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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In his memoir Livin' It, Michael Perzel grew up in Philadelphia, first in the Abbotsford Projects and then in Mayfair. When his parents separate as he turns eleven, he begins living with unusual autonomy. He starts earning money, spending nights outside the house, and relying on older boys and brothers in things that adults no longer manage for him. His mother, Susan, keeps working and holding the family together while Michael’s world shifts toward street expectations enforced by his peers and the police. His actions draw increasing attention and immediate consequences. By the time adolescence gives way to early adulthood, Michael is embedded in the same streets, living in a pattern that has him hurtling toward an irreversible turning point already forming long before it is recognized.
Michael Perzel’s memoir, Livin' It, traces a life shaped in Philadelphia with unsparing honesty. The writing is conversational, straightforward, and with a mix of humor and sober recollection. Perzel walks us through many moments, from a Maryland lake outing where a capsized canoe leaves him isolated in darkness, to the night he summons help after a younger acquaintance collapses from inhalants. These should make it clear on their own that Perzel's experiences are unique, but the hits keep on coming. Perzel describes his repeated police encounters that escalate to drawn weapons, and the turning point when he's standing before a judge as an adult, absorbing a warning that redirects his life choices. This is a memoir of redemption, and the best part is the reader knowing what he came from and being able to witness what he becomes. This is a memoir for lovers of comeback stories in urban America. Recommended.
