First published 2012
Jenny McCarthy opens her memoir by describing her childhood in one of Chicago's most prestigious all-girl Catholic schools, where she played with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph dolls instead of Cabbage Patch Kids. She dreamed of becoming a nun until life took unexpected turns. McCarthy chronicles the contradictions that shaped her upbringing: nuns who also worked as armed police officers, a mother who insisted on burying religious statues in front lawns before selling houses, and Sister Mary's claim that a ten-dollar necklace could help avoid purgatory. The actress and comedian examines moments that seemed wrong at the time but now feel right in retrospect. Through chapters with titles like "I Knew I Should Have Worn Underwear to Church" and "Oh No, My Mom is Going to Hell," McCarthy traces her journey from devout Catholic girl to Playmate of the Year. She reveals how her religious upbringing created both embarrassing situations and formative experiences that would define her adult life.
Genres: autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, comedy, catholic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unconventional-childhood
Setting: Chicago
Period: 20th-century
222 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing