Released just about a month ago, August 9, 2022, ‘I’m glad my mom died’ is now a #1 New York Bestseller.
The former actor and singer Jeannette McCurdy has struck gold with her first novel sharing the abuse that she endured at the hands and lips of her mother, who passed away in 2013.
American writer, director, actress, and producer, 36-year-old Lena Dunham, who is known as the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series Girls, read and reviewed McCurdy’s novel and had this to say. She called it ‘An important cultural document’.
Sold on Barnes & Noble and Amazon as well as many other places in its hardcover form or for Kindle or as an audiobook or audio CD, ‘I’m glad my mom died’ is now an international bestseller.
So what’s the book about?
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor–including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother–and how she retook control of her life.
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Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail–just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.
Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.
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