especially since the author was able to turn his life around for the better.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews