The book Family by Micol Ostow has been on my must read list for nearly four years now. What originally attracted me to it was both that it was loosely about the Manson Family, and that it was a verse novel (meaning that I could have used it to create a poetry cutting for my Senior Forensics piece.) Needless to say, it didn’t work out. I didn’t end up actually ordering it in the mail until six months ago, and I didn’t even begin reading it until just a few weeks ago.
Frankly, although an enjoyable, quick read this book didn’t astound me. The poetry lover in me found the merit of this work to be lack luster. Although I am not an official Charles Manson historian, it seems to me that the only thing different from the story of the Manson Family and this fictional portrayal was names of the characters. It was accurate down from the ranch, to the Hollywood starlet, to Helter Skelter.
As a reader, I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Mel. But I have to wonder if maybe Ostow did this on purpose, in order to keep the readers disconnected from Mel’s heinous crimes and the sort of brainwashing she experienced from Henry (the cult leader.)
That being said, this was an enjoyable quick read. Ostow clearly did her research and I found it interesting to get the perspective of one of the girls on the tragic events; to better understand what could have possibly been going on in their lives that would have lead them down this path.
In short, am I glad that I read this book? Well, yes. Will I read it again? Probably not.
Overall I give this book 3 out of 5.
xoxo,
Holly
Ostow, Micol. Family. Egmont USA, 2013.
ISBN 9781606843932
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