My Life in Orange - Softcover

Guest, Tim

3.5

2,512 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1862076324 ISBN 13: 9781862076327

Publisher: Granta Books, 2004

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In 1981 Tim Guest was taken by his mother to a commune in a small village in Suffolk. It was modelled on the teachings of the famous Indian "guru", Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, chaotic therapy and sexual freedom. Both were given Sanskrit names, dressed entirely in orange and instructed to completely abandon their former identities. Tim - or Yogesh, as he was now known - spent the rest of his childhood in Bhagwan's various communes in England, Oregon, Pune and Cologne. While his mother meditated, chanted and ran therapy groups, Yogesh lived a life of unsupervised freedom, occasionally catching glimpses of the strange behaviour of the adults around him. In 1985 the movement collapsed after Bhagwan's arrest and Yogesh was once again Tim, about to start life at a secondary school in North London, alone with the secret of his extraordinary childhood. In his first book, Guest describes the other-worldly experience of growing up in a environment of unsupervised freedom and often disturbing adult behaviour.

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Review:

' A sweet book...[creating] a shocking but affectionate image of the Orange people' -- Time Out

'Guest writes both touchingly and evocatively...an intriguing read’ -- Evening Standard

‘A book to make you thankful for your boring childhood’ -- Marie-Claire

‘A must-read, an extraordinary, harrowing, sometimes hilarious account' -- The Herald

‘Funny, gently ironic, closely observed, poignant and moving. Guest makes an astonishingly mature debut' -- Spectator

‘Guest’s story seems to encapsulate the essential weirdness, not only of his childhood, but also of the period...compelling and poignant’ -- Times Literary Supplement

‘Hilarious and heartbreaking, it says much for the human spirit...a beautiful written account’ -- Daily Mail

‘Tim’s Guest extraordinary account of his childhood is a survivor’s tale, poignant, funny and wise’ -- Sunday Times

From the Back Cover:

A hilarious account of growing up in a commune. --Irish Times
At the age of six, Tim Guest was taken by his mother to a commune modeled on the teachings of the notorious Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, chaotic therapy, and sexual freedom. Tim and his mother were given Sanskrit names, dressed entirely in orange, and encouraged to surrender themselves into their new family. While his mother worked tirelessly for the cause, Tim--or Yogesh, as he was now called--lived a life of well-meaning but woefully misguided neglect in various communes in Oregon, England, India, and Germany. When the movement finally collapsed amid allegations of mass poisonings, attempted murder, and tax evasion, Tim and his mother started a new life. In this poignant and funny memoir, Tim Guest chronicles his experience of being left alone on earth while his mother hunted heaven, and concludes with a heartening account of how they find each other again.
[Tim Guest s] wonderful account of a frankly ghastly childhood is hilarious and heartbreaking, and it says much for the resilience of the human spirit that he has grown up sound in mind and body without a trace of bitterness towards his mother. --Daily Mail (London)
"A unique, eloquent, child's eye view of growing up in a commune and the price paid for a parent's search for bliss. A complex and superbly told tale of longing and repair. Guest is a fine writer at the beginning, I think, of a distinguished career."--John Lahr
An extraordinary memoir. --The Sunday Telegraph (London)
Tim Guest writes for the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph. He lives in London.
A Harvest Original
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