Trailer Park Parable Review
I most often read to gather information but occasionally I read for pleasure. I choose these books mostly on recommendation of close friends or family. A few weeks ago my cousin recommended “Trailer Park Parable” after which Lisa purchased a copy for us. The stories’ local connection and title made it hard to ignore.
I read for local interest, to learn something or just for really good writing - this book has all three of these attractions. The book tells the story of a young man as he progresses through life before and after a violent incident that is always present in his life after it happens.
A portion of the story of this book happens locally so I won’t discuss the story too much. This is a small town and the writer is so discrete in how he tells the story that I don’t want to stumble through what must have been delicate work.
“Trailer Park Parable,” was written by Desmond Janousek who writes under the pseudonym “Tyler Zed.” (Janousek uses his real name on the inner flap of the book so I am not revealing any secret.) I thought his story was an ultimately triumphant and positive reaction to some severe trauma; the worst of which results in his father being charged in the attempted murder of his mother. Janousek faces so many challenges as he tries to remove the cloud of trauma and anxiety he lives with from seeing his father violently attack his mother.
This book just feels so honest; maybe that honesty is revealed by the author’s style of writing. It feels like he is just talking, then writing down what he said. I think this style of writing is the result of the writer being honest with himself and the reader. It also requires courage to write like this as most people love to be honest about the troubles of others but not their own. Janousek also is extremely fair in how he portrays each character, particularly his dad, who eventually served prison time for the attempted murder. The writer also uses pseudonyms for some characters to protect their identity and uses one composite character.
For me, the story really came down to family, character and forgiveness. Any of these three characteristics is important but the combination is very powerful. These characteristics are part of Janousek’s “anchor” and are the tools he uses to dig himself out of the pit created by constant anxiety and frequent panic attacks due to the trauma experienced as a child.
I felt a kinship to the writer as he discovered that the challenges he faced created the person he eventually becomes. I’ve learned to thank God for headwinds that made me strong and appreciate the times when the wind is at my back. Janousek’s experience is much more condensed and dramatic, however it felt familiar. I was pulling for him through every trial.
“Trailer Park Parable” is the story of how a broken childhood heals into a man who shares his life with us. It’s a courageous act to share a very frank story of what happens when your father shatters your family and what it takes to put it back together, then give forgiveness instead of hate. Well worth the read.
