“Upper Bohemia: A Memoir “”
By. Hayden Herrera

A captivating account of the author and her sister & their growing up years. The parents famous as writer and artists - very bohemian and with little care of parenting. The children were shuffled between the parents and friends and relatives. And, always surrounded by famous people.

Hayden’s account is both comical and heartbreaking, at times. Once the reader has begun this journey, they will not want to break away. till the story ends.

A very interesting snapshot of time. I loved seeing all the drama unfold right in front of me. Unfortunately I thought it kind of rambled a bit. 3 stars.

A fascinating memoir about growing up with "Upper Bohemian" parents in the 1940-50s. Herrera describes Upper Bohemian as those born into wealth/privilege that decide to live in unconventional ways. Hayden Herrera's parents were both artists and constantly in flux. Her parents constantly moved and married different partners multiple times during her childhood. This lead to Herrera and her older sister living in many homes in Massachusetts, New York, and Mexico with each parent and their partners. Instability was the only constant for Hayden and her sister, Blair. Their parents were more concerned with satisfying their desires and whims than being parents, which forced their children to learn independence early on. There was Herrera's parents grew up in worlds of wealth and privilege, so it's fascinating to hear the name dropping of those in their circles, including famous artists and families that built major American institutions. 'Upper Bohemia' reads like someone recounting their chaotic childhood at a party with artists. This didn't always work for me as some parts were a little disjointed and slow. Despite being pretty short, this took me a while to get through. Overall, a unique perspective recounting the fascinating experiences of a child of Upper Bohemians in the 1940-50s.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this ARC.

This was a compelling memoir. The author's account of being raised in a nomadic fashion by her upper bohemian parents held my attention. Her upbringing brings the reader to several parts of the world which include Cape Cod, NYC, Boston, Mexico, Vermont, Lake Placid and France. I felt the author of this book to be very brave. She didn't have a choice in having such a chaotic childhood; constantly being uprooted by one of her free-spirited, artistic, intellectual parents. However, there were many times she chose to look at life as an adventure. Even when she was abandoned by her mother and dropped off with complete strangers, she tried very hard to adapt and then thrive in each situation. I believe her relationship with her older sister, Blair is part of what saved her. For the most part, they experienced life and growing up together. Nature also brought her peace, particularly at Horseleech Pond. As a reader, I was fascinated by the fact that although the author was born in 1941 and I was born 20+ years later, we played many of the same games, had some of the same toys and experienced nature in a similar way. Herrera writes in a factual way about her experiences. She does not play the victim and she does not cast her parents as villains. Parts of her life were exciting and adventurous. However, the sense of abandonment she experienced well into adulthood seems to outweigh that. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #upperbohemia #netgalley #simonandschuster #haydenherrera #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook❤️📚

This is a unique memoir about the childhood of Hayden and her sister Blair. This goes through the parents multiple marriages, and what this is like as viewed through the sisters eyes.

This was an enjoyable read,

Upper Bohemia is a memoir detailing the childhood of Hayden Herrera and her sister, Blair. Born to artistic parents who were more concerned with their own pleasure than raising children, Hayden and Blair spent their youth traveling between various relatives, countries, and schools. While the girls were often sent away to boarding schools so their parents could focus on their various spouses and partners (each were married 5 times), Hayden doesn’t look back on her childhood with anger. The tone of this book reminds me a lot of Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle. Neither author is wrapped up in the emotion of a childhood plagued by unstable parents; instead, they both recall their upbringing in a manner that lets the reader make their own judgments.

Hayden’s life story is interesting, but I felt she spent too much time providing details into her family’s history that were not necessary for understanding the book or her experiences. In fact, it was a little rough to get through the first 3-4 chapters. After that, the book takes off in the best way. Hayden is very matter of fact in her writing, which I appreciate. The language isn’t flowery, but she does a wonderful job of providing just enough details of her life in Mexico to keep anyone unfamiliar with the culture along for the ride. The ending felt very abrupt, though. I didn’t realize I was on the last chapter, and had it not been for the postscript, the ending would have been very anticlimactic. The postscript is a nice touch that gives some insight into Hayden and Blair’s adult lives, but I didn’t feel satisfied with the last chapter of their childhood. Overall, this is a unique life story that is worth reading.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wonderful escape at a time when many of us are quarantined. Herrera's memoir describes a tumultuous childhood through what I found to be a relatively positive lens. Instead of focusing on the potential shortcomings of being shuttled between parents and constantly on the move, she instead chooses to highlight the experiences and how they shaped her into the woman she became. Herrera's descriptive writing style was transportive and enjoyable.

When I first read the synopsis I thought the time frame would be the 1960s. I was surprised it was actually the 1940s. Hayden's childhood was chaotic. Both parents had numerous partners and marriages. Both parents were self-absorbed and neglectful. I felt sorry for Hayden and her sister Blair. They had few stabilizing adults in their lives. Hayden connected with a pond at her father's place in New England that symbolized happiness and contentment. Her writing is interesting and her story fascinating. She squeezes in the rest of her life in an epilogue, but I think it would have been an equally interesting second memoir.

Upper Bohemia is a memoir based on the childhood of art historian Hayden Herrera.
Herrera is probably best known as the author of "Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo". The book was later adapted into the movie "Frida" produced by Salma Hayek, who also starred in the film.
Born in Boston in 1940, her wealthy artistic parents rejected all social convention of that era opting instead for a vagabond lifestyle. This book is an account of that lifestyle seen through a child's eyes.
Despite growing up shuffled between parents, relatives, schools and countries, Herrera managed to have quite an extraordinary childhood. She sums it up best by saying "Our terrible mother gave Blair and me a wonderful life"
While rich in detail, the narrative is very matter-of-fact. Herrera does not dwell on the emotional or negative aspects of her upbringing. Instead of placing blame, she chooses to focus on how she grew from the experience.
Though sad, and even shocking at some points, this engrossing memoir is also unexpectedly beautiful and uplifting.
*Thank you Simon & Schuster Publishing, Hayden Herrera and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.