"An absurdist reference to her atypical 1970s upbringing, the title of Hayward's debut memoir suits her offbeat tale of preadolescence, when she lived according to the whims of her hippie mother, H'lane, moving from one West Coast commune to the next. Struggling to fit in despite denied holiday celebrations and sporadic attendance at school (H'lane considers them 'zoos run by the government to keep kids safe in cages'), Hayward's direct, borderline-juvenile voice chronicles in vibrant detail her puzzling misadventures with H'lane, her jealously and awe of friends with 'straight moms' and her eventual exile to New Mexico to live with her negligent dad. Amidst unnecessary hardship and borderline abusive parenting, Hayward's remembrances are surprisingly positive; she bears no ill will toward her parents, writing about them with remarkable honesty and respect. The zippy narrative is divided into short chapters and propelled by a somewhat disjointed chronology (young Hayward's sense of time is appropriately sketchy). Unfortunately, the narrative ends with Hayward's 13th birthday, leaving hinted-at future events ('I did not see H'lane again until I was twenty-one') unexplored, and readers unsatisfied. Hopefully, this solid memoir is just the first from Hayward." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Born in San Francisco just before the Summer of Love, Clane Hayward grew up on hippie communes throughout the west. Her poignantly funny, sometimes melancholy, and always riveting memoir recounts her extraordinary life up until her thirteenth birthday. School was a particularly happy event it meant a hot lunch and clothes that matched But Clane's mother warned her that schools are just zoos run by the government. From a world of complex relationships, uncertain rules and constant surprises, Clane forged a childhood, sometimes with, sometimes without her bong-puffing, Buddha-quoting, macrobiotic mother and her wild-haired, redneck father. The Hypocrisy of Disco is an honest, direct, and truly unforgettable tale, and a tribute to the resilience of youth.