In 1998, Mandy L. Updegraff moved to Hollywood to be a missionary with the Presbyterian Church through an organization called The Hollywood Urban Project (HUP). Her memoir documents the inward struggle to see herself as God sees her in a town full of extraordinarily beautiful people. During the five years that Mandy spent at HUP, she battled depression as well as her ethnic identity as a white woman serving a community of Latino immigrants. Mandy found herself initiated into a world of gangs and violence, a far cry from her suburban upbringing. Hollywood life also brought many deep relationships and transforming experiences. Her own stories are entwined with the lives of her neighbors, who offer courageous and moving examples of what it means to be faithful.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
L.A. Pie - Have a Slice,
This review is from: A Different Side of Hollywood: White Girls Don't Get Shot (Paperback)
Okay, full disclosure time: I know the author. But watch this: BIAS MODE - OFF. There, now I'm unbiased. Ready? Here we go.
Have you ever seen "Training Day," "Collateral," "Get Shorty," "Crash," or even "Shopgirl?" Have you ever read Bernie Brillstein's book, Eszterhas' book, or even the Neil Strauss' Motley Crue book? If you haven't - then see them, read them, and then pick this book up and read it too (in that order). Why? What do they have in common? Los Angeles, of course. They're all unique LA stories. LA is HUGE, and thusly a lot of individual stories happen here at once; a lot of different people from opposite ends of the universe cross paths every day. The author of this particular story missed the 'cross' paths part and simply collided with the opposite end of the universe. This is the snapshot of that collision. "A Different Side of Hollywood" is an engaging memoir - heartfelt, honest, and real.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incarnational Ministry,
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This review is from: A Different Side of Hollywood: White Girls Don't Get Shot (Paperback)
In her first literary effort, Mandy Updegraff offers a fast-paced, fresh, and fascinating account of leaving college behind an becoming a missionary in the inner city. This book is the first-hand reflections of a remarkable young woman as she transitions from the insulated world of a small midwestern college to the sometimes harsh streets of Hollywood.
The Hollywood Urban Project is an 18-year old ministry to the urban poor that places young college graduates right in the middle of the world of the urban challenges of Los Angeles. This book might become required reading for undergraduate and seminary courses on cross cultural studies and urban missions. Prepare to have your preconcieved notions of inner city life challenged, as you journey alongside Mandy as she confronts her own fears and ideals in a completely new world. This book is candid and sometimes raw in its description of inner city life, and death. Prepare to meet remarkable people, doing courageous things for the cause of Christ.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not the Tinseltown you see on TV,
By RobJ99 "RJ" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Different Side of Hollywood: White Girls Don't Get Shot (Paperback)
This honest memoir tackles the heartbreaking issues of an urban neighborhood as seen through the eyes of an suburbanite with a passionate heart. It's a slice of reality for anyone who thinks Hollywood is all about glitz and glamour. The author skillfully displays her broken self as she tries to find healing in an unlikely place- in an immigrant neighborhood in South Hollywood.
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