Mary-Louise Parker (1) (1964–)

Only made it through a couple chapters before getting bored. The letter to her dad did make me cry, though.

Dear Mary Louise Parker:
I'm sorry for thinking, when I picked up your book, that it would be rubbish, that you had nothing to say, no ability to entertain, that your celebrity was sufficient to get you published, that an epistolary autobiography was a bad idea. I was wrong in all of these things. I won't pretend I got all of it but I certainly enjoyed the ride; you even made me cry.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher so thank you to Simon & Schuster.

No question that Mary Louise Parker is a talented actress and writer. While I found her vignettes funny and endearing at times, they felt disorganized and she left gaping holes in her stories, like who fathered her son and what actually caused her near-brush with death. 4 stars for the writing, 2 stars for the coherence.

Chose this as my first Book of the Month Club pick. Parker can write, though there is plenty here that is inessential. But when she finds a rich vein to mine, she delivers something worthwhile and glorious. The letter to her adopted daughter's uncle is wonderful and the final long letter where she details her father's passing was tremendous.