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A review by mastersal
Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson
5.0
This was lovely memoir which made for a great audiobook narrated by Ms. Wilson. I am fond of the movies Ms. Wilson starred in as a child but I was not very invested in her life as a fan. I am not fond of celebrity memoirs as I often find them too unsubstantial. However, there was an honesty here which I appreciated and which won me over in the end.
I was actually intrigued by how normal parts of Ms. Wilson’s life was. The celebrity part of Ms. Wilson’s life was unusual even for her and something she has to find a balance with. That navigation between “normal” and “celebrity” gave this book a context which I found interesting.
I did find the book a little long, mostly because some of the chapters seemed too simple. For example, there is a chapter on show choirs which I could have done without. I know it’s about growing up and finding your creative spark but I found it dull.
Here, the audiobook continued to keep me engaged. I liked the emphasis and the voice inflections that Ms. Wilson put in the reading - it really made the text come to life.
In the end, that investment as well as some genuinely moving chapters put this comfortably into 4 stars for me. However, that whole chapter about reading a book and seeing yourself in it, was so powerful and real to me that I am giving this an extra star
"This book is the story of my life."
I was actually intrigued by how normal parts of Ms. Wilson’s life was. The celebrity part of Ms. Wilson’s life was unusual even for her and something she has to find a balance with. That navigation between “normal” and “celebrity” gave this book a context which I found interesting.
I did find the book a little long, mostly because some of the chapters seemed too simple. For example, there is a chapter on show choirs which I could have done without. I know it’s about growing up and finding your creative spark but I found it dull.
Here, the audiobook continued to keep me engaged. I liked the emphasis and the voice inflections that Ms. Wilson put in the reading - it really made the text come to life.
In the end, that investment as well as some genuinely moving chapters put this comfortably into 4 stars for me. However, that whole chapter about reading a book and seeing yourself in it, was so powerful and real to me that I am giving this an extra star
"This book is the story of my life."