Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story

by Carol Burnett

In this beautiful and poignant tribute to her late daughter, award-winning actress and New York Times bestselling author Carol Burnett presents a funny and moving memoir about mothering an extraordinary young woman through the struggles and triumphs of her life.Despite her busy schedule, Carol Burnett always made time for her three young children. But her oldest daughter, Carrie, faltered in adolescence, losing the self-esteem that had fueled her popularity and success in school and hiding her pain in a downward spiral of addiction. As Carrie became lost to drugs, Carol found herself with a daughter in grave danger and a marriage that was bending under the pressure.



Carrie eventually broke free from her addiction. Like her mother, she had a wonderful sense of humor and became a successful actress, singer, and writer, even writing a play about Carol’s childhood. But tragedy struck again when Carrie was diagnosed with cancer. She died at the young age of thirty-eight, leaving a legacy of kindness, creativity, and joy along with a short story that mirrors her own journey, published for the first time in this book.



In Carrie and Me, Carol Burnett shares her personal diary entries and correspondence revealing her anguish as a mother of a troubled teenager, the epiphanies that helped her help her family, and the grief and then the hope she felt after Carrie’s death. Through Burnett’s inimitable voice, we get a portrait of an unforgettable young woman that will bring hope to anyone struggling with raising or losing a child.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Family, Humor

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2013

About the author

CAROL BURNETT has been an actor on Broadway, on television, and in the movies. She has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The Mark Twain Prize for Humor and the Kennedy Center Honors, among other singular achievements of a woman comedian who was nothing less than a pioneer and a role model for today's stars.

-About the Author, In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

This must have been a very difficult book to write, but it is a beautiful tribute to Ms. Burnett's oldest daughter who battled addiction and then cancer and yet accomplished so many things that most people only dream of. And yet...I can only say that this was an ok read for me. I don't know what I was expecting, but I just didn't get a sense of the entire relationship between Burnett and Carrie. The emails between mother and daughter weren't enough for me to get a sense of their true relationship, the "love story" between them. It was touching that the emails were kept over the years and made for an interesting way to write a book, but I think I was just missing the narrative that Burnett is so good at and it felt to me as though she, too, was a reader of the story she was trying to tell. Good for her for attempting to share her daughter's story. I am sure it was painful.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are expecting Carol Burnett's slapstick humor you won't find it here. What you will find is a wonderful story of a mothers love for her daughter and the story of a vivacious, fun loving, insightful young lady that dies way too early. It is the rare book that makes you feel like you are a better person when you finish than when you started.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a tribute to Carole Burnett's daughter Carrie. A lot of reviewers focus on her early drug addiction, but that was only a small part of the story. The talent and overall personality of this young woman came through in the shared emails between mother and daughter. It was a good read, not great but also gave the reader a lot to ponder.....

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this one and it is read by Carol Burnett in all her cracked voice glory. Sweet, sad and wonderful, her love for her daughter and her daughter's love for her really shines through. Highly Recommended.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very quick read. Be prepared though and have a box of kleenex handy, it is very sad. There is no way to prepare yourself to read about the loss of a child.

[Lee Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's difficult to be critical of a woman who's written a book about losing her first-born child. It's difficult to be critical of a woman whom I have fiercely loved and idolized for most of my life. It's hard to write a review of this book without going into the armchair psychology of the child of a famous person and the self-indulgent, peripatetic life she led, knowing you must also take into account how hard it must be to live that life and be anything but an aimless, conflicted person.

But here we are.

I was expecting more of a memoir, more details of Carrie Hamilton's life. Instead, there's just a brief sketch of Carrie's drug-addicted teen years (I'm not even sure I know what drugs she was using), then she's clean, suddenly she's in her late thirties, living in a rustic Colorado home, doing occasional acting work to pay the bills (Mom pays some, presumably?), and fancying herself a writer. The front half of the book mainly consists of emails between mother and daughter. Carrie pours her heart out about her life, and her desire to write; Carol responds with what usually amounts to "That's nice, dear," and this repeats and repeats. There's no real sense that Carol and Carrie know or interact with one another as real live human adults. Carrie decides to drive solo to Memphis as research for a story she's writing, and makes stops at some ancestral family locations. Then, when she returns to Colorado, she begins showing symptoms of the lung and brain cancer that will all too quickly kill her. While you can feel Carol Burnett's pain at losing her daughter, none of it is explored with any depth. This is not Joan Didion's Blue Nights, which covers similar themes with real intensity.

The second half of the book is the first draft of Carrie's story, about a troubled young LA woman who makes a mysterious trip to Graceland with a strange man. I hate to say it, but it's terrible. Cliched, vague, and full of one-dimensional, hacky supporting characters (the kindly black woman in the Baptist church, the blind widow whose children never visit, the young girl trapped in a small town who just wants to escape) that are no surprise after reading Carrie's emails, in which she unknowingly treats all the poor and especially the African American people she meets as charming, sanitized, and exotic museum exhibits.

Such a disappointment.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of Carol Burnett. so far i have read all her books. this one is a "love story" to her daughter Carrie Hamilton. Carrie died from lung cancer at only 38 years old. in 2002. this book is divided in two parts the first which takes about 75 percent of the book.is from Carol sharing emails between her and Carrie. and snippets from Carrie's life. part of this includes the few years during Carrie's teens when she was on drugs and trips to drug rehab. I was impressed by Carrie she was a loving free spirit who could light up a room. some of the book is made up of the emails exchanged between Carrie and her mother. at this time Carrie was working on a book she named "Sunrise in Memphis"Carol and Carrie were also working on a play together named " Hollywood Arms" this play was about Carol and her grandmother who raised her from a young child in California.[it was later a play in New York with Linda Lavin as the grandmother} this is a very quick read. Carol Burnett wrote a touching book devoted to her daughter's life.
the second part of this book is the unfinished book that Carrie was working on she called "sunrise in Memphis" this story is about a young woman Named Kate, who wants to go to Memphis and see Graceland. after a night getting drunk she ends up some how with a young man who is she calls the cowboy. they strike up a friendship and make a road trip to Graceland. along the way they meet people from different towns, all having stories to tell Kate. the end of this short story ends up at the Memphis gates. since this is an unfinished novel. there is not an actual ending. Carrie actually asked her mother to finish the novel for her but Carol felt she could not since this is Carrie's story. from the 44 pages I read it looked like it had a good storyline. I wish Carrie had the chance to finish her novel.I would have liked to see some more of the stories she would have wrote for Kate to hear along the road trip. I can she Carrie was talented in her own right.
A nice read from a mother who wanted to write a love story about her daughter. UPDATE: this is my second time to read this book. good again.

[Jackie Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful testament to both Carol & Carrie Burnett. The beautiful way in which Carol Burnett writes about her daughter and her daughter's problems with addiction.

At such an early age Carrie began to rebel and took it a step further and turned to drugs to help her ease herself into life. As we see a more solid Carrie later in the book, I can't help but wonder why she was not a stronger person when she was younger.

It seems as if Carrie left an impression on those she met with her smile and her quirky personality. The closeness shared with her parents at the beginning of the book it somehow lost during her years with addiction and comes full circle. I loved learning of the projects that Carol and Carrie did together and how Carol was tough when necessary, but also there for her daughter.

It is such a shame to have lost a child at 38. The second part of the book is what Carrie had already written in her book Sunrise in Memphis. I actually enjoyed the story, although at times I felt there were places that had not yet been smoothed out.

This was a solid 4 star book for me.

[Keith Cornell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carol Burnett seems to be part of the fabric of my life. I have enjoyed her since I was a young boy. She has touched so many people in so many ways. I have read all of her books. This one is a loving tribute to her daughter Carrie who was taken too young. Carol lovingly exposes her story of Carrie's troubles with drugs at an early age again but with a new chapters. We get to read about Carrie's career after her drug recovery and how she and Carol worked together on stage and TV. Carol then shares through documented emails and her phone conversations about Carrie's cancer diagnosis. Carol has also lovingly printed Carrie's unfinished book in the last portion of this book. It's again a wonderful expression of tribute Carol can share about her oldest child taken away too soon. Bless you Carol and Carrie. Quick read and very enjoyable.Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carol Burnett writes a loving, tender memoir of her beautiful daughter, Carrie Hamilton, who died at the age of thirty-eight. Reading from a mother's perspective, I cried. Reading from a daughter's perspective, I cried. Somehow, through memories and email correspondence, Carol pieces together her daughter's time on Earth, willing Carrie back to life on every page.

From Carol's pregnancy with Carrie, through to the dispensing of Carrie's ashes, Carol Burnett lays bare the special relationship between mother and daughter. Carol celebrates her daughter's life and all her wonderful accomplishments. Her writing creates a familiarity with Carrie that touches my heart and makes me feel that I know this quirky, talented, fun-loving woman with the sparkling smile. I'm so glad that I read this book. Reading about Carrie and her unique perspective makes me feel happy, much in the way Carrie spread her happiness and goodness to those people she loved and to those who loved her.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a poignant and tragic memoir of Carol Burnett and her tempestuous relationship with her oldest daughter.

As a teenager, Carrie Hamilton, began using drugs. This was a harrowing time for Carol Burnett and her husband Joe Hamilton. Carol narrates their discovery of Carrie's drug abuse, their efforts to help her out of the futile snare of drugs, even admitting her into rehab centers at two different times while Carrie was still under the legal age.

The most profound thing Carol wrote in this book was, "Sometimes you have to love your child enough to make them hate you."

There is a twenty year gap in this short and engaging memoir. It fast forwards to Carrie in her thirties. By this time she has put drugs behind her. She is also divorced and living alone with her Great Dane, Pee Wee in a Cabin in Colorado, writing stories and movies.

While there she and her mother exchange e mails. This section of the book is mostly epistolary and provides a first hand account of the loving and close relationship mother and daughter have developed.

Carrie decides to retrace her mother's childhood and upbringing so the e mails describe Carries time in San Antonio at the first house Carol was raised in, to Arkansas to meet distant family members and finally to Graceland, because during this time Carrie has been writing a book about a woman and man who travel there and the development of their relationship.

This section of the book ends with Carrie's cancer and death at thirty-eight.

The second section is the rough draft of Carrie's book.

I do not know if this book was ghost written or Carol Burnett wrote it herself, but it is warm and colorful, unlike many "as told to" memoirs by celebrities, which are often dry as toast.

If you're a Carol Burnett fan like me, you'll find this book interesting.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carol Burnett writes a memoir about her relationship with her daughter Carrie who passed away. The book is divided into two parts: the first part is primarily Carrie's diaries and Carol's correspondence with her daughter; the second part is Carrie's unfinished story "Sunrise in Memphis". Some stories include Carrie's first day of school, Carrie's teenage and adult struggles with drug addiction, Carrie's acting and music careers, Carrie's last road trip before her illness, Carrie's battle with lung cancer, the production of "Hollywood Arms" (based on Carol's 1986 memoir), and Carol's multiple spiritual encounters after her daughter's passing. The audiobook is read by the author too. Readers sensitive to descriptions of cancer progression, profanity, or of parents grieving over the loss of their child might want to skip this book. Some readers might be frustrated at the slow progression of the narrative, while other readers might appreciate the slow pacing as it emphasizes the author's thoughtful self-reflections on what she knows about her daughter.

[Carolyn Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story about Carol Burnett's daughter, Carrie. She was an interesting and inspiring person, and a great writer. Carol narrated the story herself, which I believe took great courage. Thank you, Carol.

[Jannelle Meier · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I enjoy Carol Burnett but I had a difficult time getting into the story. By the end of the first part, I was liking it more. The second part of the book is the story Carrie was working on when she died. The story itself had potential but needed so much work--it's disappointing Carrie didn't have the opportunity to make it shine. The world lost an amazing woman.

[Neil Mudde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always adored, and have great respect for Carol Burnett, she has given me many hours of laughs, who can forget the curtains worn as dress in one of her gone with the wind scenes, and there are so many others
A few weeks ago I watched "the view" which had Carol as a guest, and discovered she had written this book, knew very little about her personal life, so thought it would be interesting to read this book.
Being a super entertainer does not an author make, it is one of those situations were one's popularity opens doors for writing, and being published.
The story is a somewhat touching story of a Mother and Daughter, one might think being in the entertainment business one might be a bit better informed about the abuse of drugs, however that was not the case, I am sure Carrie was a great person, drawing a lot of attention away by her behaviour from her two other sisters, I have never seen Carrie perform, will look for some of the segments she was in, She has written a story which is interesting but nothing earth-shattering, it is only due to
Carol being who she, is allowed her to have this book published, which in a way is sad, since there are thousands of writers out there who ought to have their work published. Carrie was very fortunate to have been born into this affluent family.
The interaction of Mother and Daughter via e-mails is interesting as I got the feeling that Mother needed to compliment, praise her daughter on everything she did and wrote,sort of a mutual admiration society, not wanting to risk sending her daughter into another tailspin, and perhaps another session in rehab.
Rest in peace Carrie!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first part of the book, which was the story of Carrie Hamilton, but I was much less impressed with the second part, which was a story Carrie was working on before she died. Carol Burnett published the work to honour her daughter, but unfortunately, it reads like the early draft it was. It's clear that most of Carrie Hamilton's experience was on the screen, because in several places, particularly the end, the story read more like a screenplay than a novel, which made the flow of the text seem forced.

On a slightly unrelated note, it was lovely to listen to the audio version of this book, simply because Carol Burnett included a song Carrie had written and recorded before her death, which was an unexpected gift.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew that Carol Burnett's daughter Carrie had had addiction issues, but I did not realize that she had overcome them--only to face a fight for her life with cancer. This poignant account of mother and daughter relations through both of these struggles was very hard to read at times--one cannot help but to be emotionally drawn into it. Carrie was multi=talented and the book gives several example of her artistic versatility, including the last story she working on and which she sent drafts of to her mother. The love and grace which both mother and daughter exhibit throughout these struggles is amazing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Carol Burnett and I enjoyed learning about her oldest daughter Carrie. They had such a supportive and easy relationship in Carrie's adult years. It was a pleasure to listen to their interactions. Carol kept a promise to Carrie by reading aloud a manuscript she was writing about a trip to Graceland by a man and a woman. Frankly, I could not make heads or tails out of this. However, I do want to seek out some of Carrie's other works after having read this book.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book. It is indeed a mother-daughter love story. Written by Carol Burnett, of course there are lots of laughs. And as it was written for her daughter Carrie who died at age 38 of cancer, there are tears also. Beautiful story!

[Brian Kovesci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carrie and Me is a love letter between Carol Burnett and her daughter, Carrie Hamilton, who died before she got to live all of her life. The speed with which cancer took her must have been truly devastating, I can't imagine such an incredible woman being taken away so swiftly.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful love story between a mother and daughter. I loved the emails back and forth between the two. They were definitely cut from the same cloth. Very emotional story.

[Kaethe]

I don't know if I'll ever be able to read this, but if I am, it's not going to be until the daughters are all grown up.

Library copy

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed I didn't like this book more. I've loved Carol Burnett for 40+ years now, and I enjoyed her memoir This Time Together so very much.

Here's the thing, though. Reading other people's emails really isn't all that interesting. Nor is reading their diaries, really; not unless you're in them, and perhaps not even then. I wish Burnett had written that stuff out in story form rather than just plopping the emails in and calling it a day. It feels like it must have gone like this when she was talking about this project with her publisher:

Publisher: We want you to write another book for us.
Burnett: Okay. I have a topic in mind, I want to write about my daughter's life.
Publisher: Great. Have the first draft on my desk by Friday.
Burnett: No problem! I'll just stitch together a bunch of our old emails and throw in a few of my diary entries to pad the thing out. I can have it to you by the end of the day on Wednesday.

Also, Burnett herself narrated the audiobook, and she's got this weird habit of raising the pitch of her voice as she speaks that drove me up the wall. Maybe she's always done this and I just never noticed before, but it made the book very hard to listen to. I'm not sure how she won the Grammy for it, to be honest. It must have been a really lousy field that year.

[David Sheward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downloaded on my Kindle for about $10. A slim volume but obviously heartfelt. I finished it in a few hours. After viewing a YouTube clip from Carrie Hamilton's guest appearance with her mother on the short-lived Carol and Company, I was curious about this book. After beating a crushing drug habit in her teens, Carrie moved to a remote cabin in Colorado, toured as a musician and singer, and traveled to LA for acting gigs. She developed lung cancer and died at the tragically young age of 38. The first half of the book consists of Carol's reminiscences and email exchanges with her daughter as she takes a cross-country road trip to Memphis to visit Graceland while writing a story about a young woman making a similar journey. The second half of the book is that unfinished story, Sunrise in Memphis. The story is sentimental and reads like a proposal for a TV-movie. The heroine Kate finds herself driving to Elvis' home in the company of a mysterious, super-polite cowboy. Along the way, they meet--briefly bump into would be more accurate--a covey of the usual colorful characters. There are flashbacks to the last night she can remember--clubbing with friends in Hollywood--and to a dream of a plane crash. After a few pages, you can guess where the plot is headed. Think "Highway to Heaven." It must have been painful for Burnett to work on this project, so I won't criticize any shortcomings. It's a sweet valentine to her departed child.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! I really love Carol Burnett too!

I didn't know too much about her daughter at all before reading this book. It had a warm tone to it. I would love to meet Carol Burnett one day, she just seems so genuine and down to earth.

I had no idea her daughter, Carrie died from cancer. It was a book that worked well with both of their voices.

I always like if I can related to one of the people/characters in the book and I felt like Carrie and I could have been friends. She was so talented and she had different interests and she had a hard time melding them. I find that I am in the same boat trying to meld my talents and skills together so it was interesting to read what she says about her own.

Part of the book Carrie was working on before she passed away was included in this book and I liked reading that book. I wonder where it would have gone or ended if she had the chance to finish it.

Reading about a woman I adore and how she watched her daughter die was sad. This book did a nice job of capturing the love and respect these two woman had for each other and I could feel it through the pages.

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook which was read by the author, Carol Burnett. She should have opted for some other professional reader as at times her voice was ready to crack and at other times (often) sounded quite dispassionate. The first made it difficult to listen to & the 2nd made it difficult to follow the story thread.
The 1st part of the book was a memoir of Carrie Hamilton. The 2nd part was a reading of the story that Carrie had been working on before she died of cancer (lung and brain) at 38 yrs old.
I usually don't read memoirs, especially of celebrities, so I didn't have any expectations. The book was better than ok, but certainly wasn't great. I'd never have selected this book on my own, but it's for a book group that I enjoy participating in, and I'm sure we'll have an excellent discussion as there are many topics to talk about including drug and alcohol addiction; growing up and finding out what one's talents are and pursuing them; dealing with a terminal illness, especially at an early age; parents' dealing with a child's death, etc.
I did learn that Carrie Hamilton was an actor, musician, songwriter, and author.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie and Carol saw the value in coming forward during Carrie's teenaged struggle with drug addiction. Personal troubles were never talked about during the late 70s, so when they agreed to go public via People magazine, a whole new era of help opened up.
Once Carrie became successful at sobriety, her acting, directing, and writing career bloomed.
Then Carrie's lung cancer spread to her brain. She was gone at thirty-eight.

Carol shares their email exchanges during Carrie's last year and I was struck by how optimistic Carrie seemed before her diagnosis. She was filled with gratitude for the sober time she'd been given and made it part of her mission to give talks in middle and high schools.

Carrie and Carol acted together in many TV shows and specials during the good times.
I found the Touched By An Angel episode on YouTube and it was great.

The second part of this book is the novel Sunrise in Memphis that Carrie and Carol wrote together, and I enjoyed their collaboration very much.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book in terms of life beyond the headlines. Monica Lewinsky has written of this. Recently, I read an interview with Paris Hilton who said, because it had been taped, her whole life was defined by a single evening's activity.
The behavior that had come to unfairly define Carrie Hamilton's life happened when she was fourteen years old, a child. Hate to think anything I did, good or bad, at fourteen would be all anyone knew of me. I think it is unfair that what she did as a young teenager even gets mentioned, yet alone becomes central to her story.
This capsulizing of her life is not malicious or even something that is only done by strangers. Here, in this very loving tribute, her own mother glosses over Carrie's life between the ages of 17 and 37 in scarcely a page.
This is not a particularly good book, but a very good lesson about how people are more than what gets presented on the cover of People.

[Sandra Acacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part one is Carol writing about Carrie, part two is Carrie's unfinished story Sunrise in Memphis .
This book is not what I was wanting to read or what I was expecting to read.
I was wanting to read something funny by this wonderful comedienne Carol Burnett but instead I was drawn into this story about her daughter. It's about a family struggling with addiction. How they cope trying to raise the children they love and keep them safe. How to dish out tough love, not knowing what to do, but doing their best.
Carol had alcoholic parents, then her daughter Carrie was addicted to drugs and then finally her husband.
l didn't know or expect Carrie to die during the story.
It turned into a wonderful story about a family sharing and retelling tales about curret and past generations.
I want to read it again