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Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond
It’s finally time for Jan, Jan, Jan!
As Jan Brady, America’s most memorable middle child on the beloved TV sitcom, The Brady Bunch, Eve Plumb has been an enduring icon of American pop culture for over 60 years. Now in an engaging, intimate memoir, she shares the behind-the-scenes story of her colorful and impressively versatile Hollywood career and revelatory recollections of her off-camera life along the way—complete with many photos from her private archives.
Recognized world-wide as Jan Brady, the wonderfully misunderstood middle sister on television’s The Brady Bunch, actress Eve Plumb has embraced the association that seemed destined at age 10 when she was cast on The Brady Bunch. The iconic 1970s TV series has been in perpetual reruns for five decades and is well known by three generations of children and adults. Her engaging memoir reveals that her stint on The Brady Bunch was only the beginning of her TV career, a young lady with the confidence and spunk that her on-screen character often humorously lacked.
Eve Plumb’s six decades as a TV and stage actress reads like a veritable history of the golden age of TV. Her long career began when a talent agent in her Los Angeles neighborhood suggested that the six year old audition for a national TV commercial. She was cast and many commercials followed (including Barbie commercials). Within a year, Eve was being cast in guest star roles, often multiple episodes, in the top TV series of the 60s and 70 Gunsmoke, Lassie, Family Affair, Mannix, The Big Valley, It Takes a Thief, The Virginian, and Here’s Lucy.
Following five seasons of ABCs anchor Friday night show, The Brady Bunch, and recording albums and touring nationally with The Brady Kids singing group, Eve was cast as the lead role in Dawn, Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, at age 17. A dramatic departure from the sweet Brady family, the NBC hit TV movie came with a “parental discretion” warning in the opening titles. The movie’s success sparked the highly-rated sequel with Eve The Other Side of Dawn.
Continuous guest star roles filled her young adult life as an actress on highly rated TV shows, including The Facts of Life, One Day at a Time, Fantasy Island, Love Boat, Wonder Woman, and a multi-episode sitcom called The Brady Brides, featuring Eve as a young newlywed, along with Maureen McCormick from the original series.
Eve brought her acting experience to the New York stage. Tony-winning Broadway Producer Ken Davenport cast Eve in the lead role for the Times Square debut of Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage, with a six month run. She also appeared on stage in NY and regionally in “Love, Loss and What I Wore.”
Eve’s recent television credits include A Holiday Spectacular for Hallmark, Law and SVU, Blue Bloods, Bull, Grease Live!, Crashing, a recurring role on Hulu’s The Path, and as the voice of Big Judy on Praise Petey.
Today, Eve is a talented visual artist, with thirty-five years of experience, whose oil paintings have been displayed and sold in galleries here in the U.S. and Europe. Chock-full of Brady Bunch nostalgia and the skinny on countless classic TV shows with recollections straight from the set, this is Eve Plumb as you’ve never seen her.
As Jan Brady, America’s most memorable middle child on the beloved TV sitcom, The Brady Bunch, Eve Plumb has been an enduring icon of American pop culture for over 60 years. Now in an engaging, intimate memoir, she shares the behind-the-scenes story of her colorful and impressively versatile Hollywood career and revelatory recollections of her off-camera life along the way—complete with many photos from her private archives.
Recognized world-wide as Jan Brady, the wonderfully misunderstood middle sister on television’s The Brady Bunch, actress Eve Plumb has embraced the association that seemed destined at age 10 when she was cast on The Brady Bunch. The iconic 1970s TV series has been in perpetual reruns for five decades and is well known by three generations of children and adults. Her engaging memoir reveals that her stint on The Brady Bunch was only the beginning of her TV career, a young lady with the confidence and spunk that her on-screen character often humorously lacked.
Eve Plumb’s six decades as a TV and stage actress reads like a veritable history of the golden age of TV. Her long career began when a talent agent in her Los Angeles neighborhood suggested that the six year old audition for a national TV commercial. She was cast and many commercials followed (including Barbie commercials). Within a year, Eve was being cast in guest star roles, often multiple episodes, in the top TV series of the 60s and 70 Gunsmoke, Lassie, Family Affair, Mannix, The Big Valley, It Takes a Thief, The Virginian, and Here’s Lucy.
Following five seasons of ABCs anchor Friday night show, The Brady Bunch, and recording albums and touring nationally with The Brady Kids singing group, Eve was cast as the lead role in Dawn, Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, at age 17. A dramatic departure from the sweet Brady family, the NBC hit TV movie came with a “parental discretion” warning in the opening titles. The movie’s success sparked the highly-rated sequel with Eve The Other Side of Dawn.
Continuous guest star roles filled her young adult life as an actress on highly rated TV shows, including The Facts of Life, One Day at a Time, Fantasy Island, Love Boat, Wonder Woman, and a multi-episode sitcom called The Brady Brides, featuring Eve as a young newlywed, along with Maureen McCormick from the original series.
Eve brought her acting experience to the New York stage. Tony-winning Broadway Producer Ken Davenport cast Eve in the lead role for the Times Square debut of Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage, with a six month run. She also appeared on stage in NY and regionally in “Love, Loss and What I Wore.”
Eve’s recent television credits include A Holiday Spectacular for Hallmark, Law and SVU, Blue Bloods, Bull, Grease Live!, Crashing, a recurring role on Hulu’s The Path, and as the voice of Big Judy on Praise Petey.
Today, Eve is a talented visual artist, with thirty-five years of experience, whose oil paintings have been displayed and sold in galleries here in the U.S. and Europe. Chock-full of Brady Bunch nostalgia and the skinny on countless classic TV shows with recollections straight from the set, this is Eve Plumb as you’ve never seen her.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
July 24, 2026
A strange degree of comfort spilled from this book for me.
Jan is my favorite always.
The writing is not 4 stars.
The timing of the book is odd.
This 4 stars would have been 5 stars all the way until 25 pages to the ending if Jan had not pulled out of her hat a giant infomercial on her brand Happiness Included. Tacky, Jan. Very.
So, I forgive Jan and you can too.
The 5 stars was going to be awarded for bringing me straight back to an era of idyllic peace that children were afforded even when the world was probably still being lit on fire with war and unrest. I could practically hear the birds chirping in the background. Even as a working child actress Jan was given the peace of childhood and her parents took that job seriously. Because I grew up in that era a few years after Jan the birds still chirped for me too.
We just seem so far removed from that now or, I, at least, feel far removed from that. Disappearing into this book for a few days was like an extravagant spa day that I didn’t know I needed.
Jan is my favorite always.
The writing is not 4 stars.
The timing of the book is odd.
This 4 stars would have been 5 stars all the way until 25 pages to the ending if Jan had not pulled out of her hat a giant infomercial on her brand Happiness Included. Tacky, Jan. Very.
So, I forgive Jan and you can too.
The 5 stars was going to be awarded for bringing me straight back to an era of idyllic peace that children were afforded even when the world was probably still being lit on fire with war and unrest. I could practically hear the birds chirping in the background. Even as a working child actress Jan was given the peace of childhood and her parents took that job seriously. Because I grew up in that era a few years after Jan the birds still chirped for me too.
We just seem so far removed from that now or, I, at least, feel far removed from that. Disappearing into this book for a few days was like an extravagant spa day that I didn’t know I needed.
May 25, 2026
Why does it feel like she had to research her own life? This book feels half like a historical biography filled with letters from the archives and long passages of useless (and irrelevant) facts and half off the cuff, long-winded, meandering conversation with your wine aunt. Constantly jumping back and forth in time and littered with pointless tangents, Happiness Included comes off as defensive and arrogant. The only time she drops anything of real interest in when she'll flipantly drop a sexual abuse or misconduct allegation at the end of a paragraph and then move on. She likes to bring up what should be a bombshell (like making Alice sound like a total bitch) and then say "but those were the times" and never bring it up again. 80% of the book is just her telling us how professional she is, when the stories she tells kind of paint a different picture. I often bring up with autobiographies and memoirs that there are two reasons celebrities write one, for the audience or for themselves. I guess I was wrong and missed the third category, for money. There isn't anything to learn from this book and anything that you might has to be earmarked as coming from a very unreliable narrator. There aren't really any lessons to be learned or insights to be gleaned. One of the most common ways working with a "co-writer" goes is the celebrity yammers on for a couple of hours and then the co-writer cuts and pastes that together into a book. I have no idea what the fuck happened in this case because it's all over the place. We get the same story multiple times (and even with phrases repeated) and Eve keeps dropping little historical fun facts about everyone and everywhere. She'll see some celebrity across the room and give us their entite filmography and backstory. She'll move for the sixth time and give is the geological history of the neighborhood. It's fucking Pop Up Video. The worst part is that there really just aren't any interesting stories here. She kind of warns us that if you were looking for a dark and gritty story about drug abuse and struggles, she didn't live that kind of life. Firstly, doubt. Your alcoholic mom, your resentment of your past (even though you keep saying you aren't resentful and then shit on everyone saying that), and what you make seem like pretty consistent allegations of one kind or another beg to differ. Secondly, was your life really that boring that you forgot most of it (she very clearly had to ask around and dig through her parents' notebooks and journals to get information about her own fucking life) and had to tell us about the lives and deaths of all your pets? Thirdly, you clearly have things you want to say, but you either skirt around the issue and instead give vague praise (damn near everybody is described as professional in the same sentence as a dig about how rude they were to kids or arrogant or something else) or plop it out like it's nothing and move along without explaining. Most reviews seem to be entirely focused on the nostalgia and not on the actual product here (or they got an ARC and gave it a good review because they want to continue to get ARC's). The book is poorly written and structured with nothing of value said. It feels inauthentic and more like she's writing herself a puff piece to combat the public perception of herself, though I feel this book has the opposite effect. I guess there were some kind of interesting bits about the Brady Bunch set, but again, she presents everything like she's a historian who went through countless hours or research and interviews in order to tell us the story of her own life. It's even evident in all the pictures, which are all tagged "From the author's personal collection" as if we're at a fucking museum or reading a text book. If you cut out all the extraneous little tidbits and repeated stories, streamlined her babbling into a clean story, and put everything in chronological order, you could have an okay little novella here. As it is though, it's rough. After the first chapter I was already debating whether to keep reading or not. Happiness Included is like a 258 page speech-to-text session that they went back and made grammatically correct, but didn't bother to actually double check the content.
August 12, 2026
Eve Plumb is the 3rd Brady actor to write their autobiography, but the first one I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Plumb spends a little bit of time clearing up the misconception that she wants to forget all things Jan Brady, and then gets on telling interesting stories of her time before the Brady Bunch, detailing many of the classic shows she guest starred on and interesting celebrities that she worked with, a few chapters on the Brady Bunch, of course, and then her credits and life after the show, including the many incarnations of the Brady Bunch she worked on (and the one she didn’t)
If you are a fan of pop culture like I am, you will enjoy Plumb’s book and stories of shows that she’s been involved in, such as Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and especially the cult favorite, Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway. She does not dish any dirt- anything she share about her co-stars is already been written about in one of their own books.
Plumb comes off as a delightful story teller and had me wishing that the book was longer! Strong recommendation to Brady and Pop Culture fans!
Plumb spends a little bit of time clearing up the misconception that she wants to forget all things Jan Brady, and then gets on telling interesting stories of her time before the Brady Bunch, detailing many of the classic shows she guest starred on and interesting celebrities that she worked with, a few chapters on the Brady Bunch, of course, and then her credits and life after the show, including the many incarnations of the Brady Bunch she worked on (and the one she didn’t)
If you are a fan of pop culture like I am, you will enjoy Plumb’s book and stories of shows that she’s been involved in, such as Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and especially the cult favorite, Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway. She does not dish any dirt- anything she share about her co-stars is already been written about in one of their own books.
Plumb comes off as a delightful story teller and had me wishing that the book was longer! Strong recommendation to Brady and Pop Culture fans!
April 30, 2026
I grew up on the Brady Bunch, which debuted in 1969, when I was five. Though I was Cindy’s age, Jan was my favorite Brady. I identified with her iconic line, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” which seemed like a metaphor for my life. Imagine my disappointment reading in HAPPINESS INCLUDED that Eve Plumb hated being associated with the line. As an adult, Eve felt being reminded of that iconic line was mocking, rather than the respect for how her delivery of those three words encompassed so much meaning.
In HAPPINESS INCLUDED, Eve acknowledges her privilege of growing up with loving parents and having escaped the traps many child actors encountered—exploitation, sexual abuse, substances. Though being free from mistreatment shouldn’t be a privilege, Eve came of age before most protections were in place.
For readers, the downside of Eve’s un-fraught childhood is that HAPPINESS INCLUDED lacks the dramatic flair of other former child actors. Of course, she’s far better off and I’m glad for her.
Eve shows vignettes from her life, rather than telling them. Between my memories of her acting life and her descriptive writing, Eve transported me to the sets of her life.
I enjoyed HAPPINESS INCLUDED very much.
In HAPPINESS INCLUDED, Eve acknowledges her privilege of growing up with loving parents and having escaped the traps many child actors encountered—exploitation, sexual abuse, substances. Though being free from mistreatment shouldn’t be a privilege, Eve came of age before most protections were in place.
For readers, the downside of Eve’s un-fraught childhood is that HAPPINESS INCLUDED lacks the dramatic flair of other former child actors. Of course, she’s far better off and I’m glad for her.
Eve shows vignettes from her life, rather than telling them. Between my memories of her acting life and her descriptive writing, Eve transported me to the sets of her life.
I enjoyed HAPPINESS INCLUDED very much.
June 9, 2026
Summer Reading [FLP] Challenge: #5
Thank you to NetGalley, Eve Plumb and Marcia Wilke, and Kensington Publishing/Citadel Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Eve Plumb and Marcia Wilke, and Kensington Publishing/Citadel Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2026
I liked reading about the insight scoop on the Bradys. Not much else really happens in the book, but it was a fun little palette cleanser. Nothing memorable, though.
May 8, 2026
What a treat this memoir was. Eve Plumb delivers an honest, engaging look at a life that spans far more than her iconic role as Jan Brady, and she never sugarcoats any of it. Her strong upbringing comes through on every page, but she's refreshingly candid rather than overly polished.
The book covers so much more ground than you might expect, from decades of television and stage work to her career as a visual artist, and it never loses momentum. Her dry wit keeps things moving, and the behind-the-scenes Brady Bunch details are genuinely fun without overshadowing the rest of her story.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley, and I also had the bonus of getting a physical copy signed by Eve at a book signing. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a well-told Hollywood memoir with real substance behind it.
The book covers so much more ground than you might expect, from decades of television and stage work to her career as a visual artist, and it never loses momentum. Her dry wit keeps things moving, and the behind-the-scenes Brady Bunch details are genuinely fun without overshadowing the rest of her story.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley, and I also had the bonus of getting a physical copy signed by Eve at a book signing. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a well-told Hollywood memoir with real substance behind it.
September 9, 2026
“Here’s the story of a lovely lady…..”
We all know the iconic opening song to the successful tv show The Brady Bunch, which a lot of us grew up with.
One of the most memorable and legendary sitcoms about everyday life in a large family.
But there’s a lot of behind the scenes that many don’t know.
Eve Plumb who played Jan has released a memoir titled Happiness Included…… Jan Brady And Beyond.
It tells of her early life as a child actor, growing up with older siblings, her many guest spots on many popular television series of the time and her plentiful auditions.
Then she got the role that everyone around the world would recognise her from and the most successful of her acting career.
While Eve will be fondly remembered as the middle child, there was many behind the scenes fun, trips together, some things that irritated her but most of all the bonds they had as child actors.
The Brady Bunch, according to Eve, was a delight to work on and gives her one of the most famous faces still to this day.
On screen from 1969 to 1974 and five seasons later it came to an end.
Eve went on to act in many TV shows, mini series and TV movies.
Over the later years as Brady fever continued with reruns, spin offs and movie reboots, there was always one of those characters on our screens and we get some personal tidbits and some insight into her relationships and marriage as well.
This was an ok memoir, I found the only real interesting bits to me were everything The Brady Bunch era.
The rest, it felt like Eve looked up Wikipedia and quoted from the page.
We all know the iconic opening song to the successful tv show The Brady Bunch, which a lot of us grew up with.
One of the most memorable and legendary sitcoms about everyday life in a large family.
But there’s a lot of behind the scenes that many don’t know.
Eve Plumb who played Jan has released a memoir titled Happiness Included…… Jan Brady And Beyond.
It tells of her early life as a child actor, growing up with older siblings, her many guest spots on many popular television series of the time and her plentiful auditions.
Then she got the role that everyone around the world would recognise her from and the most successful of her acting career.
While Eve will be fondly remembered as the middle child, there was many behind the scenes fun, trips together, some things that irritated her but most of all the bonds they had as child actors.
The Brady Bunch, according to Eve, was a delight to work on and gives her one of the most famous faces still to this day.
On screen from 1969 to 1974 and five seasons later it came to an end.
Eve went on to act in many TV shows, mini series and TV movies.
Over the later years as Brady fever continued with reruns, spin offs and movie reboots, there was always one of those characters on our screens and we get some personal tidbits and some insight into her relationships and marriage as well.
This was an ok memoir, I found the only real interesting bits to me were everything The Brady Bunch era.
The rest, it felt like Eve looked up Wikipedia and quoted from the page.
June 22, 2026
A few years ago, I got on a Brady Bunch kick and read several books written by the actors or producers of the show. I most wanted a memoir by Eve Plumb, who, as Jan, was my favorite of the bunch, so I was pleased when I recently got my wish.
Eve started the book strongly, with the early chapters about how she got into acting, including her memories of the first shows and commercials she was on. She paints her parents well, although if you read between the lines, there were issues within her family. The behind-the-scenes info on her Brady Bunch years lacked any juicy details, or her work soon after the iconic show. Of all the Brady children, she has probably had the most acting roles afterwards, yet never truly made it big. As with most child actors, she wanted to break free of the stereotyping and tried to distance herself from the Jan role, and perhaps unfairly was accused of being bitter about it. She skimmed over decades of her life, which included a first marriage before finding long-lasting love with her current husband. She now has found a second career as a painter, with a few galleries showcasing her work.
This memoir proved to be rather bloodless, as I was hoping for more, but any writer needs to live with what they wrote and doesn't want to torpedo relationships or their legacy, so we readers have to accept that. Paired with the other Brady books I have read, I still enjoyed the nostalgia about a beloved classic show from my childhood. (Actual review 3.5/5)
Eve started the book strongly, with the early chapters about how she got into acting, including her memories of the first shows and commercials she was on. She paints her parents well, although if you read between the lines, there were issues within her family. The behind-the-scenes info on her Brady Bunch years lacked any juicy details, or her work soon after the iconic show. Of all the Brady children, she has probably had the most acting roles afterwards, yet never truly made it big. As with most child actors, she wanted to break free of the stereotyping and tried to distance herself from the Jan role, and perhaps unfairly was accused of being bitter about it. She skimmed over decades of her life, which included a first marriage before finding long-lasting love with her current husband. She now has found a second career as a painter, with a few galleries showcasing her work.
This memoir proved to be rather bloodless, as I was hoping for more, but any writer needs to live with what they wrote and doesn't want to torpedo relationships or their legacy, so we readers have to accept that. Paired with the other Brady books I have read, I still enjoyed the nostalgia about a beloved classic show from my childhood. (Actual review 3.5/5)
June 9, 2026
Thank you for Netgalley for supplying an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.
When I was young, Fridays were a day I looked forward to. Often, I would stay over at my best friend Barbara's house. We would always watch The Brady Bunch. Spending time with a much more normal family than my own while watching a show about a family that was unrealistically ideal made a big impact on me. It was my happy place.
I always related to Jan the middle child the most on the show. I'm not a middle child. I wasn't cute or wore store bought clothes like Jan. I was overlooked in favor of an older sibling though. That and the eyeglasses might have been what I related to.
Eve Plumb, who played Jan writes about her time in Hollywood. There are no huge revelations here. Eve appears to be a well-balanced human despite being a child star. I found Eve likable and this book was an easy read. Just like The Brady Bunch show, this book was pleasant but not remarkable in any way.
When I was young, Fridays were a day I looked forward to. Often, I would stay over at my best friend Barbara's house. We would always watch The Brady Bunch. Spending time with a much more normal family than my own while watching a show about a family that was unrealistically ideal made a big impact on me. It was my happy place.
I always related to Jan the middle child the most on the show. I'm not a middle child. I wasn't cute or wore store bought clothes like Jan. I was overlooked in favor of an older sibling though. That and the eyeglasses might have been what I related to.
Eve Plumb, who played Jan writes about her time in Hollywood. There are no huge revelations here. Eve appears to be a well-balanced human despite being a child star. I found Eve likable and this book was an easy read. Just like The Brady Bunch show, this book was pleasant but not remarkable in any way.
July 21, 2026
At times, a bit slow and mundane and perhaps a bit “defensive” in tone - especially in the early pages. But after a while, I found myself appreciating her experiences and the things the author learned from those experiences, from those involved, and from her perspective as a growing child in an industry and upbringing that was simply different from that of the average kid.
I also appreciated the nostalgic look back - not just as a part of the Brady Bunch - but at places she had been - e.g., her family’s summer bungalow near the beach, subsequently razed and replaced by a large modern home, decades later - and people who left a lifelong impression. Aaah….childhood family memories.
Of course, there was commentary about Eve’s parents and the awkwardness of child-acting in the adult world and transitioning from cute child actor to the competitive adult landscape in that industry. It was nice to see her “find herself” along the way. (Life lessons).
And, of course, as with all of us in life, she dealt with loss and health challenges. Overall, the book is a nice “share”, and perhaps because I can appreciate the nostalgic look back at life’s stages and influences, as well as some of the actors and characters referenced, I found it more interesting and enjoyable than I had expected.
I also appreciated the nostalgic look back - not just as a part of the Brady Bunch - but at places she had been - e.g., her family’s summer bungalow near the beach, subsequently razed and replaced by a large modern home, decades later - and people who left a lifelong impression. Aaah….childhood family memories.
Of course, there was commentary about Eve’s parents and the awkwardness of child-acting in the adult world and transitioning from cute child actor to the competitive adult landscape in that industry. It was nice to see her “find herself” along the way. (Life lessons).
And, of course, as with all of us in life, she dealt with loss and health challenges. Overall, the book is a nice “share”, and perhaps because I can appreciate the nostalgic look back at life’s stages and influences, as well as some of the actors and characters referenced, I found it more interesting and enjoyable than I had expected.
May 2, 2026
As a long time fan of The Brady Bunch and all of its incarnations since, I was excited to read another memoir from one of the kids. In terms of overall writing style, Eve sticks to chronological events for the most part so the flow is pretty easy to follow. I enjoyed reading about all the Brady related projects the most but there really isn’t much insight or deep dive into those projects or her relationships with her co-stars. I did enjoy learning about Eve’s career after The Brady Bunch ended. I had actually watched and enjoyed her other series Fudge-A-Mania back in the day so was happy to revisit that. Eve does a great job talking about how she’s managed her career over the years and also how she’s reinvented herself as a painter and now an entrepreneur as well. This was a great memoir of a successful transition from being a child actor to an adult actor.
Thank you to NetGalley and Citadel for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Citadel for the ARC.
September 23, 2026
I was scrolling through some special offers from Kobo early last night, and saw "Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond," a recently published memoir by Eve Plumb of "The Brady Bunch." I'm a sucker for show-biz memoirs, and couldn't resist having a peek at the online preview (about 10% of the book's contents).
Of course, once I did, I was hooked. I wound up buying and downloading the book to my e-reader (it WAS on sale...!), and set aside the other book(s) I was reading. It was a fast, light, easy read (a great follow-up to the heaviness of my previous book, "Trespasses," and the Troubles of Northern Ireland in the 1970s): by the time I went to bed a few hours later, I'd read 25%, and I finished it earlier tonight, a little more than 24 hours after I first picked it up.
I wasn't a HUGE fan of "The Brady Bunch," but of course I watched it, growing up. My sister and I even had one of their singing group albums (!). The Brady kids were all my age or slightly older. I'm pretty sure I've read at least one other Brady memoir in the past (pre-tracking on Goodreads) (possibly Barry Williams's "Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg"), although I don't remember for sure. At any rate, there were not many huge revelations about the show and cast members in this book that I hadn't read or heard about elsewhere.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed learning more about Eve and her family, and especially her pre- and post-Brady life. While Eve's Brady character Jan was a classic middle child, she was actually the youngest of three children, by quite a few years, and grew up as a virtual only child. She was "discovered" by her next-door neighbour, an agent who represented her throughout her childhood and teen years. Her dad was a musician who later worked for RCA as a scout and a producer. Among his discoveries: Jefferson Airplane (!) and the Monkees (!!). Pre-Brady Bunch, Eve attended one of their recording sessions and had her photo taken sitting on Davy Jones's lap. (He told her he'd marry her when she grew up -- sorry, Marcia! lol)
Eve credits her parents for shielding her from the less savoury aspects of the business and emphasizing professionalism, something that was also modelled by her TV parents, Robert Reed and Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis, who played the family's housekeeper, Alice. Eve remembers them with great love and respect. She does not see her Brady "siblings" often, but they enjoy being together whenever they do meet up, and continue to regard each other as family. She says she's closest to Christopher Knight, who played Peter, and he wrote the book's affectionate introduction.
While parts became further and fewer between in the post-Brady years, Eve has continued to work as an actress, in television, films, on stage and behind the scenes as a voiceover artist, in Los Angeles and in New York City, where she now lives with her husband, Ken. She's also an accomplished painter, and has launched a line of home decor products (called PlumbGoods, with the marketing slogan "Happiness Included"). She's also a breast cancer survivor.
The writing is nothing special, and while the actress reveals some details, she keeps others private (as is her prerogative). But if you're a fan of "The Brady Bunch," or interested in the experiences of child actors, you will probably enjoy this book.
3.5 stars on StoryGraph, rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads.
Of course, once I did, I was hooked. I wound up buying and downloading the book to my e-reader (it WAS on sale...!), and set aside the other book(s) I was reading. It was a fast, light, easy read (a great follow-up to the heaviness of my previous book, "Trespasses," and the Troubles of Northern Ireland in the 1970s): by the time I went to bed a few hours later, I'd read 25%, and I finished it earlier tonight, a little more than 24 hours after I first picked it up.
I wasn't a HUGE fan of "The Brady Bunch," but of course I watched it, growing up. My sister and I even had one of their singing group albums (!). The Brady kids were all my age or slightly older. I'm pretty sure I've read at least one other Brady memoir in the past (pre-tracking on Goodreads) (possibly Barry Williams's "Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg"), although I don't remember for sure. At any rate, there were not many huge revelations about the show and cast members in this book that I hadn't read or heard about elsewhere.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed learning more about Eve and her family, and especially her pre- and post-Brady life. While Eve's Brady character Jan was a classic middle child, she was actually the youngest of three children, by quite a few years, and grew up as a virtual only child. She was "discovered" by her next-door neighbour, an agent who represented her throughout her childhood and teen years. Her dad was a musician who later worked for RCA as a scout and a producer. Among his discoveries: Jefferson Airplane (!) and the Monkees (!!). Pre-Brady Bunch, Eve attended one of their recording sessions and had her photo taken sitting on Davy Jones's lap. (He told her he'd marry her when she grew up -- sorry, Marcia! lol)
Eve credits her parents for shielding her from the less savoury aspects of the business and emphasizing professionalism, something that was also modelled by her TV parents, Robert Reed and Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis, who played the family's housekeeper, Alice. Eve remembers them with great love and respect. She does not see her Brady "siblings" often, but they enjoy being together whenever they do meet up, and continue to regard each other as family. She says she's closest to Christopher Knight, who played Peter, and he wrote the book's affectionate introduction.
While parts became further and fewer between in the post-Brady years, Eve has continued to work as an actress, in television, films, on stage and behind the scenes as a voiceover artist, in Los Angeles and in New York City, where she now lives with her husband, Ken. She's also an accomplished painter, and has launched a line of home decor products (called PlumbGoods, with the marketing slogan "Happiness Included"). She's also a breast cancer survivor.
The writing is nothing special, and while the actress reveals some details, she keeps others private (as is her prerogative). But if you're a fan of "The Brady Bunch," or interested in the experiences of child actors, you will probably enjoy this book.
3.5 stars on StoryGraph, rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads.
June 19, 2026
I enjoyed this “behind the scenes” visit back to the ‘70s and the Brady Bunch.
June 23, 2026
I enjoyed this book and hearing about what Jan Brady has been up.to. .major.disappointed that my version on kindle had no photos.
June 3, 2026
4⭐️ Pure comfort listening. A heartfelt memoir overflowing with Brady Bunch memories, and I wasn't ready for it to end. I wanted more, more, more.
May 14, 2026
This was an interesting autobiography of TV's "Jan Brady," actress Eve Plumb. It spoke about Eve's career as a very young girl, and then when she was a little older, on "The Brady Bunch." It also tells about Eve's life after the Bradys, which includes her marriages, her pets, her breast cancer fight and her painting. It includes photo, as well. It's interesting. It was very positive. It had a few printing errors. I recommend it...especially if you grew up with the Bradys.
May 15, 2026
An interesting read looking back on a show that I grew up watching. For me it was more of a nostalgic foray rather than simply reading the author's memoir. I didn't get a good grasp on the author and what makes her tick. 2.5 stars
July 7, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed!
It's always interesting to hear the perspective of people you grew up watching on TV. I am thankful for Eve's courage to be candid about her experiences both professionally and personally. It is good to know that her TV siblings all still share a special bond of trust and camaraderie and that Bob and Florence were so good to them. I have more respect for the sacrifices of child actors and those who overcome the challenges of transitioning into adult actors. Well done!
It's always interesting to hear the perspective of people you grew up watching on TV. I am thankful for Eve's courage to be candid about her experiences both professionally and personally. It is good to know that her TV siblings all still share a special bond of trust and camaraderie and that Bob and Florence were so good to them. I have more respect for the sacrifices of child actors and those who overcome the challenges of transitioning into adult actors. Well done!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I can’t resist a little guilty-pleasure reading when it comes to the Bradys!
Unlike Barry Williams’ book, which is the definitive read on all things Brady Bunch, and Maureen McCormick’s darker memoir that recounted all of her personal troubles, Eve Plumb’s book does not include many revelations about the Bradys and is much lighter in tone. The Brady fan is not going to find much new here, headline writers are not going to find much gossip to hype, and while Eve has experienced her share of challenges, she never seems to let any of it get her down.
The result here is something of a gentle tale of a life well-lived, that just happens to be written by someone you grew up watching on TV.
Eve gamely shows up for most of the Brady reunions, and doesn’t seem to fret about being typecast or a subject of nostalgia. While she’s always seemed to me to be the most grounded and poised of the Brady kid actors, she can also come across as guarded, reserved and somewhat aloof. That can sometimes seem like she’s dismissive or hostile toward the show, her fans, or her past.
But after reading the book, her persona seems more the result of a natural reticence, a desire to keep private things private, and not be as public a person as you’d think someone in her profession might desire to be. The book, then, is her effort to open up about her story, her way.
It’s a mix of personal and professional, describing her childhood, her family, her auditions, her work. Her Brady stories are mostly similar to those others have already told. And before you know it, the series is over and she’s on to other roles and other jobs. The Bradys come calling every so often with reunion specials and series, but otherwise her story is not unlike that of any working actress - guest spots and brief series and commercials and theater roles and whatever it takes to keep practicing her craft and making a living, while also taking up art and exploring other creative outlets.
On the personal side, apart from a couple of disturbing descriptions of attempted sexual assault, which she managed to escape, she doesn’t appear to have many dark secrets to expose. It took her a little longer to find herself as an adult, after missing out on a “normal” childhood, but she seems to have come through it okay in the end.
Among the few Brady-related things I learned was that she admits to tensions and hard feelings that tainted her friendship with Maureen McCormick back in the 1980’s, but then never suggests that things were ever patched up. So she doesn’t exactly dispel the longstanding rumor that they don’t particularly get along on a personal level, though they seem to manage to keep it professional when the Bradys bring them together. And while she acknowledges that the Bradys were not exactly high art, she appears very protective of the show and those who were in it - she doesn’t care for the parodies, has never seen the 90’s movies, and don’t ever say “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” to her face because she does not find it funny.
While she ends up sharing more of herself than she’s probably used to, I couldn’t help but feel she remains somewhat reserved and guarded in the book. She tells about things that happened, but doesn’t often dig very deep to explore how she felt about them. She expresses occasional opinions but doesn’t display a lot of emotion. She describes having a “code of silence” with her TV siblings to not talk bad or publicly share personal things about each other, which is admirable, but it just reinforces the idea that she’s holding back - not only about others, but about herself.
Overall, though, she appears happy and I’m happy for her. The book may not knock your socks off, because it’s not a tell-all with juicy gossip. It’s more like just reading the pleasant reminiscences of an acquaintance. One who happened to spend a good part of her adolescence on screen, on a show that somehow continues to live on.
As for her TV family - are they all great friends after all these years? Not necessarily. Do they hate each other? Not at all. “We don't spend a lot of time together and we don't share many points of view,” Eve acknowledges, “but we are still bonded and will continue to be. I'm pretty sure of it.” In an industry full of scandals and salaciousness, it’s both fitting and satisfying for a “Brady” story to have a wholesome ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Kensington Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book for review, ahead of its release on April 28th.
Unlike Barry Williams’ book, which is the definitive read on all things Brady Bunch, and Maureen McCormick’s darker memoir that recounted all of her personal troubles, Eve Plumb’s book does not include many revelations about the Bradys and is much lighter in tone. The Brady fan is not going to find much new here, headline writers are not going to find much gossip to hype, and while Eve has experienced her share of challenges, she never seems to let any of it get her down.
The result here is something of a gentle tale of a life well-lived, that just happens to be written by someone you grew up watching on TV.
Eve gamely shows up for most of the Brady reunions, and doesn’t seem to fret about being typecast or a subject of nostalgia. While she’s always seemed to me to be the most grounded and poised of the Brady kid actors, she can also come across as guarded, reserved and somewhat aloof. That can sometimes seem like she’s dismissive or hostile toward the show, her fans, or her past.
But after reading the book, her persona seems more the result of a natural reticence, a desire to keep private things private, and not be as public a person as you’d think someone in her profession might desire to be. The book, then, is her effort to open up about her story, her way.
It’s a mix of personal and professional, describing her childhood, her family, her auditions, her work. Her Brady stories are mostly similar to those others have already told. And before you know it, the series is over and she’s on to other roles and other jobs. The Bradys come calling every so often with reunion specials and series, but otherwise her story is not unlike that of any working actress - guest spots and brief series and commercials and theater roles and whatever it takes to keep practicing her craft and making a living, while also taking up art and exploring other creative outlets.
On the personal side, apart from a couple of disturbing descriptions of attempted sexual assault, which she managed to escape, she doesn’t appear to have many dark secrets to expose. It took her a little longer to find herself as an adult, after missing out on a “normal” childhood, but she seems to have come through it okay in the end.
Among the few Brady-related things I learned was that she admits to tensions and hard feelings that tainted her friendship with Maureen McCormick back in the 1980’s, but then never suggests that things were ever patched up. So she doesn’t exactly dispel the longstanding rumor that they don’t particularly get along on a personal level, though they seem to manage to keep it professional when the Bradys bring them together. And while she acknowledges that the Bradys were not exactly high art, she appears very protective of the show and those who were in it - she doesn’t care for the parodies, has never seen the 90’s movies, and don’t ever say “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” to her face because she does not find it funny.
While she ends up sharing more of herself than she’s probably used to, I couldn’t help but feel she remains somewhat reserved and guarded in the book. She tells about things that happened, but doesn’t often dig very deep to explore how she felt about them. She expresses occasional opinions but doesn’t display a lot of emotion. She describes having a “code of silence” with her TV siblings to not talk bad or publicly share personal things about each other, which is admirable, but it just reinforces the idea that she’s holding back - not only about others, but about herself.
Overall, though, she appears happy and I’m happy for her. The book may not knock your socks off, because it’s not a tell-all with juicy gossip. It’s more like just reading the pleasant reminiscences of an acquaintance. One who happened to spend a good part of her adolescence on screen, on a show that somehow continues to live on.
As for her TV family - are they all great friends after all these years? Not necessarily. Do they hate each other? Not at all. “We don't spend a lot of time together and we don't share many points of view,” Eve acknowledges, “but we are still bonded and will continue to be. I'm pretty sure of it.” In an industry full of scandals and salaciousness, it’s both fitting and satisfying for a “Brady” story to have a wholesome ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Kensington Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book for review, ahead of its release on April 28th.
May 22, 2026
Engaging, but somewhat superficial
One word to define this book: professional, the very word Plumb often uses to describe her attitude to her acting. So professional is this book that it lacks a heart, something I am certain Plumb is well aware of.
What do I mean by "heart"? Plumb mentions, apropos of nothing, her mother's propensity to get pass-out drunk. And never speaks of it again until much later, when she, apropos of nothing, refers to her mother's alcoholism (this time using the word). And then a third time, when she and her father are discussing her mother's alcoholism. That's it. Is there any place in the book where Plumb discusses how her mother's addiction might have caused issues for the family or for Plumb's acting career? Nope. Because, as I've said, above, it is never mentioned. Plumb's mother comes across as quite wonderful and, well, is the most professional of parents.
Certainly, it's Plumb's right to reserve information. Yet one senses that her early exposure to her parents' engagement with Religious Science (Science of Mind) movement has affected her more than she might admit. The movement is associated with positive thinking, visualization, and mind-over- circumstances; and so I wondered if this attitude informed Plumb's desire not to depict what might be thought of as the less-than-positive side of her mother's alcoholism.
The tone of the book, then, is somewhat flat: any excitement or distress about anything is treated much the same, whether it's her divorce from her first husband or her getting a role in New York theatre. The one instance where Plumb shows some emotion is in her take on the infamous "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" line. But I think that she somewhat misreads what audiences were responding to. The Saturday Night Live parody was not really mocking her retroactively so much as exaggerating an already beloved aspect of Jan Brady’s character: the overlooked middle child who feels perpetually overshadowed. I'd say that Jan is the Brady people identify with most, precisely because her insecurity, resentment, and awkwardness feel psychologically real in a way the others often don’t. Nobody quotes "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" because Jan was ridiculous; they quote it because everyone instantly understands the emotional truth of sibling comparison. That said, I also understand Plumb’s discomfort. If one vulnerable moment from your televised adolescence became the thing strangers shouted at you for decades, even affectionately, it could easily feel exposing or flattening. Where I think she may misread it is in seeing the parody as making Jan an "idiot" or target of ridicule, when for most viewers Jan inspires sympathy far more than contempt.
And let's face it: most of us wouldn't be reading this book were it not for "Jan Brady." Plumb is a serviceable actor offering standard delivery. Her turn as Dawn in Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway is accomplished enough but accrues gravitas only because of the seriousness of the Dawn's situation. It certainly isn't a transformation in the perception of Plumb in the way that, say, Mary Tyler Moore moved from comedy to dramatic brilliance in Ordinary People.
The book is a fast read, but discouraging. There's ultimately little insight into the people with whom she spent five years on The Brady Bunch. As she says, "The Brady cast has, for the most part, had a code of silence among us and I’ve tried to honor that." She indeed does, fair enough; but to the extent that we have nothing more here than the surface of things.
One word to define this book: professional, the very word Plumb often uses to describe her attitude to her acting. So professional is this book that it lacks a heart, something I am certain Plumb is well aware of.
What do I mean by "heart"? Plumb mentions, apropos of nothing, her mother's propensity to get pass-out drunk. And never speaks of it again until much later, when she, apropos of nothing, refers to her mother's alcoholism (this time using the word). And then a third time, when she and her father are discussing her mother's alcoholism. That's it. Is there any place in the book where Plumb discusses how her mother's addiction might have caused issues for the family or for Plumb's acting career? Nope. Because, as I've said, above, it is never mentioned. Plumb's mother comes across as quite wonderful and, well, is the most professional of parents.
Certainly, it's Plumb's right to reserve information. Yet one senses that her early exposure to her parents' engagement with Religious Science (Science of Mind) movement has affected her more than she might admit. The movement is associated with positive thinking, visualization, and mind-over- circumstances; and so I wondered if this attitude informed Plumb's desire not to depict what might be thought of as the less-than-positive side of her mother's alcoholism.
The tone of the book, then, is somewhat flat: any excitement or distress about anything is treated much the same, whether it's her divorce from her first husband or her getting a role in New York theatre. The one instance where Plumb shows some emotion is in her take on the infamous "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" line. But I think that she somewhat misreads what audiences were responding to. The Saturday Night Live parody was not really mocking her retroactively so much as exaggerating an already beloved aspect of Jan Brady’s character: the overlooked middle child who feels perpetually overshadowed. I'd say that Jan is the Brady people identify with most, precisely because her insecurity, resentment, and awkwardness feel psychologically real in a way the others often don’t. Nobody quotes "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" because Jan was ridiculous; they quote it because everyone instantly understands the emotional truth of sibling comparison. That said, I also understand Plumb’s discomfort. If one vulnerable moment from your televised adolescence became the thing strangers shouted at you for decades, even affectionately, it could easily feel exposing or flattening. Where I think she may misread it is in seeing the parody as making Jan an "idiot" or target of ridicule, when for most viewers Jan inspires sympathy far more than contempt.
And let's face it: most of us wouldn't be reading this book were it not for "Jan Brady." Plumb is a serviceable actor offering standard delivery. Her turn as Dawn in Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway is accomplished enough but accrues gravitas only because of the seriousness of the Dawn's situation. It certainly isn't a transformation in the perception of Plumb in the way that, say, Mary Tyler Moore moved from comedy to dramatic brilliance in Ordinary People.
The book is a fast read, but discouraging. There's ultimately little insight into the people with whom she spent five years on The Brady Bunch. As she says, "The Brady cast has, for the most part, had a code of silence among us and I’ve tried to honor that." She indeed does, fair enough; but to the extent that we have nothing more here than the surface of things.
June 19, 2026
I do not understand the title as there was no Happiness Included in this book.
Of all the Brady memoirs, I would say hands down Barry Williams did it best in I was a Teenage Greg. This book was just disappointment. I was not really enjoying the book but kept reading. And then Ms Plumb lost me when she got to her opinion on the Marcia, Marcia, Marcia scene - which she says became popular when it was parodied on SNL in 1991 (I just thought it was always a thing, but I guess not) .
She is entitled to her feelings but she seemed so bitter about the love and parodies and memes and interpreted them it as a zing at her acting - she was very defensive saying I was young and growing up on screen -yes I give you that. But to me Marcia, Marcia, Marcia is not a dig at Eve Plumb's acting, it is just the echoed frustration of middle children or overlooked people everywhere. That is why it is popular - it is not a commentary on her acting. I think my friend put it best when she said that she helped to create such a culture touchstone - but she does not see it that way at all.
I was expecting more depth - even when she wrote about her battle with Breast Cancer. It was just all very perfunctory. She does not have to plumb (pun intended) the depths of her emotions but the book did not really peel back the curtain. You could get most, maybe even more of the information from her IMDB page.
On a positive note it was nice to read about a former child star who seemed to grow up pretty normally with loving parents. (But there again, she touched on her mother's alcohol use a few times , but it was more in passing and then just forgotten, no insight or reflection). Her love for Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis and Florence Henderson was very evident in her mentions of them.
I realize I am being nitpicky but-- there were some glaring errors. For instance, when talking about The Brady Brides she said they were getting married in the Brady Backyard - um no they were not - until the rain forced them to end up in the house (yes that happened). She mentioned that Robert Reed and Florence Henderson appeared on the The Love Boat as Mike and Carol Brady - no, they did not, they did bump into each other in the hallway and said "don't I know you.." But these are stupid errors that fans who are going to read her book will catch up on. And if she did not remember because she eschews all things Brady then an editor should have caught those errors.
I finished the book feeling sad. With the title, I was expecting a lighthearted read with some insights on being part of The Brady Bunch and her life after. I was mostly bewildered that she did not understand the love my generation had for the Bradys, that it was an escape for those of us who did not have perfect families, and a babysitter for latchkey kids and that is why it endured for as long as it did. I don't think she understands the love and nostalgia for the Brady's and that is what came across most in this book.
Of all the Brady memoirs, I would say hands down Barry Williams did it best in I was a Teenage Greg. This book was just disappointment. I was not really enjoying the book but kept reading. And then Ms Plumb lost me when she got to her opinion on the Marcia, Marcia, Marcia scene - which she says became popular when it was parodied on SNL in 1991 (I just thought it was always a thing, but I guess not) .
She is entitled to her feelings but she seemed so bitter about the love and parodies and memes and interpreted them it as a zing at her acting - she was very defensive saying I was young and growing up on screen -yes I give you that. But to me Marcia, Marcia, Marcia is not a dig at Eve Plumb's acting, it is just the echoed frustration of middle children or overlooked people everywhere. That is why it is popular - it is not a commentary on her acting. I think my friend put it best when she said that she helped to create such a culture touchstone - but she does not see it that way at all.
I was expecting more depth - even when she wrote about her battle with Breast Cancer. It was just all very perfunctory. She does not have to plumb (pun intended) the depths of her emotions but the book did not really peel back the curtain. You could get most, maybe even more of the information from her IMDB page.
On a positive note it was nice to read about a former child star who seemed to grow up pretty normally with loving parents. (But there again, she touched on her mother's alcohol use a few times , but it was more in passing and then just forgotten, no insight or reflection). Her love for Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis and Florence Henderson was very evident in her mentions of them.
I realize I am being nitpicky but-- there were some glaring errors. For instance, when talking about The Brady Brides she said they were getting married in the Brady Backyard - um no they were not - until the rain forced them to end up in the house (yes that happened). She mentioned that Robert Reed and Florence Henderson appeared on the The Love Boat as Mike and Carol Brady - no, they did not, they did bump into each other in the hallway and said "don't I know you.." But these are stupid errors that fans who are going to read her book will catch up on. And if she did not remember because she eschews all things Brady then an editor should have caught those errors.
I finished the book feeling sad. With the title, I was expecting a lighthearted read with some insights on being part of The Brady Bunch and her life after. I was mostly bewildered that she did not understand the love my generation had for the Bradys, that it was an escape for those of us who did not have perfect families, and a babysitter for latchkey kids and that is why it endured for as long as it did. I don't think she understands the love and nostalgia for the Brady's and that is what came across most in this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4 ⭐️
I must confess that as a 14 year old I bought Barry Williams’s memoir and devoured it on a plane ride. So it probably isn’t crazy to think that I found out about Eve Plumb’s memoir yesterday, requested this book on NetGalley yesterday, was approved today, and read it this evening. Am I a die-hard Brady Bunch fan? Probably not, but I did spend at least 200 hours of my life watching every episode multiple times.
I am like many who had placed judgment on Eve for being resentful of her Jan “Middle Child” Brady typecast existence. After all, shouldn’t she be swimming in residuals every time the nine-box theme song plays, which would make up for “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia”? No, actually. They only got residuals for the first ten replays. I did learn in this memoir what put such a bad taste in Eve’s mouth about Jan Brady, and that was an early 1990s Saturday Night Live parody of her.
Eve had a pretty traditional childhood. It seems like her mother suffered from depression, but her parents were supportive of her acting and tried to give her as much normalcy as possible. The Brady Bunch set had focused professionals in Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis, and Florence Henderson at the helm, and they taught the child actors excellent habits and role modeled a great work ethic. Yes, Eve struggled acting steadily after The Brady Bunch, but all of the Brady child actors did. In this memoir, she discusses that and the other high and low points she has encountered.
This isn’t a salacious memoir. If you want the tea, definitely read Barry Williams’s memoir GROWING UP BRADY. Eve definitely has a no-nonsense vibe about her - both in her personal and professional life.
Early on in the book, a couple points were repeated (not sure if it’s an editing thing that will be fixed by the actual publication), and I was disappointed there weren’t pictures (again, maybe the final copy will have?). As much as I felt that Eve had made peace with Jan Brady by the end of the book, there’s a COVID special the cast did where she said she didn’t want to play Jan and played a different role instead. This was in the last few pages of the memoir, so it felt like she hadn’t made peace with it. And my last quibble is that the ending was rather abrupt; where other authors will wind down a memoir with the last few pages, this one had one paragraph. This is a quick read, and die-hard fans will enjoy her sensible perspective.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an Advance Reader Copy. My review is completely my own.
It publishes April 28, 2026.
I must confess that as a 14 year old I bought Barry Williams’s memoir and devoured it on a plane ride. So it probably isn’t crazy to think that I found out about Eve Plumb’s memoir yesterday, requested this book on NetGalley yesterday, was approved today, and read it this evening. Am I a die-hard Brady Bunch fan? Probably not, but I did spend at least 200 hours of my life watching every episode multiple times.
I am like many who had placed judgment on Eve for being resentful of her Jan “Middle Child” Brady typecast existence. After all, shouldn’t she be swimming in residuals every time the nine-box theme song plays, which would make up for “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia”? No, actually. They only got residuals for the first ten replays. I did learn in this memoir what put such a bad taste in Eve’s mouth about Jan Brady, and that was an early 1990s Saturday Night Live parody of her.
Eve had a pretty traditional childhood. It seems like her mother suffered from depression, but her parents were supportive of her acting and tried to give her as much normalcy as possible. The Brady Bunch set had focused professionals in Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis, and Florence Henderson at the helm, and they taught the child actors excellent habits and role modeled a great work ethic. Yes, Eve struggled acting steadily after The Brady Bunch, but all of the Brady child actors did. In this memoir, she discusses that and the other high and low points she has encountered.
This isn’t a salacious memoir. If you want the tea, definitely read Barry Williams’s memoir GROWING UP BRADY. Eve definitely has a no-nonsense vibe about her - both in her personal and professional life.
Early on in the book, a couple points were repeated (not sure if it’s an editing thing that will be fixed by the actual publication), and I was disappointed there weren’t pictures (again, maybe the final copy will have?). As much as I felt that Eve had made peace with Jan Brady by the end of the book, there’s a COVID special the cast did where she said she didn’t want to play Jan and played a different role instead. This was in the last few pages of the memoir, so it felt like she hadn’t made peace with it. And my last quibble is that the ending was rather abrupt; where other authors will wind down a memoir with the last few pages, this one had one paragraph. This is a quick read, and die-hard fans will enjoy her sensible perspective.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an Advance Reader Copy. My review is completely my own.
It publishes April 28, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Growing up, Friday night was my favorite TV night, with a lineup that included The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family. I was the same age as the youngest Brady kids, so of course I found that show particularly interesting. The Brady Bunch was an elementary school water cooler show -- we liked Jan and Marcia's groovy outfits, and debated whether Peter or Greg was cuter.
I love retro nostalgia, and have enjoyed reading previous Brady biographies by Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick, so of course I looked forward to Eve Plumb's book too.
This is a wonderful biography - a bit quieter and more introspective, but so thoughtful and well written. I particularly enjoyed reading Eve's memories of The Brady Bunch. They included passages like:
"In season 3 we were granted the go-ahead to increase the miles between the Stage 5 set and a remote location. The show was going to the Grand Canyon as the Brady family vacation. We were thrilled at the chance for a real adventure! It was my first time at the Grand Canyon. We arrived the evening before the first day of filming, and the dark abyss of the canyon at night, and the splay of brilliant stars like a dome from horizon to horizon, was both scary and breathtaking." (ebook location 1383).
Eve has a lifelong close friendship with Christopher Knight ("Peter"), the other Brady middle child. She shares sweet memories of Florence Henderson (kind, bubbly, warm), Ann B. Davis (a consummate professional), and Robert Reed (who was like a second father to the Brady kids - even taking them all on a trip to London).
I didn't know much about Eve's personal background and found the stories about her parents interesting - especially her father's work in the music industry. (He signed The Monkees as a recording act!)
There is no nightmare descent in this celebrity bio -- except for some typical teenage rebellion, Eve seems centered and happy ... especially focusing on her art.
I enjoyed Happiness Included and recommend this book to other readers who grew up with The Brady Bunch. There were no photos included in the advanced reading copy, but I am assuming there must be pictures in the finished print/Kindle editions.
I love retro nostalgia, and have enjoyed reading previous Brady biographies by Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick, so of course I looked forward to Eve Plumb's book too.
This is a wonderful biography - a bit quieter and more introspective, but so thoughtful and well written. I particularly enjoyed reading Eve's memories of The Brady Bunch. They included passages like:
"In season 3 we were granted the go-ahead to increase the miles between the Stage 5 set and a remote location. The show was going to the Grand Canyon as the Brady family vacation. We were thrilled at the chance for a real adventure! It was my first time at the Grand Canyon. We arrived the evening before the first day of filming, and the dark abyss of the canyon at night, and the splay of brilliant stars like a dome from horizon to horizon, was both scary and breathtaking." (ebook location 1383).
Eve has a lifelong close friendship with Christopher Knight ("Peter"), the other Brady middle child. She shares sweet memories of Florence Henderson (kind, bubbly, warm), Ann B. Davis (a consummate professional), and Robert Reed (who was like a second father to the Brady kids - even taking them all on a trip to London).
I didn't know much about Eve's personal background and found the stories about her parents interesting - especially her father's work in the music industry. (He signed The Monkees as a recording act!)
There is no nightmare descent in this celebrity bio -- except for some typical teenage rebellion, Eve seems centered and happy ... especially focusing on her art.
I enjoyed Happiness Included and recommend this book to other readers who grew up with The Brady Bunch. There were no photos included in the advanced reading copy, but I am assuming there must be pictures in the finished print/Kindle editions.
February 25, 2026
Eve Plumb offers proof in her memoir that not all child actors end up all messed up. She didn't end up messed up at all, except for a short period in her first marriage when she went off the rails a bit. That was not something exclusive to child actors, though, but something many have experienced when they have a nice peaceful marriage at a young age, with a nice peaceful home and even a horse, but then start to wonder is that all there is?
Since Ms. Plumb was an "oops" baby, her mother appeared to have some difficulty adjusting to a surprise child, but the author does not spend any time bashing her parents. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy the acting career of their youngest, and definitely did not see her as the family breadwinner, as sadly sometimes happens with child actors. No, her father, a musician turned record producer and executive, saved every penny Ms. Plumb made for her to have when she became an adult. Her mother happily provided her with advice, transportation and protection during auditions and acting jobs. Plus, hair brushing.
Eve Plumb's most famous acting role was of course Jan Brady in the Brady Bunch, a sitcom that refuses to die, even though the series was cancelled back in the 1970s, after five years. The actress sees her TV family as yet another happy family, and has nothing bad to say about her TV siblings, parents and Ann B. Davis. They all got along fine and still had contact after the series and sequels ended. It was interesting to read that when first starting the series as an 11-year-old, Ms. Plumb's main concern was the show would not be dealing with any important social issues, such as the Vietnam War and women's rights.
What happened in her life after the Brady Bunch may bore some fans of the show, but the author does a good job walking the reader through the years of a child actress turned adult actress, painter and business woman. All in all, it is a well-written memoir that moves along at a good pace. Moreover, it is an intelligent one where the actress takes full responsibility for her life, and shows no self-pity about anything.
(Note: I received an free e-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
Since Ms. Plumb was an "oops" baby, her mother appeared to have some difficulty adjusting to a surprise child, but the author does not spend any time bashing her parents. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy the acting career of their youngest, and definitely did not see her as the family breadwinner, as sadly sometimes happens with child actors. No, her father, a musician turned record producer and executive, saved every penny Ms. Plumb made for her to have when she became an adult. Her mother happily provided her with advice, transportation and protection during auditions and acting jobs. Plus, hair brushing.
Eve Plumb's most famous acting role was of course Jan Brady in the Brady Bunch, a sitcom that refuses to die, even though the series was cancelled back in the 1970s, after five years. The actress sees her TV family as yet another happy family, and has nothing bad to say about her TV siblings, parents and Ann B. Davis. They all got along fine and still had contact after the series and sequels ended. It was interesting to read that when first starting the series as an 11-year-old, Ms. Plumb's main concern was the show would not be dealing with any important social issues, such as the Vietnam War and women's rights.
What happened in her life after the Brady Bunch may bore some fans of the show, but the author does a good job walking the reader through the years of a child actress turned adult actress, painter and business woman. All in all, it is a well-written memoir that moves along at a good pace. Moreover, it is an intelligent one where the actress takes full responsibility for her life, and shows no self-pity about anything.
(Note: I received an free e-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
June 30, 2026
Happiness included. Is it, though?
Eve Plumb has finally given in and written her memoirs, with a big dose of Brady. I was interested in the stories of the auditioning process, her work with big name actors (more than I would have guessed), her unusual childhood, the creepy, inappropriate men, and her post-Brady life and career. But...
As I read, I felt as if I was getting the "A Very Brady Christmas" version of Jan/Eve. If you've seen the made-for-TV movie, you'll probably get what I mean. Throughout the book, Plumb came across as guarded and aloof. Even a bit cold. Regardless of her efforts to convince her readers that she had great parents, a good childhood, and a happy life, it just doesn't come across in the written word. Like "Christmas Jan", I can't for the life of me envision Eve Plumb laughing. Of course, I have no idea what I'm talking about, but my guess is that Plumb just doesn't have an effusive personality. Perhaps, for her, happiness looks more like quiet contentment. She has been saddled with Jan Brady for most of her life, and must have felt the need to control the narrative once and for all, or maybe she is at the age where she's feeling nostalgic and would rather that the story of EVE be her legacy - a story that includes the Bradys, but isn't limited to them.
The one thing that comes across loud and clear is Plumb's love for animals. Aside from family deaths, the chapter in which she tells us about the animals in her life - from Lassie and Tiger to her own pets - is the one time she seems to thaw.
"Happiness Included" is worth reading. It only took me three days, and kept my interest. You'll learn a little about Plumb and her career. But you might hesitate to ask for an autograph or a selfie if you see her on the street after reading this. She does not leave one with the impression that she loves her fans and is approachable.
PS The other thingthat comes across LOUD and clear is that Plumb HATES the "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" line with a red hot passion. Yet her publisher alludes to it, presumably with her permission, as the first line in the blurb to sell the book. That bothers me.
Eve Plumb has finally given in and written her memoirs, with a big dose of Brady. I was interested in the stories of the auditioning process, her work with big name actors (more than I would have guessed), her unusual childhood, the creepy, inappropriate men, and her post-Brady life and career. But...
As I read, I felt as if I was getting the "A Very Brady Christmas" version of Jan/Eve. If you've seen the made-for-TV movie, you'll probably get what I mean. Throughout the book, Plumb came across as guarded and aloof. Even a bit cold. Regardless of her efforts to convince her readers that she had great parents, a good childhood, and a happy life, it just doesn't come across in the written word. Like "Christmas Jan", I can't for the life of me envision Eve Plumb laughing. Of course, I have no idea what I'm talking about, but my guess is that Plumb just doesn't have an effusive personality. Perhaps, for her, happiness looks more like quiet contentment. She has been saddled with Jan Brady for most of her life, and must have felt the need to control the narrative once and for all, or maybe she is at the age where she's feeling nostalgic and would rather that the story of EVE be her legacy - a story that includes the Bradys, but isn't limited to them.
The one thing that comes across loud and clear is Plumb's love for animals. Aside from family deaths, the chapter in which she tells us about the animals in her life - from Lassie and Tiger to her own pets - is the one time she seems to thaw.
"Happiness Included" is worth reading. It only took me three days, and kept my interest. You'll learn a little about Plumb and her career. But you might hesitate to ask for an autograph or a selfie if you see her on the street after reading this. She does not leave one with the impression that she loves her fans and is approachable.
PS The other thingthat comes across LOUD and clear is that Plumb HATES the "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" line with a red hot passion. Yet her publisher alludes to it, presumably with her permission, as the first line in the blurb to sell the book. That bothers me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I grew up in the sixties and seventies and loved watching The Brady Bunch. Eve Plumb played the middle sister, Jan. Probably the most popular "sister" was the oldest one Marcia (played by Maureen McCormick) as she had a kittenish beauty while she blossomed into a high school teenager. I read her memoir so many years ago and can't remember much other than she came from a troubled household. There was none of that here. In a way, that's so refreshing! Eve tells the story of parents who saved every penny she earned from her acting career in an account solely for her future use. I loved reading about the audition processes she experienced as a child and her acting stints on beloved shows such as "Family Affair" and "Lassie" as well as commercials. "The Brady Bunch" was her first series, a series that is beloved by so many who grew up in my era, and it still plays on reruns until this day. It was shocking to hear that the actors only made money off the show for like a decade and they don't get residuals now. In fact, as the book begins she answers the most asked "Brady" questions to get them out of the way. Of course Eve takes you inside the Brady experience as they filmed on the Paramount lot/stages, but that only lasted 5 seasons and she had more of a life to get through after that. At first she was hired for some TV movies of the week like "Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway" in 1976 (looking forward to watching this on YouTube).
Eve discusses her life living both in California and New York City, her long and varied career in acting, her two marriages, love of dogs, and her side career as an artist. Look up her paintings online...they are beautiful! There were no photos included in my advance reader copy, but perhaps there will be in the final published book. This was a warm and nostalgic experience to read, and I learned so much about Eve's life and career that I never knew.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing / Citadel for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Eve Plumb has lived an extraordinary life. Though her presence in popular culture is substantial and enduring, for some reason she has always seemed to be indifferent to her celebrity status, which was a major reason why I was interested in her book. Eve is arguably the most talented and versatile of the "Bunch," but the least seen and scrutinized.
I was hoping her memoirs might shine some light and reveal more of the personality that has fascinated people throughout the years and the book does that for the most part. It was refreshing to know that her parents were not the monster stage parents that so many other child stars suffered and that their support is what has probably grounded her so successfully in her adulthood. Her writing is light and easy to read and understand, with plenty of anecdotal memories of a very busy life as a working child in Hollywood as well as a now happy and grateful artistic woman. The story leaves a vivid impression that growing up on studio sound stages in the 1970s was about as idyllic a childhood as anyone could ask for. There are no villainous co-workers or complaints of note in Eve's story besides the bikinis she was forced to wear for the Brady Bunch Hawaiian episodes.
Which makes one wonder if she still might be holding out on us a bit. She writes about her rebellious teenage years but only as a brief list of outlawry. Her mother's alcoholism is summarily included as well but not explored. We also find out the reasonable explanation for the much-rumored=about temporary rift between her older screen-sibling, Maureen McCormick. But Eve still chooses to largely keep much of herself to herself. There are many mentions throughout the book about how her privacy is extremely important, a point that becomes obvious as one reads along. It's a fascinating peek into an intriguing and unusual life that still satisfies even if it remains short on insight.
I was hoping her memoirs might shine some light and reveal more of the personality that has fascinated people throughout the years and the book does that for the most part. It was refreshing to know that her parents were not the monster stage parents that so many other child stars suffered and that their support is what has probably grounded her so successfully in her adulthood. Her writing is light and easy to read and understand, with plenty of anecdotal memories of a very busy life as a working child in Hollywood as well as a now happy and grateful artistic woman. The story leaves a vivid impression that growing up on studio sound stages in the 1970s was about as idyllic a childhood as anyone could ask for. There are no villainous co-workers or complaints of note in Eve's story besides the bikinis she was forced to wear for the Brady Bunch Hawaiian episodes.
Which makes one wonder if she still might be holding out on us a bit. She writes about her rebellious teenage years but only as a brief list of outlawry. Her mother's alcoholism is summarily included as well but not explored. We also find out the reasonable explanation for the much-rumored=about temporary rift between her older screen-sibling, Maureen McCormick. But Eve still chooses to largely keep much of herself to herself. There are many mentions throughout the book about how her privacy is extremely important, a point that becomes obvious as one reads along. It's a fascinating peek into an intriguing and unusual life that still satisfies even if it remains short on insight.
May 24, 2026
The Brady Bunch
has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Funnily enough, however, I’ve only seen the original show in reruns for 50 or so years. But there used to be a time where I could accurately name the episode within 20 seconds of it starting.
I’ve read lots of books about the series, including memoirs by Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick. But Eve Plumb has always been a bit of an enigma to me, so I was excited to read her memoir.
She gets a bit of a bad rap because she didn’t do the ill-fated variety show back in the day. But the truth is, she loved doing the original series and feels grateful it’s still part of the cultural vernacular. And she and her five television “siblings” still text each other all the time.
If you’re looking for catty gossip about the show or its stars, you won’t find that here. This is a look not just at The Brady Bunch , but also her acting career before and after the show, her family life, and her personal life. Sure, she has some regrets, but she’s pretty happy with the course her life has taken.
This was a very nostalgic look back at acting in the 1960s and 1970s. I remember other programs she appeared in, and the public reactions at the time. Truthfully, I’m glad this was a largely positive book, because I can’t take too much scandal among the Bradys.
Check out my best reads of 2025 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2025.html .
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
I’ve read lots of books about the series, including memoirs by Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick. But Eve Plumb has always been a bit of an enigma to me, so I was excited to read her memoir.
She gets a bit of a bad rap because she didn’t do the ill-fated variety show back in the day. But the truth is, she loved doing the original series and feels grateful it’s still part of the cultural vernacular. And she and her five television “siblings” still text each other all the time.
If you’re looking for catty gossip about the show or its stars, you won’t find that here. This is a look not just at The Brady Bunch , but also her acting career before and after the show, her family life, and her personal life. Sure, she has some regrets, but she’s pretty happy with the course her life has taken.
This was a very nostalgic look back at acting in the 1960s and 1970s. I remember other programs she appeared in, and the public reactions at the time. Truthfully, I’m glad this was a largely positive book, because I can’t take too much scandal among the Bradys.
Check out my best reads of 2025 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2025.html .
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews