First published 2015
Melissa Rivers opens the door to the Rosenberg-Rivers household, where her comedian mother Joan ruled as a tiny blond force of nature who respected no boundaries. From being delivered to Johnny Carson as a birthday gift when she was nine months old to enduring Joan's brutally honest commentary on everything from ugly babies to audience demographics, Melissa survived a childhood that made the Addams Family look normal. Joan's love knew no limits, but neither did her manipulation, mischief, and complete disregard for her daughter's personal space. Through bon mots, embarrassing moments, and life lessons that included why Valium counts as a basic food group, Melissa paints a portrait of their celebrated mother-daughter relationship. The woman who conquered stages from Broadway to Las Vegas was even more outrageous at home than she ever was in front of audiences.
Genres: memoir, biography-memoir, comedy, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
304 pages · Hardcover · Crown Archetype