It’s hard to believe that one family can endure so much and still survive. But, that’s exactly what the Gadson family did amidst their life in Hollywood. It’s not the Hollywood one might think but it certainly has all the same characteristics – plots, drugs, politics, sex, characters and yes, even the press and attention. Welcome to Hollywood, South Carolina, a far-from-quaint little town with a larger than life name.
Shaytee Gadson vividly and honestly tells his family’s life story – sharing intimate details about his alcoholic father who rises from the ashes of poverty to become mayor of his hometown. Gadson opens up about a life surrounded by constant fire and brimstone, scandal and prayer. His mother, the First Lady of Hollywood, prays her way through life while using every ounce of faith to try and save her husband and those in need around her.
Gadson’s recollection of his younger days captures your heart as he paints an uncomfortable picture of a young boy’s quest to understand the adulterous relationships, politics and sin that surround him.
Even though selfish addiction demons penetrate this Hollywood family, somehow Gadson manages to make a better life for himself and his daughters. His father ends up being banned from his own hometown. His mother cheats the face of death more than once and Gadson himself shares what it feels like to have loved and lost – all while the power of his mother’s prayer saves him and his family.