Always Wear Joy: My Mother Bold and Beautiful - Softcover

Fales-Hill, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060566728 ISBN 13: 9780060566722

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2004

Synopsis

From an inside peek at the inner workings of Hollywood to the backstage drama of Broadway, from a poignant look at the black upper class to an honest look at the WASP elite, this elegantly wrought memoir of an extraordinary family has something for everyone.

Growing up with a black Auntie Mame-like mother (who performed with the likes of Lena Horne) and an Anglo sea-faring father, Susan Fales-Hill moved seamlessly between many worlds. But it was from her mother -- a woman who was dressed by Givenchy and sculpted by Alexander Calder, yet rejected by many a casting agent for her "dark," unconventional looks -- that Susan drew inspiration, particularly when she faced challenges in her own career as a television writer in Hollywood, a town that wasn't always receptive to positive images of people of color. As a result the two developed a bond that mothers and daughters everywhere will find inspiring. Both a universally touching mother-daughter story and a portrait of a dazzling American family, Always Wear Joy is a memoir readers won't soon forget.

About this title

Review:

"[An] extraordinary story."--Essence

"This love-filled, uplifting book will gladden your heart, moisten your eyes, and leave you smiling at the end."--Malachy McCourt, author of A Monk Swimming: A Memoir

"At last, at last a memoir by a daughter who appreciates and loves her mother, at last."--Bill Cosby

"A moving tribute from a daughter to a mother [and] a book about the undefeatable spirit of black women everywhere."--E. Lynn Harris

"A distinguished memoir as well as an important contribution to black cultural history."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

"Moving and beautifully rendered."--Town & Country

"A daughter's ode to her mother who showed her 'infinity instead of . . .limitations.' This is no Mommie Dearest."--Vogue

About the Author:

Susan Fales-Hill is an award-winning television writer and producer. She has worked on shows ranging from The Cosby Show to A Different World, Linc's, and Suddenly Susan. Her writing has also appeared in Vogue, Town & Country, and Travel & Leisure. She lives in New York City.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060566728
• ISBN 13: 9780060566722
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304