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Wild West Village: Not a Memoir—Unless I Win an Oscar, Die Tragically, or Score a Country #1
In this darkly humorous memoir-in-essays, singer-songwriter Lola Kirke untangles an extraordinary upbringing in a family of eccentric, messy artists and how a girl from the big city went a little bit country.
Born into a dynastic creative family, Lola Kirke grew up around people who maintained glamorous veneers while turbulence rocked their inner worlds. The youngest daughter of a British rock star and socialite designer, Lola and her siblings (including actress Jemima and celebrity doula Domino), spent their childhoods in a sprawling West Village brownstone, which, thanks to the eclectic stylings of its matriarch, became the talk of the City, and was visited by the likes of Courtney Love and David Bowie. But behind the enviable exterior of wealth and coolness, was a family in disarray.
Her parents’ marriage was characterized by addiction and affairs. Her sisters’ youths marked by their own stints in rehab, and oriented around a relentless pursuit of beauty idealized by their mother. To make sense of all the madness, young Lola turned to chocolate, masturbation, marijuana, and last but not least, the distant sounds of country music, where singers like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Gram Parsons helped her see that the worst things in life are fine if you can make them rhyme. That women can be complicated. And that men sometimes beg for forgiveness.
But before heading south to make music herself, Lola went west to Los Angeles, landing with a career-launching role in Gone Girl that led to starring alongside Greta Gerwig in Mistress America and Gael Garcia Bernal for four seasons on the Golden Globe–winning Mozart in the Jungle. But increasingly dubious of an artistic life lived in only one lane, Lola eventually left LA for Nashville, reconciling the future she was building with the chaotic past she was recalling by writing her own country songs. After a lifetime of trying to fit in with her family and stand out in the world, she finally realized what she really needed was just to be herself—contradictions and all.
Darkly funny, high spirited, and just a little bit country, this is the story of a young woman trying to be someone else while secretly learning to become herself, as well as the story of a family that, in Lola’s own words, puts the “fun” in dysfunctional.
Born into a dynastic creative family, Lola Kirke grew up around people who maintained glamorous veneers while turbulence rocked their inner worlds. The youngest daughter of a British rock star and socialite designer, Lola and her siblings (including actress Jemima and celebrity doula Domino), spent their childhoods in a sprawling West Village brownstone, which, thanks to the eclectic stylings of its matriarch, became the talk of the City, and was visited by the likes of Courtney Love and David Bowie. But behind the enviable exterior of wealth and coolness, was a family in disarray.
Her parents’ marriage was characterized by addiction and affairs. Her sisters’ youths marked by their own stints in rehab, and oriented around a relentless pursuit of beauty idealized by their mother. To make sense of all the madness, young Lola turned to chocolate, masturbation, marijuana, and last but not least, the distant sounds of country music, where singers like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Gram Parsons helped her see that the worst things in life are fine if you can make them rhyme. That women can be complicated. And that men sometimes beg for forgiveness.
But before heading south to make music herself, Lola went west to Los Angeles, landing with a career-launching role in Gone Girl that led to starring alongside Greta Gerwig in Mistress America and Gael Garcia Bernal for four seasons on the Golden Globe–winning Mozart in the Jungle. But increasingly dubious of an artistic life lived in only one lane, Lola eventually left LA for Nashville, reconciling the future she was building with the chaotic past she was recalling by writing her own country songs. After a lifetime of trying to fit in with her family and stand out in the world, she finally realized what she really needed was just to be herself—contradictions and all.
Darkly funny, high spirited, and just a little bit country, this is the story of a young woman trying to be someone else while secretly learning to become herself, as well as the story of a family that, in Lola’s own words, puts the “fun” in dysfunctional.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2025
118 people are currently reading
5333 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
May 30, 2025
The extent of my familiarity with Lola Kirke was from Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle" (2014-2018). Highly recommend, by the way.
Her memoir of essays offers readers bite-sized insights into her childhood in New York's iconic West Village. She paints a raw and honest portrait of her highly dysFUNctional family of musicians, actors, artists, and fashionistas.
Strap in. This one's a wild ride!
November 28, 2024
Lola Kirke was certainly born into privilege, but any "nepo baby" critique for this book is trite. Everyone - "nepo babies" included - didn't ask to be born, after all. Sure, not everyone can just call up a friend's grandparent and get referred over to "Aunt Joan," (i.e., Joan Didion) but the scant few celebrity references are that -- scant. And not really the focus of the story, they just happen to be there.
Lola Kirke was also born into a family riddled with cheating, secret siblings, drug addiction, self-absorption, and inappropriate boundaries, to name a few. Her book portrays being the youngest born into a chaotic family with the aforementioned problems. This isn't so much a "celebrity memoir" (see also: the subtitle) as it is the story of a person floundering as they try to find themselves and make sense of their place in the world.
I liked that she told her story in seemingly disparate vignettes, giving the book an almost dreamlike quality by representing the muddied nature of memory. Her voice is frank and self-deprecating. I enjoyed the insight into why she - a girl born into a wealthy dysfunctional family in NYC - went country, and I appreciated ending it all with her debut at the Grand Ole Opry. Lola's future is bright. 🌟
(thank you NetGalley for the eArc!)
Lola Kirke was also born into a family riddled with cheating, secret siblings, drug addiction, self-absorption, and inappropriate boundaries, to name a few. Her book portrays being the youngest born into a chaotic family with the aforementioned problems. This isn't so much a "celebrity memoir" (see also: the subtitle) as it is the story of a person floundering as they try to find themselves and make sense of their place in the world.
I liked that she told her story in seemingly disparate vignettes, giving the book an almost dreamlike quality by representing the muddied nature of memory. Her voice is frank and self-deprecating. I enjoyed the insight into why she - a girl born into a wealthy dysfunctional family in NYC - went country, and I appreciated ending it all with her debut at the Grand Ole Opry. Lola's future is bright. 🌟
(thank you NetGalley for the eArc!)
November 20, 2024
Lola Kirke is sharp, witty, vulnerable, funny as hell, self-aware, and heartfelt in her memoir (that isn't really a memoir).
Her unflinching story with no punches pulled will make you feel young again with the world ready to unfold for you- like it's never too late to start a country music career.
Thank you NetGalley, Lola Kirke, and Simon and Schuster for the eARC.
Her unflinching story with no punches pulled will make you feel young again with the world ready to unfold for you- like it's never too late to start a country music career.
Thank you NetGalley, Lola Kirke, and Simon and Schuster for the eARC.
November 8, 2024
I couldn’t put this book down. Read it in a weekend. Charmingly hilarious and heartbreakingly vulnerable in equal measure. Favorite of this year.
June 21, 2025
I can’t believe this is her debut book! What a start!
Youngest daughter of a British rock n roll Dad and a Jewish lux boutique shop owner Mom in NY West Village … these are the stories of her upbringing in the earily 2000s.
It features a menagerie of siblings including 2 older sisters who are actresses you might recognize … and a cast of supporting characters … nannies, school friends, parents of friends, celebrities, randos who stay in their brownstone … it’s a wild ride with Lola and Co. Addiction, divorce, drugs, booze, sex, eating disorders, heartbreak, smoking cessation classes at 13, family trips rehabs and spas in India … she puts the fun in massive dysfunctional. Self deprecating, witty, honest candor makes her stories humorous and at times … heartbreaking.
I was throughly entertained and at times, very touched. Positive there are more stories coming from Lola Kirke. Can’t wait!
Youngest daughter of a British rock n roll Dad and a Jewish lux boutique shop owner Mom in NY West Village … these are the stories of her upbringing in the earily 2000s.
It features a menagerie of siblings including 2 older sisters who are actresses you might recognize … and a cast of supporting characters … nannies, school friends, parents of friends, celebrities, randos who stay in their brownstone … it’s a wild ride with Lola and Co. Addiction, divorce, drugs, booze, sex, eating disorders, heartbreak, smoking cessation classes at 13, family trips rehabs and spas in India … she puts the fun in massive dysfunctional. Self deprecating, witty, honest candor makes her stories humorous and at times … heartbreaking.
I was throughly entertained and at times, very touched. Positive there are more stories coming from Lola Kirke. Can’t wait!
Read
January 21, 2025It is rare I say this, but this is a “memoir” that would’ve been better as a podcast.
And I know what you’re thinking: the cover says it’s literally not a memoir. But it basically is! It’s a series of stories that have random jumps in time that lacked a lot of introspection and primarily center on how unfortunate it is to be from a rich family of eccentric Brits.
I feel like maybe she was going for an I Wish My Mom Was Dead sort of vibe but there are some really out of pocket things in here that could’ve either used a circle back, or an in-the-moment touch from her as she writes this as a grown woman who has kind of figured it out.
What kind of out of pocket stuff? Saying her friend was the first person she met who described herself as anxious “before it was even a fad!” Saying her counselor at a family rehab (that they attended for her sister’s binge eating disorder) was small because she had the “good” kind of eating disorder that made her skinny instead of fat. Finding out that an older rockstar crashing at their family home was hooking up with a friend of hers when she was around 13 or 14 years old and there being no recourse for that until his friend sets his sights on underaged Lola herself.
The last essay in here is the only one that felt complete and with insight into how she sees herself in her family but also how she’s moving past it and with it. Leading up to it though was an “everything happens all at once” sort of thing. It’s revealed she’s ALWAYS loved making music and country music despite this not being mentioned for 70% of the book (besides mentioning Crazy by Patsy Cline once.)
I wish this had more but alas.
*I received a free digital copy from the publisher.
And I know what you’re thinking: the cover says it’s literally not a memoir. But it basically is! It’s a series of stories that have random jumps in time that lacked a lot of introspection and primarily center on how unfortunate it is to be from a rich family of eccentric Brits.
I feel like maybe she was going for an I Wish My Mom Was Dead sort of vibe but there are some really out of pocket things in here that could’ve either used a circle back, or an in-the-moment touch from her as she writes this as a grown woman who has kind of figured it out.
What kind of out of pocket stuff? Saying her friend was the first person she met who described herself as anxious “before it was even a fad!” Saying her counselor at a family rehab (that they attended for her sister’s binge eating disorder) was small because she had the “good” kind of eating disorder that made her skinny instead of fat. Finding out that an older rockstar crashing at their family home was hooking up with a friend of hers when she was around 13 or 14 years old and there being no recourse for that until his friend sets his sights on underaged Lola herself.
The last essay in here is the only one that felt complete and with insight into how she sees herself in her family but also how she’s moving past it and with it. Leading up to it though was an “everything happens all at once” sort of thing. It’s revealed she’s ALWAYS loved making music and country music despite this not being mentioned for 70% of the book (besides mentioning Crazy by Patsy Cline once.)
I wish this had more but alas.
*I received a free digital copy from the publisher.
June 2, 2025
fabulously chaotic 💖
I didn’t know much about Lola going into this, and was so unsure of what I was getting myself into, but I had a great time.
Yes, she’s a nepo baby, but weirdly she’s somewhat relatable while simultaneously not being relatable at all?? Her humanity shines through despite her absurd upbringing. I felt like a voyeur most of the time - like, should I really know all of this about someone else’s life? It felt like I was watching a slow-motion train wreck and I just couldn’t peel my eyes away. This not-memoir collection of memoir-ish essays was truly engrossing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance reader copy!
I didn’t know much about Lola going into this, and was so unsure of what I was getting myself into, but I had a great time.
Yes, she’s a nepo baby, but weirdly she’s somewhat relatable while simultaneously not being relatable at all?? Her humanity shines through despite her absurd upbringing. I felt like a voyeur most of the time - like, should I really know all of this about someone else’s life? It felt like I was watching a slow-motion train wreck and I just couldn’t peel my eyes away. This not-memoir collection of memoir-ish essays was truly engrossing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance reader copy!
February 4, 2025
The only book that's ever had me reading while walking down the street. Honest, poignant, charming, hilarious, devastating, introspective, & enticing. J'obsessed!
May 25, 2025
“cool girl” would be such an insult to describe this but it really is just such cool girl energy sorryyyyyy
November 22, 2024
I tore through this in less than two days. Lola Kirke is a funny, beautiful mess, and the same is true for her whole family.
I’ve been a fan of Lola’s older sister, Jemima, for twelve years. Lola has another sister who is married to the star of YOU on Netflix, and her dad is a rockstar. This is a story of living in the shadow of well-known older siblings and parents, and how being the youngest can be such a lonely experience. I identified with this so much. I have significantly older half-siblings, so I spent my childhood feeling lonely much like Lola did. I always wanted my siblings to like me too. Jemima could be pretty vicious to little Lola. Still, there’s a lot of love and humor in this family. And my god, talk about the genetic lottery.
I did not expect to cry while reading this book, but it happened. Lola talks about discovering a secret brother (been there!), and how it felt to finally learn she had a younger sibling. His life was one of tragedy, however. Lola’s little brother was born with severe cerebral palsy due to medical malpractice on the part of the OBGYN, and he spent his short life essentially brain dead. Lola loved him with all her heart, and she made a real effort to get to know him. This part of her story shows who she is at her core: a loving person.
I really enjoyed this memoir. It’s a fun glimpse into the world of a dysfunctional celebrity family. Lola also owns and pokes fun at her privilege, so I don’t think it’s really fair to dump on her for having a leg up in the entertainment industry. There’s a reason this whole family is famous.
I’ve been a fan of Lola’s older sister, Jemima, for twelve years. Lola has another sister who is married to the star of YOU on Netflix, and her dad is a rockstar. This is a story of living in the shadow of well-known older siblings and parents, and how being the youngest can be such a lonely experience. I identified with this so much. I have significantly older half-siblings, so I spent my childhood feeling lonely much like Lola did. I always wanted my siblings to like me too. Jemima could be pretty vicious to little Lola. Still, there’s a lot of love and humor in this family. And my god, talk about the genetic lottery.
I did not expect to cry while reading this book, but it happened. Lola talks about discovering a secret brother (been there!), and how it felt to finally learn she had a younger sibling. His life was one of tragedy, however. Lola’s little brother was born with severe cerebral palsy due to medical malpractice on the part of the OBGYN, and he spent his short life essentially brain dead. Lola loved him with all her heart, and she made a real effort to get to know him. This part of her story shows who she is at her core: a loving person.
I really enjoyed this memoir. It’s a fun glimpse into the world of a dysfunctional celebrity family. Lola also owns and pokes fun at her privilege, so I don’t think it’s really fair to dump on her for having a leg up in the entertainment industry. There’s a reason this whole family is famous.
January 9, 2025
One of the more egregious examples of a ghostwritten memoir in recent years, for as much as I like Kirke’s work as an actress and musician, I can’t see any real reason why this book needs to exist. Despite the fact that she says it’s *not* supposed to be a memoir, it very clearly is, even though she doesn’t have enough of a career for one — as evidenced by the fact that two-thirds of the book is about her drug and booze-filled childhood. Kirke is the ultimate example of a nepo baby (and from parents who aren’t even that famous to begin with), and that’s all Wild West Village really reads as: a tale of someone who’s never experienced actual hardship rambling on about how shit their childhood was, and how it turned them into the artist they are today, featuring thinly veiled references to all the famous people they knew along the way. (Which get increasingly annoying the more obvious they become.) There’s some good pieces in here, and I was morbidly fascinated by a lot of it, but more than anything it put me off of enjoying her work as much as I used to.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for the advance copy.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for the advance copy.
December 7, 2024
I had no idea who Lola Kirke was until I read this. I found her to be funny, witty, and honest. The chapters about her family were the ones I found most interesting and I wish there were more of them. I felt like this book stayed relatively surface level. I would have liked to see her go more in-depth on pretty much everything mentioned in here. It was definitely an entertaining and fun read.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
November 10, 2024
honestly, I'm just a guy from the midwest who really didn't think I'd have much in common with ms. Kirke, but my girlfriend gave me this book and I gobbled it up like my mom's thanksgiving turkey. I found the stories of her life and her family funny, tragic and everything in between-there's something for everyone in this book. 10 out of 10!
January 30, 2025
Lola Kirke, daughter of Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke and clothing/interior designer Lorraine Kirke, moved with her family from London to the West Village of Manhattan at the age of four. Significantly younger than her siblings Greg, Domino, and Jemima, Lola feels like the afterthought. Told through a series of essays depicting her childhood and early adulthood, Lola writes about her attempts to find her place in the world amidst family dysfunction and internal turmoil.
I finished this book mostly feeling sorry for Lola, though she seems to have built a comfortable life for herself despite personal struggles and false starts. In an early chapter, she describes a time when she was prompted by a psychologist to draw a family - she drew a solar system, with different members of her family taking the “star” role as long as they were suffering, but she felt that she could never be the center of that world. Though her family was well-off and she grew up adjacent to (and later in) the spotlight, her life was lonely and sad, dulled at various points with success in acting or music, hallucinogenic drugs, and denial.
My favorite parts, by far, were the chapters delving into the more tenderhearted moments and relationships in Lola’s life - Rock Legend was a standout, detailing the times she visited her half-brother Simon in Arizona. My Opry Debut and The Cowboy Problem were other chapters that I thought were well-written and showed some heart. Some of the other stories fell flat for me. The introduction calls this “a book about identity forged in fire” but I didn’t see that degree of struggle reflected in the stories she shared.
I consider myself somewhat removed from 2000’s-2020’s pop culture; I had to open Google to get a frame of reference for several of the names and movies mentioned (both directly and indirectly). I am, perhaps, not the target audience for this book as a result. Fans of Lola’s work or those who covet the glamour/sordid nature of Hollywood will probably find something to like here. However, I struggled to connect with Lola about as much as I identified with her, so ultimately this one wasn’t for me.
**Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Lola Kirke for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**
I finished this book mostly feeling sorry for Lola, though she seems to have built a comfortable life for herself despite personal struggles and false starts. In an early chapter, she describes a time when she was prompted by a psychologist to draw a family - she drew a solar system, with different members of her family taking the “star” role as long as they were suffering, but she felt that she could never be the center of that world. Though her family was well-off and she grew up adjacent to (and later in) the spotlight, her life was lonely and sad, dulled at various points with success in acting or music, hallucinogenic drugs, and denial.
My favorite parts, by far, were the chapters delving into the more tenderhearted moments and relationships in Lola’s life - Rock Legend was a standout, detailing the times she visited her half-brother Simon in Arizona. My Opry Debut and The Cowboy Problem were other chapters that I thought were well-written and showed some heart. Some of the other stories fell flat for me. The introduction calls this “a book about identity forged in fire” but I didn’t see that degree of struggle reflected in the stories she shared.
I consider myself somewhat removed from 2000’s-2020’s pop culture; I had to open Google to get a frame of reference for several of the names and movies mentioned (both directly and indirectly). I am, perhaps, not the target audience for this book as a result. Fans of Lola’s work or those who covet the glamour/sordid nature of Hollywood will probably find something to like here. However, I struggled to connect with Lola about as much as I identified with her, so ultimately this one wasn’t for me.
**Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Lola Kirke for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**
February 1, 2025
This is both fun and funny, and a pleasant surprise.
I’m not big on memoirs, especially those of the celebrity or celebrity-adjacent variety, but this was absolutely delightful.
Lola Kirke is both hilarious and exceptionally poignant here in this collection of essays that tells the story of her life and family. Of the three Kirke sisters she was actually the one I was the least familiar with, but now I wonder if she’s perhaps the most intriguing.
I really enjoyed how well she captures teenage girlhood (“I considered what it would be like to kiss him. Or rather what it would be like to tell people I had.”), as well as what it’s like to struggle to find your place within your own family. The Kirkes are unconventional and preternaturally talented as a group, but that doesn’t mean a lot of what Lola discussed isn’t relatable or at least interesting.
I thought she was going to lose me a little with the country music stuff at the end (and yes, her reason for doing it feels excessively philosophical and a bit silly), but I checked out her music and actually ended up being impressed. She’s got a gift. To that end, ignore the silly reviews screaming about nepo babies that are already getting foisted upon this book. Unlike some other families in the spotlight who shall remain nameless here, this is a gifted and talented bunch who are well worth your attention.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I’m not big on memoirs, especially those of the celebrity or celebrity-adjacent variety, but this was absolutely delightful.
Lola Kirke is both hilarious and exceptionally poignant here in this collection of essays that tells the story of her life and family. Of the three Kirke sisters she was actually the one I was the least familiar with, but now I wonder if she’s perhaps the most intriguing.
I really enjoyed how well she captures teenage girlhood (“I considered what it would be like to kiss him. Or rather what it would be like to tell people I had.”), as well as what it’s like to struggle to find your place within your own family. The Kirkes are unconventional and preternaturally talented as a group, but that doesn’t mean a lot of what Lola discussed isn’t relatable or at least interesting.
I thought she was going to lose me a little with the country music stuff at the end (and yes, her reason for doing it feels excessively philosophical and a bit silly), but I checked out her music and actually ended up being impressed. She’s got a gift. To that end, ignore the silly reviews screaming about nepo babies that are already getting foisted upon this book. Unlike some other families in the spotlight who shall remain nameless here, this is a gifted and talented bunch who are well worth your attention.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
November 9, 2024
I received this as a digital galley from NetGalley.
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.
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.
December 16, 2024
What a wild ride. I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling in this "not" a memoir book by Lola Kirke. It was fun and included celebrity sighting (looking at you Gael Garcia Bernal), chaotic family members, and so many rich people behaving badly, ah the drama. I was here for all of it. I appreciated Kirke's love of her family and especially her siblings, even if she roasted them a bit.
Thank you for the advanced reader copy Simon & Schuster and Netgalley.
Thank you for the advanced reader copy Simon & Schuster and Netgalley.
February 10, 2025
I laughed and surprisingly teared up a bit ! Not a moment I didn’t enjoy.
I love fun nepo babies I love the kirke family lore
I love fun nepo babies I love the kirke family lore
February 13, 2025
Very engaging read. Creatively written with a lot of heart.
November 27, 2024
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.
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.
January 29, 2025
this was a fun read! jemima kirke I love you
April 22, 2025
adore Lola’s storytelling!! such a great read.
April 29, 2025
Realizing any time I like a book, I give it a five. Coincidentally, have been listening to a lot of old country recently. Is it related? Who’s to say.
July 17, 2025
New fave nepo baby?! Loved the audiooo
August 15, 2025
I get it. 5 stars is kinda ridiculously high praise. And maybe it’s the halo effect because it is just the type of book I needed to read to pull me out of a slump, find myself in shock/awe, and giggle.
May 31, 2025
3.5. A very quick and enjoyable read. I just wish she'd dug a little deeper. Many of the stories feel like they end pretty abruptly just as she's about to go there.
August 9, 2025
Loved every minute of reading this. Wish it was longer. I am so nosey for snippets into these kinds of bizarre bohemian upbringings, and Lola’s was a doozy. It feels quite voyeuristic to write that as the (not) memoir was so personal and intimate. Thanks Ms Kirke for sharing.
February 24, 2025
Ok for sure?
March 9, 2025
Lola. I need you to know one crucial thing about your book. While I have been obsessed with your family for a long time and I knew reading this would only fan the flames of my curiosity towards your glamorous Nepo baby upbringing.
You are not different from American children because you went to topless beaches you are different from American children because your family is actually insane. I mean that in the most complimentary fashion, NO American children were offering their hands to David Bowie as an ash tray and rolling blunts for movie stars. Well maybe some but for reference I went to a lake once with my friends and I didn't have cell service, my parents called the parks service within an hour to make sure I wasn't dead. An hour. Your sister disappeared on a private jet with a celebrity.
I need you to know that your upbringing was completely unique to this world and absolutely fascinating.
I devoured your book in one sitting. It was truly amazing and I enjoyed the essay style writing it felt more honest to your chaotic roots.
You are not different from American children because you went to topless beaches you are different from American children because your family is actually insane. I mean that in the most complimentary fashion, NO American children were offering their hands to David Bowie as an ash tray and rolling blunts for movie stars. Well maybe some but for reference I went to a lake once with my friends and I didn't have cell service, my parents called the parks service within an hour to make sure I wasn't dead. An hour. Your sister disappeared on a private jet with a celebrity.
I need you to know that your upbringing was completely unique to this world and absolutely fascinating.
I devoured your book in one sitting. It was truly amazing and I enjoyed the essay style writing it felt more honest to your chaotic roots.
August 27, 2025
nonfiction selection of essays “not a memoir” By Lola Kirke, sister of GIRLS fame Jemima Kirke who played and largely inspired Jessa. Lola is the daughter of British rocker and her book is original and refreshing as she navigates life growing up in the village in a bohemian household that swivels between laisse faire artistry of envy and casual toxicity with famous houseguests and drug use to boot. Lola has a unique voice (literally being the only one in her English family with an American twang) & figuratively with a fresh perspective as she battles Hollywood, relationships, and finding herself as the youngest of her nuclear famous family. Very entertaining and easily consumed, I did the audiobook and some of her lines made me laugh out loud. Especially “was it odd or was it god?”
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