A House by the Park tells the saga of a Syrian immigrant family forged by the Great Depression, buffeted by World War II, and steeled by illness, assimilation and the turmoil of six siblings battling in the post-war era to shed the value systems of their Middle Eastern parents. In addition to painting a vivid portrait of urban neighborhood life in Brooklyn, New York during the forties and fifties, Dr. Keyloun describes in wrenching detail the complexities of personality and behavior that marked the conflicting relationships within his family. Although much of the discord could easily be attributed to sibling rivalry or the rebellion against cultural anomalies, Dr. Keyloun exposes how his familial relationships were further impacted by what would eventually become known as bipolar disorder. Spanning from his early formative years through the present day, A House by the Park is a memoir told with brutal honesty, but also with undeniable love and affection.
