This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
The Hipster’s Legacy is a vividly personal memoir by Lorraine Gibson Cohen, who blends memory, family history, and artistic reflection into a heartfelt portrait of mid-century life in Southern California. Told with humor and candor, the narrative centers on the author's return to Culper Court, a humble beachside community where eccentricity, music, and resilience define a family's legacy. The book begins with scenes of Cohen's failed attempt to build an independent life in Hollywood, only to return home when her mother is hospitalized. This unplanned homecoming sets the stage for intergenerational reconnections and the chaos of shared living. Cohen crafts a world brimming with character, rhythm, and compassion through her stories.
Lorraine Gibson Cohen captures the clutter and beauty of domestic spaces with a visual artist's sensitivity, painting scenes with words and accompanying photos infused with nostalgia. Literally and metaphorically, jazz infuses the memoir with structure and spontaneity. The musical references, glossary of jazz terms, and names of iconic performers tie the family’s bohemian lifestyle to a larger cultural moment. Through anecdotes involving her father, Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, the author bridges public fame and private struggle, showing how family life often unfolds in the shadows of artistic ambition. The Hipster’s Legacy offers depth, honesty, and plenty of charm for readers interested in memoirs that blend artistic self-reflection with social history or appreciate stories about unconventional families. It will especially appeal to fans of coming-of-age narratives, postwar Americana, and memoirs grounded in place and time. I highly recommend it.
