High on Arrival

A Memoir

By: Mackenzie Phillips

Narrated by: Mackenzie Phillips

Not long before her 50th birthday, Mackenzie Phillips walked into Los Angeles International Airport. She was on her way to a reunion of One Day at a Time, the hugely popular 70s sitcom on which she once starred as the lovable rebel Julie Cooper. Within minutes, Mackenzie was in handcuffs, arrested for possession of cocaine and heroin.

Born into rock and roll royalty, Mackenzie grew up in an all-access kingdom of hippie freedom and heroin cool. It was a kingdom over which her father, the legendary John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, presided, often in absentia, a spellbinding, visionary phantom.

When Mackenzie was a teenager, Hollywood and the world took notice of the charming, talented, precocious child actor after her star-making turn in American Graffiti. As a young woman, she joined the nonstop party in the hedonistic pleasure dome her father created for himself and his fellow revelers, and a rapt TV audience watched as Julie Cooper wasted away before their eyes.

By the time Mackenzie discovered how deep and dark her father's trip was going, it was too late. And as an adult, she has paid dearly for a lifetime of excess, working tirelessly to reconcile a wonderful, terrible past in which she succumbed to the power of addiction and the pull of her magnetic father.

As her astounding, outrageous, and often tender life story unfolds, Phillips overcomes seemingly impossible obstacles again and again, and journeys toward redemption and peace. By exposing the shadows and secrets of the past to the light of day, the star who turned up High on Arrival has finally come back down to earth - to stay.

©2009 Shane's Mom, Inc (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

She's a survivor.

Would you listen to High on Arrival again? Why?

I might listen to it again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

MacKenzie Phillips was my favorite character. It is based on her life. I love her honesty. I appreciate her ability to find the positive even during her darkest times. She is very much the product of the subculture of the 1960s and 1970s.

What does Mackenzie Phillips bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Humility. Emotion. The knowledge that she is telling me her story firsthand.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The way in which motherhood brought meaning and purpose to her life. The way that she was able to obtain peace with her father during his final hours. The way that she was able to forgive him..and herself.

Any additional comments?

She is an inspiration. She did not have a lot of stability in her youth, but she has tried and obtained many successes in spite of the odds. She may always have that 'monster' inside her, but I think that she is stronger than most because of that.

wow!

thank you for sharing your story <3 I'm no Rockstar or movie star...but some of these things were so relatable for me and it was healing to listen to.

Great for repeat listening!

I have enjoyed this audible book so much that I’ve probably listened to it 50 times or more. It’s such a spirited tale I liken to a rollercoaster ride when I describe it to friends. The narration by the author is perfect. Much to discover here, a must read for my generation. Much love to Mack.

Great book

Wonderful book. I could not put this book down. It was absolutely wonderful. Definitely would read this book. This woman definitely been through a lot in her life...

Walking Uphill

I’m glad that NcKenzie put her own book out there. Many had said many a things about her now she told it, the good the bad, and the triumphant

moving

sadness for the life of a little girl that seeked love and attention from her father her entire life. much love and light to Laura MacKenzie Phillips.

Unabashedly Honest

Admittedly I have never been a fan of MacKenzie. I feel that she was horribly miscast to have been in One Day at a Time. Therefore, I put off reading this book. I did take note along the way of the controversy over her family's protests concerning the validity of her incest allegations. I am now sure, having listened to this book, that MacKenzie was truthful. In fact, the power of this book is that she spares herself no shame nor humiliation for the multitude of actions she's committed in the past. Whether she's presently personally accountable or not is a slippery slope given the dysfunctional cyclone she claims to have arisen from. It would take extensive analysis to approach that conversation. The book as told however is engaging and moves along like a monologue of feverish confession. Nothing you've done could have ever been "that" bad.

Wow, just wow

I really have no words. What a life. Thank you for sharing. I felt many emotions while listening to this. Crying twice.

Heartbreakingly Beautiful.

This book will shock you, not by just what she went through, but also by her ability to forgive and love. She is so strong. To live her life and still not be cold to the world or those who hurt and wronged her is a level of strength I hope to one day have!

Fabulous

This book was captivating. So detailed - it was hard to wrap my head around Mackenzie’s life and how she survived. My heart broke for her by the continuous abandonment from her father. I am glad she survived to tell the tale.