A Fine Romance

by Candice Bergen

In this New York Times bestseller, acclaimed actress Candice Bergen “shows how to do a memoir right...The self-possessed, witty, and down-to-earth voice that made Bergen’s first memoir a hit when it was published in 1984 has only been deepened by life’s surprises” (The New York Times Book Review).“Candice Bergen is unflinchingly honest” (The Washington Post), and in A Fine Romance she describes her first marriage at age thirty-four to famous French director Louis Malle; her overpowering love for her daughter, Chloe; the unleashing of her inner comic with Murphy Brown; her trauma over Malle’s death; her joy at finding new love; and her pride at watching Chloe blossom. In her decidedly nontraditional marriage to the insatiably curious Louis, Bergen takes readers on world travels to the sets where each made films. Pregnant with Chloe at age thirty-nine, this mature primigravida also recounts a journey through motherhood that includes plundering the Warner Bros. costume closets for Halloween getups and never leaving her ever-expanding menagerie out of the fun. She offers priceless, behind-the-scenes looks at Murphy Brown, from caterwauling with Aretha Franklin to the surreal experience of becoming headline news when Dan Quayle took exception to her character becoming a single mother. Bergen tackles familiar rites of passage with moving the rigors of caring for a spouse in his final illness, getting older, and falling in love again after she was tricked into a blind date. By the time the last page is turned, “we’re all likely to be wishing Bergen herself—funny, insightful, self-deprecating, flawed (and not especially concerned about that), and slugging her way through her older years with bemused determination—was living next door” (USA TODAY).

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Tv

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very odd book, that needed massive editing. The first part of this autobiography was excellent, a full 4 Star novel. This section was honest & funny. The second part of the book was disjointed & vague to the point of being uncomfortable to read. The final 10% of the book was just a hot mess.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

God, I love Candice Bergen. I watched Murphy Brown religiously when I was a kid and she has become a symbol of the kind of woman I want to be. I was too young to know her from anything else so she will always be Murphy for me. Candice Bergen is truly a gifted writer, and it's not difficult to see where her daughter's talent for words comes from. Despite her many accomplishments Candice is surprisingly down-to-earth. I have developed an insane friend crush on her and I deeply identified with her. She reacts to awkward high society pressures the way I imagine most of us would - with irreverent humor. She wears her insecurities on her sleeve and seems to be genuinely surprised by her success, typically crediting it to the writers or directors or fellow actors. She's wrong, though. She has endured because she is amazing and brilliant and funny. I loved every minute of this memoir. I feel an even closer connection to Candice Bergen than I felt before. I even read most of the passages with her voice in my head. She is beautiful and talented and funny and just plain fantastic, all around. Excellent follow-up to Knock Wood.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cynthia Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should have been titled "Love Letter to Chloe." Much too much about her daughter; how amazing she is, how smart and beautiful, how much she adores her, and on and on. And loads of namedropping. I loved "Knock Wood" but I thought this was just not as good. She is very honest about her own faults. I have to give her that.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear book club,

I'll never forgive you for forcing me to read this overly braggy and terribly written book.

Love,

Andrea Sue

[Lois R. Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I cast aside another review book that I actually get paid for to read the sequel to Ms. Bergen's earlier memoir, "Knock Wood." I was rewarded with a surprisingly chatty, sometimes uncomfortably revealing book about someone who has always seemed to have it all but reveals a life with flaws, albeit high class flaws. This book charts her unconventional marriage to French film director, Louis Malle; her unexpected and late arrival at motherhood; the death of her husband; and her remarriage to philanthropist, Marshall Rose and subsequent life of NY privilege. The "Fine Romance" part of the book is clearly the marriage to Mr. Malle. This was a love match but a most unconventional one in which the couple barely lived together, each pursuing their own professional interests on different continents, and came together only to shepherd Mr. Malle out of this life. While expressing her great love for her late husband, Ms. Bergen (without meaning to) raised for me the question of how someone with Ms. Bergen's well-known independence could put up with a person who seems to have been very selfish in his emotional life with her and with their daughter, Chloe. I'm sure an analyst could do wonders with how Ms. Bergen sought out a distant man much as her father, ventriloquist-on-the-radio Edgar Bergen was. If I was Ms. Bergen's daughter, Chloe, I might be less than thrilled with the whole world knowing what a difficult baby I was, but that is between mother and daughter, I guess. Ms. Bergen is undeniably devoted to her now grown daughter. Her second marriage to a born-and-bred New Yorker, a traditionalist husband, seems like a work in progress. I did tire of hearing how Mr. Rose, because he is Jewish, was more "tribal" than Ms. Bergen. There is an underlying edge of name-calling that is unflattering. Also, the second part of the book, after Mr. Malle's death, seems too focused on minutiae of daily life. Far more interesting and humanizing are Ms. Bergen's observations on aging, her own failing health, and what it means to a woman known for glamor to become less so. Having seen her on Broadway in "The Best Man," I can assure her that she still looks better than 99% of us and it is refreshing to see someone of her stature sort of embrace the aging process. All in all, fans and fellow Baby Boomers will embrace this book as an observation on how one of the icons of our generation now moves into the next part of her life.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment.

Read her first book, even just a chapter or two of it, and then read some of this one. They are overtly not by the same woman. The first is intelligent, thoughtful, amusing, lyrical, humble, interesting.... The second is a crotchety, self-centered woman speaking in plain, even bald, English. It's apparent from the afterward of the second that she used a ghostwriter. Was the ghost to blame or has the woman herself changed? A little of both I think.

I did not want to know that she and her daughter have a disgustingly cutesy wootsy pet language they use when speaking between themselves. (It sounds like the kind of thing that would make anyone overhearing them want to vomit.) I did not want to hear she has a tiny admittedly stupid dog she hires people to walk because really it's too much trouble to do oneself in New York. I did not want to hear that her husband annoys her when he moves the snacks out of her reach because she is so fat due to self indulgence alone. I did not want to know that she had her neck cords shaved after the Murphy Brown premiere episode because TV cameras are so unforgiving. I did not want to hear how many times she fluffed her Broadway show appearance because gee whiz it's hard to remember ones lines and entrance.

I feel as though someone I admired for being kind of a deep person had jettisoned her brain at age 50 and become a self centered old bore.

There is a short story by, I think, Ursula leGuin, where a famous war general runs across an aging noblewoman in a ballroom decades after they last met, when they were both young and she was an idealist full of fervor and care for her people. Now, she is concerned only with society and her dress.

Same thing here.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I happen upon an outdoor book sale of older books and found this. I had it on my To Read List for quite awhile so I snapped it up for a whopping $2. A steal, for sure!! I do love a good bargain.

The book was good. I am a fan of Candice and did enjoy her story… but it was a bit of an odd read. Almost like it was chopped up into three parts. The first part kept my interest with Candice tidbits that were interesting.. the second part seemed to be a bit fun and comical at times. I picked up speed here….. but the last part? Ugh. A tad too depressing and just a bit of a mess that made me wonder if I was reading the same book.

I still love my girl, Candice and she is a great actress, but she needs a better editor.

But for $2 and a quick read between a book I am really enjoying it was not a wasted afternoon.

[Elly Sands · Rating 4 out of 5]

A candid look at "Candy". Yes, I've always been an admirer and more so now. She doesn't leave much unsaid about her marriages to Louis and Marshall and most of all her love for her daughter Chloe. Candice comes off a bit like Murphy Brown, a smart ass, sharp with edges, cranky, but also very cozy, personable and someone you would enjoy as a friend. She admits to her privileged life but it wasn't without challenges. I loved her openness, sometimes startling honesty, her dry sense of humor and of course her love of animals. We have aged together and I enjoyed reading her perspective on "maturity".

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book a 4.5.I have been a fan of Candice Bergen for a long time. I read her first book "Knock Wood" years ago. A Fine Romance picks up after Knock Wood. She spends a lot of the book discussing the three loves of her life. Her first husband Louis Malle, Her daughter Chloe, the child she had with Louis Malle, and her second husband Marshall Rose.
She is very candid about her life. I like that she did not paint herself as "flawless".She writes about the fifteen years she was married to french director Louis Malle up to losing him to cancer in 1995.Leaving her with a young daughter to raise.
I was glad to see her write about the years she spent on Murphy Brown, one of my favorite shows during the time it ran.I only wished she had shared more about her experience on this terrific show. I also wished she had written more about the movies she was in instead of a few brief paragraphs.
Another part of the book is finding new love and marrying her second husband a wealthy businessman Marshall Rose. Of course a large part of her book is about her daughter Chloe.She had a baby later in l life at 39.and found she loved being a mom to her fabulous daughter. there are some name dropping about all the famous people she has known. and talks of her mother, and brother Kris. I liked this book. I was she wrote a second book about her life. If anyone is a fan of Candice Bergen they may enjoy reading her latest memoir. I did.!!

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me and this book were destined to find each other eventually. . .and so we have. Candice Bergen has been my hero since I drank the kool-aid as a Murphy Brown devotee in the late 80's (and I'm pretty sure if someone put me under they'd see that I think Murphy Brown is the real person and that Candice B is a character Murphy lets out now to run her life). That's what fictional TV characters have done to me. I've given them space, just like all my book besties. . . .

Apparently she has a previous memoir about her childhood (which I will now try to find), so this one just sticks to her post childhood days and focuses on her husbands and child - all romantic and full of good stuff. She has had a lovely life full of the usual struggles. Being a person born to lots of resources, she had help through those struggles. Which is not to dismiss all the inner struggles. Those happen, too. She's off my worry list, though, if you know what I mean.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me be frank...I'm not a fan of Candice Bergen, didn't watch Murphy Brown, and am not familiar with her work, except for Boston Legal and Miss Congeniality. Just wasn't my cup of tea, and I'm on the back side of my mid-50s. So, having not been familiar with Knock Wood (or even curious about it), I had no expectations of this book or its author.

Having said that, I was kind of taken aback by the first several chapters of the book and all the travel, parties, etc, that were described. This was a normal life?!? I had no frame of reference to draw upon, which was disturbing. I didn't like the story, so I skimmed over much of the first half till I found something recognizable to read. I found Candice and Louis' relationship to be all about him, especially after Chloe came along. How sad! So Chloe became a gift to Candice. Louis' gradual demise, Candice's health issues, and this little girl left behind because of her parents' career choices all were described in detail. Heck, yeah, I'd need therapy, too! I'm happy Candice later found Marsh, but that relationship still seems manipulative to me. Guess you have to be there. (A hint to Candy: After 15 yrs, if you can't put your foot down and make time for yourself, you haven't learned anything. I have the same type of relationship and daily "me time" is a rule, not an exception!) Her love for and pride in Chloe is abundantly evident -- like I said, that child was a gift. But to have that extremely affluent lifestyle -- I had no context. Guess my blue-collar roots are showing...

So I give A Fine Romance 2.5 stars. Difficult to read, sometimes funny in a quirky way, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you were a fan or curious about the lives of the rich and famous. Too many names dropped for my taste.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Fine Romance" is a funny, frank, warm memoir of Candice Bergen's life that picks up where her first memoir, "Knock Wood," left off. It chronicles her marriages to director Louis Malle and businessman Marshall Rose, her relationship with her daughter, her acclaimed TV run as "Murphy Brown," and her experiences (and insights) about aging.

Bergen is a good storyteller with a self-deprecating style and a keen sense of irony. Her humor (especially about herself) and the fact that she pulls no punches make this a compelling read.

I was also impressed at how she gives readers a sense of her friends and family without "over-sharing" or invading their personal lives too deeply. For the most part, she lets their actions -- or her reactions to them -- speak for those she is describing. That's a tough balancing act, but she handles it artfully.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

We never really knew Candace Bergen, always basing our opinions about her on the characters she plays. The truth is she is a reserved and private person. She enjoys playing the characters she does because she gets to be the strong person she would like to be. Oh, she is strong, but much more laid back than we imagine. She is a good, kind person who always thinks the best of everyone and is very complimentary of them.

[Susanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought Bergen's new memoir was just ok. The only word I can think of is breezy, and "diary-like".
eSome memoirs are impactful, or excellent reads or a few, like Alan Cumming's recent book, give me a true insight into the person. I just didn't feel that with this book. It felt chronological or reportorial. I think highly of the work Bergen did in "Murphy Brown"; I learned tht she dealt with tough challenges in her personal life at that same time. I admired that. I guess I couldn't believe that she ever really had financially stressful times in her life; she described needing the high-dollar salaries of television hits like Murphy Brown - but I think she also had several homes at that time. . .and a life that didn't seem to me to bear any of resemblance to a typical "financially stressful" life. That bothered me. She seemed surprised to learn that her second husband was a billionnaire. I have trouble believing that. So - that's how I saw it.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! I listened to the audiobook and what a treat to have Candace narrate it! I am a fan and was just thrilled to listen to her anecdotes, lessons learned, stories on career and relationships. She is inspiring. The book starts around age 39, and her relationship with her daughter takes centre stage, I think, but there is also lots of time spent on Murphy Brown, her stint on Broadway while in her 60s, her first and second marriages, and lots of other goodies. My only criticism, and this may have been just a problem with my particular CD, is that the first third or so really jumped around and there wasn't a good flow. After that, though, the subject and/or order of the chronicles made much more sense.

[Judy Bart · Rating 4 out of 5]

really 4 1/2 stars. This was so much fun, like talking to a girlfriend- one who lives an exciting, glamorous life yet one who remains candid, witty and self-effacing. I was surprised at how honest she was about her husbands. Louis Malle seemed to be a handful, yet she loved him dearly, and her new husband sounds wonderfully enamored with her, but also somewhat controlling. This is a quick delightful book that makes you long for more. A definite recommendation.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murphy Brown! That show was my intro to Candace. Her life may be considered charmed. She came from a show biz family, and she is an actress herself. But, being in a TV show, a movie, or a Broadway play, the work is exhausting. Candace’s first husband died, and later she married for love again. She shares her respect for co-actors, writers, and staff. She has one daughter, and they have a loving relationship. An interesting read.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange, oddly disjointed book that was amusing and interesting at times and almost hard to read at other times. I almost wonder if it wasn't actually written by multiple writers as certain parts of the book just didn't have the same feel as other parts.
Overall, it was a fairly interesting read. Though I am not really familiar with Candice Bergen or her work, she's not quite the person I thought she'd be, but that's not a bad thing. Come to think about it, I'm not really sure what kind of person I expected her to be, but I do know that she is a talented actress.
At times I felt empathy for her, as I also lost my husband to cancer, and I could truly relate to her story. Other parts of her life I could not relate to, but that is what made this an interesting read. Had the book flowed a bit better and not had an oddly disjointed feel at times, I probably would have rated it a 5, but due to these characteristics, I would have to rate this book a 4.4.
I received this book from Goodreads and appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.

[Arlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was rather disappointing. Many have cited Ms Bergen's adoration of Chloe...that did not bother me. I am glad that she adores her daughter. The negativity in the book is what bothered me. As much as she loved her first husband, he seemed very apathetic regarding his role as father and husband. There seems to be somewhat of a disconnect in her second marriage as well. I did laugh out loud when she described having gained weight and having hair that seems to belong to someone else! That is part of aging! The saddest thing to me is that Ms Bergen and her friends seem to be aging hipsters. They do not want to grow up or grow old. Most seem to think they can hold time at bay with surgeries and injections. This is so sad to me...they have no spiritual moorings and fear death. They are so busy worrying about this that they do not enjoy life. This book just left me feeling sad for Candice.

[martha Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I relate to Candice's Bergen's ultra privileged life of beauty, wealth, adoration and glamour? Heck no and that's the treat of reading a movie star's autobiography. I remembered reading her first book, Knock Wood, many years ago and thought then that she was a talented writer with a good story. This second installment doesn't disappoint. She is quite honest about her marriage to Louis Malle (the difficult love of her life), her second marriage, her daughter, her health issues--and she writes beautifully with wit and style. Recommended-if you didn't read her first book, you may want to start with that.

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, enjoyable read. I was, at first, a little put off by all the name dropping. I then realized it was Ms. Bergen's way of thanking people for being there for her during the ups and downs of her life.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her!

[Lisa Urso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown, and I love her even more now. She is candid, honest, and grateful. I wish I knew her personally; she seems like an awesome person to be around.

[Pat Empson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! Moves along quickly but has lots of insight into her life, marriages and daughter. I enjoyed it very much. She is someone I would like to know personally.

[W. Whalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard the audio version of this memoir and enjoyed it. The entire book is well told and interesting. If you like memoir, I recommend A FINE ROMANCE.

[HR-ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoir of her adult experiences. Candice was
vulnerable here w/ her emotions, witty, sad,
mixed. 4 stars.

Candice Bergen played the comedy lead in Murphy
Brown (won 5 Emmys) x 10 years, an attorney on
Boston Legal, and Broadway roles twice as of this
publication.

She married French film director & documentarian
Louis Malle. They were together 1980-1995, until his
death. He split his time between Paris, New York and
LA. They had a daughter Chloe who was a Brown U
graduate & Vogue editor as of this writing. Candy wed
her real estate developer spouse/ attorney Marshall
Ross in 2000. She referred to herself as prone to being
emotionally guarded b/c she was "1/2 Swedish" on
her father's side.

Candice signed a 5 yr contract to do Murphy Brown in
Calif., thinking the show wouldn't last that long. Louis
hated it there. He and wife and daughter had to get re-
acquainted every time he returned. She had 3 mos. off
every summer and they spent it in his French country
home, Le Coual. While her Dad was away Candy's witty
bro Kris was her surrogate Dad.

Before she played Murphy, Candice was not tied to a
schedule. She had already met his 2 former loves,
one had his son, the other his daughter. Louis arranged
for his 2 former loves & kids & him & Candy to all live in
the country home, w/ asking Candy 1st. She was livid!!!
Only one former love moved in for a short time. His dream-
all 3 of his kids would become close.

She loved her husband Marsh. He wanted a traditional wife.
He had to become accustomed to Candy sleeping till 8-9AM
and not eating meat and making decisions and wanting to
make their home reflect her personality too. Message received.
He and Chloe literally/ figuratively circled each other until
they achieved mutual respect, then love.

Health issues. Louis required open heart surgery in 1993.
Prior to this he had a lymphoma dx. He needed blood
transfusions after he learned he was aspirin sensitive.
He had slurred speech, due to inflammation of the brain.
He needed a walker. He could not speak but he followed
conversations.

Health issues. Candice thought she had panic attacks. Tests
showed 2 instances of TIAs. This was a problem on
Broadway when she missed her cue to enter the stage or to
say her lines. She praised John Larroquette for helping her
save face and keeping her safe in transition on/ off stage.
Backstage had poor, low lighting, via LED bulbs. Prozac
helped her sleep better- but it stripped her of her ability to
cry- which an actress needs- no matter the story or venue.

Candice was proud of her bright daughter Chloe who
volunteered with disabled and other persons, from high
school, onward.

[Eleanor Mimbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness what a love story! She and Louis had such a sweet relationship. #insicknessandinhealth In fact she had two epic loves. What a blessing. Some of the experiences and situations she found herself in were wild and hilarious I love her sarcastic humor and her “secret under her rented ball gown” was one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. The nicknames were so fun. My main reason for picking this book, and the highlight for me was hearing about my celebrity crush, James Spader. She spoke in depth about working with him on Boston Legal. I just loved their chemistry. What was a pleasant surprise was how much a liked the rest of her book. She gave us an honest look at juggling motherhood, marriage and a demanding career. She also spoke about caregiver stress as she took care of her first husband and her mother at end of life. There was only one issue, I was disappointed in @hoopladigital again. The audiobook just stopped mid sentence 4 hrs before it was supposed to end. I had to check out the print version to finish this book. Which is fine but I was enjoying the author reading her own words so much and then had to wait until I could get the book shipped to the library branch I use. Please hoopla get it together! This is the third time it has ruined a book experience for me that would have otherwise been great. However, I found some beautiful pictures of her life in the print version so it turned out not to ruin the whole experience. I still want hoopla to get it together though. Lol

[Genevieve Brassard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5: So much privilege!... But thankfully a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor as well. Strictly for Hollywood gossip fans. Read it mainly because I was always curious about the unlikely pairing of Bergen and Louis Malle: turns out they shared a similar socio-economic background (old family money for him, Hollywood royalty for her). Hard to read about so much wealth and first-class mobility in pandemic times, but Bergen still comes across as genuine and self-aware, in spite of her well-cushioned circumstances.

[KT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful escapist reading, if you need a break from fighting for social justice. (But just a quick break, then back to work.)

[Mediaman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an incredibly boring book filled with unimportant minutiae told by an elitist snob looking down her nose at the rest of the world. This is not a book that takes you through Bergen's career but instead focuses on her private life--and that's not very interesting.

Since she was born into a home with a famously successful father who was distant to his daughter, she is unemotional and wooden when talking about her life. She brags a lot about her rich lifestyle (detailing the kind of private jets she flies in and the famous designers that give her clothing) while trying to pretend that she's just an average woman that represents other women. She's not and she doesn't.

She marries a French film director, they travel the world and live in one of the most expensive places in New York City overlooking Central Park, have a child (his third from three women), and then spend most of their family time apart. She claims she trusts him to not cheat on her but it's hard to believe how naive this woman is. The marriage is almost in-name-only and he comes across as a real jerk that she tolerates in the name of love. She is devoted to their daughter and likes to brag about the cute phrases the girl says that aren't so cute. Meanwhile Bergen details what they eat, their furnishings, their pets, and other extremely dull topics.

Regarding her career she does spend over 40 pages (on and off) about Murphy Brown. Some of that starts to get interesting because Bergen comes across as quite conservative and devoted to her man, which is the opposite of her Murphy Brown character. She defends herself from criticism that she was a difficult diva on set and tries to convince us that she loved everyone and made sure the set was a happy place.

However, then she veers off into the Dan Quayle controversy with Murphy Brown. It had to be addressed, but she starts it out by claiming that producer Diane English worked hard to make the show fair to both liberal and conservative viewpoints and that the sitcom was not liberal leaning. Is she kidding? It was not only one of the most liberal-pushing shows in the history of television, English has admitted to using the show for the purpose of pushing her Democratic agenda. Bergen clarifies that while she supported Quayle's defense of traditional family she saw herself as a role model for single mothers and thought the series did a great job inspiring other women in those circumstances. It did not. Murphy was a rich, elitist loud-mouthed man-chewer. This reflects Bergen's main problem with her perspective on life--this rich, elitist liberal thinks that she represents the average woman in America, yet she has never had to struggle the way others have. There's nothing worse than a rich Hollywood star trying to claim she represents little poor people in Middle America when the only ones she probably has ever met were her servants.

She brags about her being a great mother that had difficulty juggling family, work, and an absent husband--while telling us that she had a nanny, a housekeeper, and a brother that helped take care of the baby, with a private jet to fly them all on vacation. Candice, you're not normal and you have no idea what it's like for a typical single working mother to struggle to make it.

I would love to shake sense into this woman. She doesn't get it. While it is a bit refreshing to see that she is probably a bit more conservative and traditional in her private life than people assume her to be, this book appears to be a mostly ghost-written attempt to shape her impact on society near the end of her life. She admits to a woman named Betsy giving her "help" to edit the written material over a four-year period and that hundreds of pages were deleted! At almost 350 pages it still could cut almost half and improve the storytelling. One wonders what was left out when cut out because Bergen says there were things removed that she "was not comfortable with." And there's the problem--instead of a tight book filled with great stories this ends up being just dull details of the everyday life from a woman whose life is anything but normal.