Wild West Village by Lola Kirke 🎸✨

In this memoir that's not exactly a memoir, Lola Kirke’s features sharp, darkly funny, and deeply personal essays that’ll have you laughing one minute and reflecting the next. From growing up in the bohemian chaos of a West Village brownstone to finding her way as a “big city girl gone country,” Kirke lays it all bare with wit and a touch of irreverence.

Her stories are rich with eccentric characters—rock star dads, fashion-forward moms, and a house filled with artists, exiles, and more drama than an HBO series. The wild backdrop of her upbringing collides with her quest for identity, making for a rollercoaster read that’s equal parts heartfelt and hilariously self-deprecating. Additionally, there are pseudonyms and code names for celebrities in her circle or those she crossed paths with, but it's easy to deduce who each person is if you're a fan of celebrity culture, which I most certainly am.

Kirke’s voice is unapologetically authentic, whether she’s musing on family dysfunction, awkward adolescence, or her unexpected pivot to country music. This book captures the messy, beautiful process of growing up—and growing into yourself.

If you love memoirs that balance humor with raw honesty (think Bossypants meets a Wes Anderson film), Wild West Village deserves a spot on your shelf. It's a quirky, poignant gem that leaves you rooting for Lola all the way. 💫

Thank you to NetGalley, Lola Kirke, and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of this book.

I received this as a digital galley.

Wow- gotta love a nepo baby writing a memoir and leaning in REAL HARD into all of their privilege.

I enjoyed guessing all the other celebs talked about despite crappy pseuds or descriptions. The red-haired actress? Natasha Lyonne. The filmmaker/actor with the Manson memorabilia? Vincent Gallo. Not completely sure about it but think the 'actor famous since his teens' is possibly Ryan Gosling.