A review by babsaway14
Shot in the Heart by Mikal Gilmore

4.0

Second time I read this - the first being in college. Such a tough story - exhaustive in its exploration of a youngest son's truly, truly dysfunctional family. The second son, Gary, is put to death in Utah for killing 2 people. He is the subject of Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song (another great book). While that story allowed this memoir to be written, what happens prior to Gary's infamy is far more interesting - and devastating. It reads like a primer for what relentless abuse, from one generation to the next, will do to individuals. A fair amount of this book takes place in Portland in the 60s and 70s, and as I have lived here for years it added a layer of interest for me.