Earth to Moon: A Memoir

Earth to Moon is the way the author’s mom would command her attention. And, as this memoir tells us, attention is exactly what Moon was trying to command. Moon is the first child of Frank Zappa, one of the most iconoclastic and brilliant composers of modern music. What went along with that is rock star status and its many perks.

Like many Mommy Dearest type books, children of celebrities often perceive themselves as invisible to their high profile and high functioning parents. Frank Zappa got attention from the entire world and his family doted on him, even putting up with his promiscuity and absences from home. He was a workaholic, forever creating in his studio while his family life was aberrant, at best.

Moon Unit is a good writer of her painful story and struggles. The target of much of her anger is at her mother, who had to run the household, the family business and take care of the children. Since both parents are deceased, we only have this recounting of their family life. It seems like there is a terrible cost for celebrity, oftentimes paid for by the children.