Kookooland
By
Gloria Norris
KooKooLand is Norris’s memoir of growing up in Manchester, daughter of Jimmy and Shirley. They were friends with the Piasecny family, whose patriarch, Hank, murdered his ex-wife and whose daughter, Susan, in turn murdered him years later. Norris got to know Susan again as an adult, and shares the story of this woman who successfully sued New. “KooKooLand is a truly original memoir, dealing with some pretty horrific things with deft humor and a big heart. Gloria Norris has a terrific voice, telling her story from. A very foul mouthed bullying father, a doormat mother and siblings are portrayed perfectly by the author who even manages to interject humor in her story. She is subjected to contains racial slurs, abuse, crime and derogatory name calling by her Greek father who is oblivious to his awful behavior 'because he is Greek and boss of the house'.
Monica Reads
By Monica Drahonovsky
“KooKooLand is a truly original memoir, dealing with some pretty horrific things with deft humor and a big heart. Gloria Norris has a terrific voice, telling her story from the point of view of the smart, brave kid she must have been.
Good day to you all!
Gloria Norris’s memoir captivates the reader by starting with details from her nine-year-old life in the projects of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Her startling memories detail a life that would bring most people to the brink of despair. Is Jimmy, her father, really a devil in disguise? Is Shirley, her mother, really a victim? Is her half-sister really a witness only? What part does the author play in this memoir? What part does her almost best-friend play? How does Hank Piasecny figure in this fiasco of a child’s life? You will find out when you read Kookooland.
This book is scary and filled with darkness. It is inspiring, full of sadness and intrigue. You will not be able to put this book down. You will hear the tale of two sisters, a mother and a father and a whole lot about Manchester’s soft underbelly of crime and power struggles from the 1960s to today.
How does one man, Hank Piasecny, get away with murdering his ex-wife and her male companion, messing up the lives of his two children and still get on with his own life after doing only a couple of years in New Hampshire State Hospital?
Evil is the backdrop of this memoir. How are Hank, Jimmy, Shirley, Virginia, Gloria, Susan and Terry all connected in this horrible medley of machinations? You must read this deeply personal memoir to find out.
If you live in New Hampshire or anywhere else for that matter, you will find this book intriguing and be awestruck by what happens. The survivors of this book come out looking a little bit like love-lost warriors. I’d love to say heroes, but there is only one hero in this book — the one who made it to Kookooland.
Read the book – WOW!
Kookooland
Monica Reads is InDepthNH.org’s latest column. It is written by Monica Drahonovsky who is known for her love of history and her lifelong love for reading. She has a bachelor’s degree in History, with a minor in English, along with teaching credentials. “My years of reading for leisure and pleasure have given me the insight to read a book and analyze the author’s baggage, cargo and ability to write the language of his/her mind and utilize the gift of prose to educate and entertain the reader. Go get a book, read it and enjoy the adventure.” Contact Monica at mawest@tds.net
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Kookooland Summary
Kookooland By Gloria Norris
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