Jonathan Hirsch's memoir of his Hungarian born father who was controlling and then joined guru/spiritual leader Franklin Jones cult, forcing the young Jonathan, age 11, to quit basketball and become more of a follower with a nasty ultimatum I won't spoil for interested readers. His dad and he obviously always knew where the other was. Hirsch's sole happy memory recounted of their relationship was when his father and his longtime partner attended Jonathan's wedding. That cult does sound super-controlling as well. But, as I read this, it felt like it is all about a sad, sad situation where the child experienced his childhood as one of emotional abuse and neglect all the time. None of us were there. They were there. And it is interesting and kind that Hirsch decided, against his own financial and at times his emotional better interests to take care of his Dad when his just diagnosed dementia required him to stop living alone. He had to juggle his father's longtime partner's demands for better care with his father's needs and his pocketbook. What he suggests is that he wanted to figure out if he could have a relationship with his father. But by the time someone has dementia, relationships are shaky, whether or not you get the angry demented person or the soft kind.

From what I can tell, his father was so self-absorbed and selfish that this was never likely to happen, whether he was well or ill. This s a well written, heartfelt and heartbroken story of a son's view of his father. But I found it too overwhelming to take, the constant contrast between how negatively he feels about his dad, how much he regrets taking over his care and his general anger. This is not to say feelings are invalid or to judge Hirsh. I don't feel that sorry for the Dad. Hirsch made sure he was safe and cared for at all stages of his disease, which to me would be all he "owes" his father as a human being that has the means, just barely, to help his father. It just sounds like no one here is okay, ever. Everything, even the little book his dad wants to read is cause for resentment. Some could laugh at that but not as portrayed here.

I expected a difficult relationship, but I would not have read it if I'd known there would be no humor, no softness, no reflections on how the author did come through it all. It's okay, because Jonathan Hirsch's trauma has obviously left him mired in his own mental illness. But there is definitely no upside to reading this story other than the catharsis the author may have experienced in writing it.

I think Hirsch has an important story to tell, and would connect with a lot of people. My problem is I felt as if I was suppose to know his story already. I feel like I missed a lot because I haven't listen to his podcast. So were I could hear his emotions in his words, I couldn't feel it.

While background is important, I feel as though the author spent too much time explaining his own history rather than focusing on the topic of the book. We got almost no cult discussion other than to say his dad did cult adjacent activities. I found the discussion of his dad’s dementia much more interesting and I wish the author put in as much detail about the cult activity as he did the dementia.

The author shares with us his painful and emotional experience of growing up with a mentally ill father who never acknowledged or treated his issues and instead, along with his wife, got involved with multiple religious/cult/cult-like groups. These were not good places for anyone, let alone a young child. He left home at 18 to create his own life with little idea of what normal was, only what it wasn't. Years later he is called to step up and take care of his father, who has now been diagnosed with dementia. Most of the story is about having to take care of his mentally ill and unstable father, the difficulties of it while not under good circumstances. It’s emotional, insightful and gives us a look at what so many have to deal with. Definitely not an easy listen, but important. It was more like listening to a very long podcast than a traditional memoir.

Written by Jonathan Hirsch, "The Mind Is Burning" is the true story about being raised by parents who were involved with Franklin Jones, a spiritual leader. I have read a lot of books and watched a lot of documentaries about cults, so I did have a lot of expectations about this book.
Jonathan starts as a young boy, living with a father who seems to spend all of his time looking for spiritual guidance and smoking huge amounts of pot. It becomes very clear that his parents were ill-suited to raise a child, and while he does have food and clothing, it is clear he is emotionally neglected, and his parents do nothing to help him in life.
When they become with Franklin Jones, Jonathan is forced to give up basketball, something that brings him incredible joy, so his parents can move closer to Franklin to be his personal acupuncturist.
First, unless you have listened to Mr. Hirsch's podcast, which I hadn't, you should spend sometime looking up Franklin Jones, or Adi Da, and his cult.
Second, you hear so many horrific stories about cults, and this book is not one of them. He and his parents never lived on the actual grounds of the cult, they had a home and provided Mr. Jones a service. Eventually, he replaces them with someone else, and they left. No big drama, hiding away, fear, nothing like that. So, that part of the book was a letdown.
However, this is a very powerful book about a son becoming his fathers caretaker, a man who had never been there for his son. Thomas Hirsch was an Hungarian war refugee who survived a piece of shrapnel hitting him across the forehead. Years later, when he is dealing with dementia, you wonder if the head injury, or the incredible amount of pot contributed to the situation.
The struggle Jonathan goes through, running a very successful business, being married with children and then having to deal with a very demanding father and the father's girlfriend is very compelling and a great read.
I listened to the audio version of this book, read by the author. There is music, different sounds, actual recordings....it is very clear, very well read and I give the book 3 smiles.

The Mind is Burning is in short, an eight hour podcast. I didn't know this going into it as I don't know Jonathan Hirsch (I have a continuing habit of listening to memoirs from people I don't know a thing about but in that way it too suffers from assuming the reader knows at least something about the memoir-ist. At first I was like, "oh, okay, it's got a few audio cues, that's neat," but it was constant enough that it was just fully a podcast and not a book. Which is fine if you're here for that! A good amount of the early part of the book too talks about Hirsch's life and background despite the title and marketing pointing toward an accounting on his father (which he inexplicably calls Tomas throughout the book which is jarring honestly, as well as the way he sometimes lowers his voice to quote his father...... but then we have actual recordings of his father in here that sound very much the opposite of that).

Additionally, while Hirsch's father was involved with several spiritual gurus and his family went to live either on-grounds or close to on-grounds of a cult compound they were involved in, this book actually speaks very little to that -- it's much more of a background to Hirsch's family life rather than a deep dive into how his parents got involved with various spiritual gurus except for one single line near the end.

What's more interesting, and what doesn't appear until the the last part of the book, is Hirsch's father's descent into dementia, but also how horrible it is to try and get help for anyone who is cogent some days and not on others, and who would have it so much worse off if not for the wealth of his son being able to pay to house him in the care facilities he's spent the last years of his life. Hirsch is clear about his privilege to be able to do this, but doesn't really get into what life is like for those without the thousands of extra dollars a month.

Star rating is hard because when it starts actually focusing on Hirsch's father's dementia care, it's very good - but everything prior to that drags and could have been edited a lot more tightly. Also, since I almost exclusively listen to audiobooks while driving imagine me trying not to yell at my steering wheel during some absolutely abhorrent things the family had to experience near the end (of the book)!! Jail, jail for everyone (okay just one person really).

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio | Simon & Schuster Audio Originals for the ALC in exchange for review!

I will be releasing a blog post for this book on chronicallychaotic.com on June 12th.

This is from GoodReads and Fable:

I received an ARC Audiobook version of this book.

Jonathan Hirsch had a hell of a childhood. Parents who weren’t emotionally mature enough to actually parent. Who put their focus into the cult they were raising the family as part of. Jonathan was emotionally abused and manipulated by both parents. Used as a pawn to gaslight the other parent into doing what they want.

As he grows into an adult, his spiritual guru father is diagnosed with dementia and the story of loving unconditionally comes into play. Jonathan goes into everything with the hope that this will finally be the moment he connects with his father. The moment where he is seen. He’s forced into a caretaker role that he is unprepared for, at the turning point in the business he’s building. He has to not only determine the care for his father, who is becoming more difficult to deal with, but also with his mother who needs attention due to jealousy, and his father’s partner, who never expected to care for his father.

Jonathan touches on how fucked up our health care system is, especially for people with dementia. Dementia, unlike Alzheimer’s, isn’t easy to prove, as many of its symptoms are similar to typical aging. The rate at which dementia is occurring is increasing as well. His father is a war vet and he covers the lack of support veterans receive today after being promised so so much more. He even covers the predatory world of assisted living. All of this plays into his emotional state of grief, anger, loss, regret, and saying goodbye.

Definitely an interesting read. I deducted a star because many parts felt repetitive. I know he’s trying to drill in a point, but I feel like he does it excessively in some areas. Otherwise, it’s a wonderfully written book giving a look at a first hand experience with having to care for parents as they age while also trying to address the pain they caused in childhood.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me an audio ARC of this memoir by Jonathan Hirsch, narrated by the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Jonathan's upbringing wasn't normal; his parents were constantly chasing spiritual enlightenment and eventually got involved with Franklin, a cult leader. Jonathan left home the day he turned 18, but 20 years later was pulled back into his family when Thomas was diagnosed with dementia.

Jonathan Hirsch is a podcaster by trade, so this book is well done and included interview snippets with his father. While his family was involved in a cult and Jonathan had to deal with that growing up and it obviously shaped him and his relationship with his father, this book mostly centers around that relationship as they are both adults. Dealing with a parent with dementia now, I certainly related with the difficulties surrounding being responsible for a parent while still trying to have your own life. Add into that a bad relationship such as Hirsh had with his father, I cannot imagine how hard it was. We will all be faced with the question of just what exactly we owe our parents as they age, so this is a good reflection on that topic.

My Mind is Burning is set to release May 13, 2025 is a powerful story of Jonathan’s childhood and adulthood. Outright a shocking read.

Jonathan tells his story of a lifelong journey and dynamic relationship with his father who joined a cult and later had dementia. He tells of his relationship with his father and the dynamics there (or lack of).

This story was heartfelt and an eye opening read it made me gasp and want to cry at times. Generational trauma takes its toll again and Jonathan stands up again to make a better life for himself and his story. This story was relatable (at times) and a heart breaking read.

As normal the arise of these childhood stories and relationships come up often when one becomes a parent. To make progress and improve our own stories moving forward.

I love that this story was labeled a ‘stranger than fiction’ novel as it truly is hard to imagine!!

Thank you to Jonathan for writing this story and sharing these words. Truly great reading experience and I found the writing to be very good. The storyline made sense and easy to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for this audio book.

In The Mind is Burning, Jonathan Hirsch presents a searing and deeply personal memoir that confronts the emotional toll of growing up in the shadow of mental illness, family trauma, and the haunting influence of a cult. With unflinching honesty and a reflective tone, Hirsch recounts his turbulent relationship with his father, crafting a narrative that is as heart-wrenching as it is compelling.

The subject matter is undeniably difficult—touching on mental health, identity, and the lasting effects of psychological manipulation—but Hirsch’s voice is measured, compassionate, and profoundly human. His storytelling is vivid, and the emotional resonance of his experience is palpable on every page. Readers are not only drawn into his personal journey, but also asked to reflect on the complexities of familial love and the scars it can leave.

What sets this memoir apart is the unique context of Hirsch’s father’s involvement in a cult, a revelation that adds another layer of depth and urgency to an already powerful narrative. Rather than sensationalizing the experience, Hirsch approaches it with nuance, balancing introspection with clarity.

The Mind is Burning is a courageous and beautifully written memoir that lingers long after the final page—an intimate portrait of pain, resilience, and the long road to understanding.

3.5
First off, a big thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for the advanced listening copy of this audiobook. I went into The Mind is Burning as a blank slate—I didn’t know who Jonathan Hirsch was or the impact he’s had on the podcasting world (which I do love). That made discovering his voice—literally and narratively—even more compelling. This book gave me a behind-the-scenes look into the mind of someone whose work has shaped a medium I deeply enjoy.

Let’s clear something up—if you’re going into this expecting a deep dive into cults, that’s not what this book is really about. Hirsch has explored that terrain before. This story is more intimate. It’s about relationships—or maybe more accurately, the absence of them—and the lasting marks that loneliness and fractured connections leave behind.

At its heart, this is a deeply personal memoir of a man grappling with a lifetime of feeling unanchored. Hirsch shares his complicated relationship with his father—a relationship marked by distance, disappointment, and eventually role reversal, as he steps into the caregiver role his father never quite fulfilled. There are glimpses of warmth, like his connection with his grandmother, but overall it paints a portrait of a childhood shaped more by isolation than by meaningful bonds.

One line describes the experience as “losing my father to a cult and to dementia,” but that felt off to me. It’s hard to lose something you never really had. That sentence hit like a gut punch—not because it was profound, but because it exposed the hollowness of a connection that was never there to begin with. It’s one of the quiet heartbreaks that lingers long after the chapter ends.

It’s heavy. Like emotionally packed and then some kind of heavy. For me, it wasn’t an easy listen—not because it wasn’t good, but because it asked a lot emotionally. It’s not the kind of audiobook you throw on while folding laundry. It deserves your full attention, and if you're in the right headspace, it’ll reward that focus with a deeply human story. But be prepared—this one lingers.

The Mind Is Burning: Losing My Father to a Cult and Dementia by
Jonathan Hirsch
Audio Version
Overall Grade: B
Information: B-
Writing/Organization: B
Narration: C
Best Aspect: Interesting memoir that pulled me in early on.
Worst Aspect: I did not like when it cut to a podcast recording, it through the audio off and there were some slow sections.
Recommend: Yes.

The Mind Is Burning by Jonathon Hirsch is a gripping and atmospheric listen that blends introspection with a haunting sense of mystery. The narration is strong and keeps you emotionally engaged throughout the journey.

I enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it to anyone! I’d never listened to the authors podcast but I can see the podcast background shine through in the excellent production- weaving in audio clips, transitional music, and compelling narration. I found the story interesting and emotional at times. As someone with no personal exposure to dementia, I learned a little bit about caring for someone with it. Though I don’t personally have experience with familial dementia, traumatic immigration stories, or growing up in the type of cult the author describes the story felt very relatable for anyone with strained parental relationships and that struggle to seek love and reconcile never receiving it in the way you wished you did.

this memoir was so insightful and i enjoyed listening to his story. while the title is a little misleading he doesn't discuss the cult very much- it was still very interesting. Jonathan has a true talent for storytelling and keeping you engaged.

In this non-fictional book The Mind is Burning, author and narrator Jonathan Hirsch writes the story of his father. It is a complicated story, one involving him moving to the United States at a young age, being involved in different religious groups including ones that many consider to be a cult, and also dealing with drug dependency and later dementia. The author writes in a way that is very inviting and engaging to the reader, while also being respectful of his father, and all that he has dealt with in his life. This book features interviews Jonathan does with his dad, as well as voice mails, emails, and letters between Jonathan and various friends and family members. It is also poetic in some places, poetry being something that the author and his father has a shared affinity for.
I greatly enjoyed this book, and the way that it dealt with family relationships, mental health, and addiction, as well as having to deal with the aging of your parents. I recommend this book to any fans of the authors podcast (which I am excited to check out!) or anyone interested in family stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author/narrator, and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Hirsch is good at his job, and it shows in the intricate sound design of this audio-first production. Given that, though, I feel justified in rounding down a 4.5 to a 4 for the use of hyper-realistic ambulance sirens in the first chapter of the book. It feels like a rookie podcaster move instead of a choice made by a seasoned veteran who knows that tons of people are listening to their work in cars.

Other reviews have noted that this more about dementia than it is about cults, which is true, but also exactly what I expected given the title. "Dear Franklin Jones" was Hirsch's deep-dive into his time in cult-land. This was his deep-dive into being an adult care-taking their parent.

Care-taking is, by its nature, brutal and uneven, and Hirsch's background is episodic, so I forgave some of the timeline back-and-forths and more pedantic moments, but I really wish that the discussion of the sandwich generation had begun sooner.

I hope this gets all of the listens that it deserves.

ARC supplied by Netgalley.

It was interesting to find out that The Mind Is Burning was only being released in audio format — and honestly, it makes sense. The whole thing feels much more like a podcast than a traditional audiobook, especially as it goes on. Knowing Jonathan Hirsch’s background in podcasting, that choice fits, but it definitely shaped the experience of listening to it.

As for the content, the “cult” part of the title felt a little like bait. While it’s mentioned, it doesn’t really dive deep into that side of the story. Most of the focus is on the familial struggles, which, while emotional, weren’t quite gripping enough to fully hold my interest throughout. Overall, it’s a unique listen with some thoughtful moments, but it didn’t quite live up to the promise of its premise for me.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for the Audio ARC!

The Mind Is Burning is an interesting look at family dynamics, and specifically, what can occur when an aging parent needs full-time care from their child, especially when their relationship was previously quite rocky. A unique perspective, and a very compelling memoir.

I love a good memoir! This was even better when the narrator is the author, and he voice is excellent! This was very interesting, and also heartbreaking. Highly recommend the audio!