What do you think?
Rate this book
Mostly True: A Memoir of Family, Food, and Baseball
Molly O'Neill's father believed that baseball was his family's destiny. He wanted to spawn enough sons for an infield, so he married the tallest woman in Columbus, Ohio. Molly came out first, but eventually her father's plan prevailed. Five boys followed in rapid succession and the youngest, Paul O'Neill, did, in fact, grow up to be the star right fielder for the New York Yankees. In Mostly True , celebrated food critic and writer O'Neill tells the story of her quintessentially American family and the places where they come together -- around the table and on the ball field.
Molly's great-grandfather played on one of the earliest traveling teams in organized baseball, her grandfather played barnstorming ball, and her father pitched in the minor leagues, but after being sidelined with an injury in the war, he set his sights on the next generation. While her brothers raged and struggled to become their own men, Molly, appointed "Deputy Mom" at an age when most girls were playing with dolls, learned early how to be the model Midwestern homemaker and began casting about wildly for other possible destinies. As her mother cleaned fanatically and produced elaborate, healthy meals, Molly spoiled her bro-thers with skyscraper cakes, scribbled reams of poetry, and staged theatrical productions in the backyard. By the late 1960s, the Woodstock Nation had challenged some of the O'Neill values, but nothing altered their conviction that only remarkable achievement could save them.
Mostly True is the uncommon chronicle of a regular family pursuing the American dream and of one girl's quest to find her place in a world built for boys. Molly O'Neill -- an independent, extraordinarily talented, and fiercely funny woman -- showed that home runs can be hit in many fields. Her memoir is glorious.
Molly's great-grandfather played on one of the earliest traveling teams in organized baseball, her grandfather played barnstorming ball, and her father pitched in the minor leagues, but after being sidelined with an injury in the war, he set his sights on the next generation. While her brothers raged and struggled to become their own men, Molly, appointed "Deputy Mom" at an age when most girls were playing with dolls, learned early how to be the model Midwestern homemaker and began casting about wildly for other possible destinies. As her mother cleaned fanatically and produced elaborate, healthy meals, Molly spoiled her bro-thers with skyscraper cakes, scribbled reams of poetry, and staged theatrical productions in the backyard. By the late 1960s, the Woodstock Nation had challenged some of the O'Neill values, but nothing altered their conviction that only remarkable achievement could save them.
Mostly True is the uncommon chronicle of a regular family pursuing the American dream and of one girl's quest to find her place in a world built for boys. Molly O'Neill -- an independent, extraordinarily talented, and fiercely funny woman -- showed that home runs can be hit in many fields. Her memoir is glorious.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2006
6 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 3, 2014
A few weeks ago I posted a review of Julia Pandl's Memoirs of the Sunday Brunch, and Sarah, a Goodreads friend, suggested I might like Molly O'Neill's Mostly True- A Memoir of Family, Food and Baseball. Since those are three of my favorite things, I searched and found the book and read it.
Sarah was right; what a fantastic memoir! Molly is the oldest O'Neill child, followed in succession by five boys in the 1950s and 1960s. They grew up in Columbus, Ohio, a close-knit crew, and much of their lives revolved around baseball (like mine growing up). Her dad loved baseball and encouraged his sons to play the game; youngest son Paul grew up to play for the legendary New York Yankees (and before that, the Cincinnati Reds, a team close enough to home for his parents to watch him play often).
Anyone from a big family will relate to Molly's memories of growing up in a big family. Molly's attitude towards food came from her parents, who had a different idea than many people at that time. Columbus was (and still is) the test-market capital for food products. Grocery stores were filled with product samplers, while ubiquitous today, were not found in may places in the Unites States back then.
The O'Neill's, however, did not serve their children pot pies or macaroni and cheese or tuna noodle casserole or even meat loaf. Her parents "practiced a separation of food groups. We had meat. We had potato. We had vegetable. We had salad. We had dessert.. Each was distinct and none was overcooked. It was humiliating."
Molly first became interested in cooking when she was trying to lose weight. She joined a weight loss support group because her brother mercilessly teased her about having unidentifiable kneecaps. There, a woman gave her a cookbook and Molly started cooking for herself because her mother would not make a separate meal for her. Soon Molly ditched the low calorie cooking and moved on to making recipes out of Julia Child for her grateful family.
She went to college in Massachusetts, became a feminist, wrote poetry and helped to start a feminist, humanist, vegetarian restaurant. As the women who ran the restaurant began to become more and more militant about what could be served, Molly became more creative with ways to make broth without any trace of beef and ways to use tofu.
After college, she settled in Provincetown, working at many restaurants. I loved reading about how Molly got her hands-on education, how she fought for her place in the male-dominated kitchens. Surely growing up with male siblings helped her here.
Molly gained a reputation, and a following, and soon two of her brothers followed her into the business. She got them jobs and they all cooked together.
Eventually Molly went to Paris to learn how to make desserts, she became friends with her neighbor Julia Child, she moved to New York and ended up a New York Times restaurant critic and a famous cookbook author.
Paul was playing for the Yankees while Molly was living in New York, so she spent many games sitting in the stands watching him and her father, who was so thrilled to have a son playing Major League baseball. Molly's mom was thrilled to be able to shop in New York.
This is a book for anyone who is fascinated by food, family and yes, baseball. But it is much more. It is the story of a woman finding her way through her passion and I absolutely loved it. I know I will read this one again and again. Thanks to Sarah for the suggestion!
rating 5 of 5
Sarah was right; what a fantastic memoir! Molly is the oldest O'Neill child, followed in succession by five boys in the 1950s and 1960s. They grew up in Columbus, Ohio, a close-knit crew, and much of their lives revolved around baseball (like mine growing up). Her dad loved baseball and encouraged his sons to play the game; youngest son Paul grew up to play for the legendary New York Yankees (and before that, the Cincinnati Reds, a team close enough to home for his parents to watch him play often).
Anyone from a big family will relate to Molly's memories of growing up in a big family. Molly's attitude towards food came from her parents, who had a different idea than many people at that time. Columbus was (and still is) the test-market capital for food products. Grocery stores were filled with product samplers, while ubiquitous today, were not found in may places in the Unites States back then.
The O'Neill's, however, did not serve their children pot pies or macaroni and cheese or tuna noodle casserole or even meat loaf. Her parents "practiced a separation of food groups. We had meat. We had potato. We had vegetable. We had salad. We had dessert.. Each was distinct and none was overcooked. It was humiliating."
Molly first became interested in cooking when she was trying to lose weight. She joined a weight loss support group because her brother mercilessly teased her about having unidentifiable kneecaps. There, a woman gave her a cookbook and Molly started cooking for herself because her mother would not make a separate meal for her. Soon Molly ditched the low calorie cooking and moved on to making recipes out of Julia Child for her grateful family.
She went to college in Massachusetts, became a feminist, wrote poetry and helped to start a feminist, humanist, vegetarian restaurant. As the women who ran the restaurant began to become more and more militant about what could be served, Molly became more creative with ways to make broth without any trace of beef and ways to use tofu.
After college, she settled in Provincetown, working at many restaurants. I loved reading about how Molly got her hands-on education, how she fought for her place in the male-dominated kitchens. Surely growing up with male siblings helped her here.
Molly gained a reputation, and a following, and soon two of her brothers followed her into the business. She got them jobs and they all cooked together.
Eventually Molly went to Paris to learn how to make desserts, she became friends with her neighbor Julia Child, she moved to New York and ended up a New York Times restaurant critic and a famous cookbook author.
Paul was playing for the Yankees while Molly was living in New York, so she spent many games sitting in the stands watching him and her father, who was so thrilled to have a son playing Major League baseball. Molly's mom was thrilled to be able to shop in New York.
This is a book for anyone who is fascinated by food, family and yes, baseball. But it is much more. It is the story of a woman finding her way through her passion and I absolutely loved it. I know I will read this one again and again. Thanks to Sarah for the suggestion!
rating 5 of 5
August 25, 2024
I cannot believe that there is just over one month left in the baseball season. I currently have a game on the radio as it is my balm for life, but such is the cyclical nature of the changing seasons. After baseball comes football season, then hockey and basketball, and come the new year, it is almost time for baseball again. I could read about baseball from a kaleidoscope of perspectives, one for each day of the long season, and I would still have to cull the list down to manageable. Besides baseball, I could read a memoir a day and it would still not be enough to sate my interest. There is something about learning insights into others’ lives and seeing how all these stories of shared humanity fit together to form a nation’s experience that continue to pique my interest. Whether it is the most famous person in the world or the neighbor next door, I love hearing peoples’ life stories. When a memoir intersects with baseball and cooking like Molly O’Neill’s does, I knew that I had uncovered a gem. A bonus is that Mostly True appeared as recommended reading on my library’s feed, which makes uncovering nuggets like these all the more special.
The O’Neill and Gwinn families came together when parents John and Virginia met at the Gwinn Mill on the night of a fire. Other sparks flew between the new couple as there was clearly a chemistry between the two of them. The Gwinn family of Columbus, Ohio came from pseudo-royalty, owning a mill and a mansion. Virginia grew up in the home of her aunt and uncle O.E.and Clarence Gwinn and never lacked for the luxuries of life. She was used to eating off of fine china on a nightly basis and only had the best of food and clothes and even her own pony. Her parents disapproved of a marriage to John O’Neill of Ravenna, Nebraska because he clearly came from lesser stock. His grandfather Jack bought hundreds of acres of land to homestead and raised nine children, the youngest of whom, John’s father, would go on to have nine children of their own. One thread through the generations is that the men played amateur or barnstorming baseball. World War II curtailed John’s dream of playing in the majors, but he hoped to raise a son who one day would live out his dream. Marrying Virginia who happened to stand six feet tall might just help him achieve his goal. He would father sons and coach their baseball teams on a path toward the majors. While this dream might seem far fetched to some, the O’Neill family grew to have an eldest daughter, Molly, and five sons, the youngest of whom, Paul would go onto play in the majors for nearly twenty years. In between a whirlwind of family antics and adventures ensued.
While I thought that this memoir was about baseball, and in a way it was, Molly O’Neill relates her experiences as the eldest sibling in a family full of wild boys. In the ten years between her and Paul, were four other boys. As the oldest and only girl, Molly became her mother’s assistant. Until her last year of high school, Molly could not participate in activities because she had to watch her brothers after school. Although Virginia wanted to continue the Gwinn tradition of only the best foods for her children, boys coming of age in the 1960s desired the junk that they saw on television. By age eleven, Molly learned to cook and created recipes that she saw on cans at the grocery store, the most famous of which was the crab melt, that is still one of Paul’s favorites. Molly also became quite the baker in the tradition of her O’Neill grandmother, who are mother despised. Despite Molly’s talents, her father still desired to raise a major leaguer and enrolled all of his sons in little league. Some boys like the two oldest Mike and Patrick showed some genuine talent, but neither of them demonstrated to have the skills to make it to the majors. John, persevered. By this time, Molly had finished college and on a path toward becoming a renowned chef. It was her youngest brother Paul who loved baseball and exhibited the tools to become a major leaguer. Molly acted like a second mother to Paul when he was a youngster, too young for little league and their mother working or having zero interest in baseball. Molly’s love was in food prep, but she was her brothers’ best cheerleader. As the O’Neill clan entered adulthood, baseball and food would intersect.
As Paul O’Neill rose in the majors to play for the Reds and then the Yankees, Molly also planted roots in New York as a chef, food critic, and later cookbook author. The family’s food preparer from the time she was a girl, Molly became an accomplished cook in a male dominated industry. Her oyster cracking skills became stuff of legend, and her accomplishments in the kitchen lead her brothers to follow in her footsteps and in the food industry, four of five of these midwesterners appreciating a quality cut of fresh fish. Molly’s friends and acquaintances in the food industry include Julia Child and James Beard, Julia providing encouragement and mentorship. As one who dabbles in the kitchen on a daily basis, I salivated over Molly’s creations and wrote down tips. She eventually transitioned from sixteen hour days in the kitchen to become a food critic for the New York Times, her brothers accompanying her on many restaurant adventures. The Times job lead to Molly working freelance and writing cookbooks, combining her love of writing and food. The knowledge that she could write as well as cook occurred when she penned a story about the history of pancakes for the Times magazine, her father’s recipe coming out on top. Her rise as a food writer occurred while Paul became a fan favorite as a member of the Yankees. The O’Neills, originally an immigrant homesteading family, had finally made it in America.
Today Paul O’Neill is a broadcaster for the Yankees and Molly continues to work as a food writer. Reviewers have noted that her New York Cookbook is a quality book that contains stories about the history of New York as well as recipes, a book that intrigues the historian in me. With the Yankees barreling toward the playoffs again, I am sure to see Paul O’Neill on television much in the next few months. My husband hopes this team has what it takes to win, but that is a story for another review. As the season winds down, it will be time for another season of life and sports. The O’Neill clan will meet to cook the recipes that they have perfected during the course of their adult lives. Whether it is seafood gumbo, crab cakes, or homemade mashed potatoes, the O’Neill siblings are a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen as well as the baseball diamond. Mostly True had not been on my baseball reading radar before this season started, but it has stood out as one of this season’s surprises. What could be better for this baseball loving cook than a book that combines family history with my two favorite pastimes.
4 stars
The O’Neill and Gwinn families came together when parents John and Virginia met at the Gwinn Mill on the night of a fire. Other sparks flew between the new couple as there was clearly a chemistry between the two of them. The Gwinn family of Columbus, Ohio came from pseudo-royalty, owning a mill and a mansion. Virginia grew up in the home of her aunt and uncle O.E.and Clarence Gwinn and never lacked for the luxuries of life. She was used to eating off of fine china on a nightly basis and only had the best of food and clothes and even her own pony. Her parents disapproved of a marriage to John O’Neill of Ravenna, Nebraska because he clearly came from lesser stock. His grandfather Jack bought hundreds of acres of land to homestead and raised nine children, the youngest of whom, John’s father, would go on to have nine children of their own. One thread through the generations is that the men played amateur or barnstorming baseball. World War II curtailed John’s dream of playing in the majors, but he hoped to raise a son who one day would live out his dream. Marrying Virginia who happened to stand six feet tall might just help him achieve his goal. He would father sons and coach their baseball teams on a path toward the majors. While this dream might seem far fetched to some, the O’Neill family grew to have an eldest daughter, Molly, and five sons, the youngest of whom, Paul would go onto play in the majors for nearly twenty years. In between a whirlwind of family antics and adventures ensued.
While I thought that this memoir was about baseball, and in a way it was, Molly O’Neill relates her experiences as the eldest sibling in a family full of wild boys. In the ten years between her and Paul, were four other boys. As the oldest and only girl, Molly became her mother’s assistant. Until her last year of high school, Molly could not participate in activities because she had to watch her brothers after school. Although Virginia wanted to continue the Gwinn tradition of only the best foods for her children, boys coming of age in the 1960s desired the junk that they saw on television. By age eleven, Molly learned to cook and created recipes that she saw on cans at the grocery store, the most famous of which was the crab melt, that is still one of Paul’s favorites. Molly also became quite the baker in the tradition of her O’Neill grandmother, who are mother despised. Despite Molly’s talents, her father still desired to raise a major leaguer and enrolled all of his sons in little league. Some boys like the two oldest Mike and Patrick showed some genuine talent, but neither of them demonstrated to have the skills to make it to the majors. John, persevered. By this time, Molly had finished college and on a path toward becoming a renowned chef. It was her youngest brother Paul who loved baseball and exhibited the tools to become a major leaguer. Molly acted like a second mother to Paul when he was a youngster, too young for little league and their mother working or having zero interest in baseball. Molly’s love was in food prep, but she was her brothers’ best cheerleader. As the O’Neill clan entered adulthood, baseball and food would intersect.
As Paul O’Neill rose in the majors to play for the Reds and then the Yankees, Molly also planted roots in New York as a chef, food critic, and later cookbook author. The family’s food preparer from the time she was a girl, Molly became an accomplished cook in a male dominated industry. Her oyster cracking skills became stuff of legend, and her accomplishments in the kitchen lead her brothers to follow in her footsteps and in the food industry, four of five of these midwesterners appreciating a quality cut of fresh fish. Molly’s friends and acquaintances in the food industry include Julia Child and James Beard, Julia providing encouragement and mentorship. As one who dabbles in the kitchen on a daily basis, I salivated over Molly’s creations and wrote down tips. She eventually transitioned from sixteen hour days in the kitchen to become a food critic for the New York Times, her brothers accompanying her on many restaurant adventures. The Times job lead to Molly working freelance and writing cookbooks, combining her love of writing and food. The knowledge that she could write as well as cook occurred when she penned a story about the history of pancakes for the Times magazine, her father’s recipe coming out on top. Her rise as a food writer occurred while Paul became a fan favorite as a member of the Yankees. The O’Neills, originally an immigrant homesteading family, had finally made it in America.
Today Paul O’Neill is a broadcaster for the Yankees and Molly continues to work as a food writer. Reviewers have noted that her New York Cookbook is a quality book that contains stories about the history of New York as well as recipes, a book that intrigues the historian in me. With the Yankees barreling toward the playoffs again, I am sure to see Paul O’Neill on television much in the next few months. My husband hopes this team has what it takes to win, but that is a story for another review. As the season winds down, it will be time for another season of life and sports. The O’Neill clan will meet to cook the recipes that they have perfected during the course of their adult lives. Whether it is seafood gumbo, crab cakes, or homemade mashed potatoes, the O’Neill siblings are a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen as well as the baseball diamond. Mostly True had not been on my baseball reading radar before this season started, but it has stood out as one of this season’s surprises. What could be better for this baseball loving cook than a book that combines family history with my two favorite pastimes.
4 stars
May 1, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed Molly O'Neill's autobiography. Her story about growing up in Columbus OH in the 50's and 60's, her subsequent move east and transformation to a renowned writer and chef was a fun literary romp. I liked reading about her relationship with her parents and brothers (one of whom is Paul O'Neill of Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees baseball fame) who impacted her life as much as her friends and Julia Child and Lillian Hellman, who also influenced her path. A great read for any foodie or '60's person, espeically those coming of age in the midwest.
October 10, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book (memoir). Through tears and laughter, I recalled fondly, the family O'Neill. Molly was definitely a fighter and voiced in her view the collective personalities of her immediate family. Not always perfect; however, supportive. I think that as much as Molly wanted to pave her own way and make her family proud, she also longed to be a part of the family in a way that was seemingly impossible...and, I'm not sure she realized just what an integral part she was of her family. I admired her dedication to each family member as an individual. Her efforts to have her father know her true self and the acceptance that he loved her in the only way he knew how, was heartfelt. The normalcy she painted of a family with shining stars, is uplifting. I am reading this book now, knowing that Molly passed away this year and I am touched by sadness at the wonderful talent we have all lost.
January 28, 2020
Molly O'Neill is best when describing her relationship with her brothers and parents. I also enjoyed her enthusiasm for whatever project she was focused on and she gave me a clear sense of how enormously hard she worked at her craft to achieve her success. BUT, there was an important element missing from her book. She seemed to connect with people outside of her family so easily, it seemed like magic the way she got what she needed from others to achieve her goals. I needed to know how she managed it. Why would influential people seek her out? What was different about her or special about how she interacted with them, so they wanted to be with her? An enjoyable read, but seems forgettable with no dramatic arc or epiphanies.
July 29, 2019
This is a unique book for me. I loved Molly O'Neill's restaurant reviews and NY Cookbook and her younger brother, Paul, was my favorite Yankee baseball player. This is a memoir of how they grew up and is quite well done and fascinating. Molly goes the baby boomer route into food and Paul goes the jock route into sports. Between them in age, there are four other brothers, all of whom figure in this story. Molly recently passed away and I mourn her loss.
April 24, 2018
Interesting but slow read....
May 16, 2018
Boring.
June 28, 2018
Fun story of growing up with family myth, cooking and baseball.
July 26, 2019
I read about Molly O'Neill in the New York Times Obituaries. ( A place where I get some of my best reading inspirations). May she rest in peace.
I read it steadily from the moment I picked it up at the library. The products, fashions, trends and attitudes she records, as well as her observations of her family, growing up in Ohio in the 60's hit some familiar chords for me. Her development as a chef and then food writer are honest and interesting, and practical. I am looking for her next book "New York Cookbook"
I read it steadily from the moment I picked it up at the library. The products, fashions, trends and attitudes she records, as well as her observations of her family, growing up in Ohio in the 60's hit some familiar chords for me. Her development as a chef and then food writer are honest and interesting, and practical. I am looking for her next book "New York Cookbook"
September 5, 2010
We are what we make of ourselves, but our family - warts and all - creates the base that we build everything off of. Molly O'Neill's memoir embraces this theme. She is a well known writer and critic of food for large New York and Boston print publications. Her little brother was a legendary outfielder for the Yankees. But her book focuses mostly on life before the bright lights and big cities. It focuses on her base.
Although I grew up several decades after Molly, I found myself identifying so strongly with many of her tales. Some sweet, some hysterical and some maddening. All having to do with her relationship to her parents and her siblings. Life as the only child morphing into life as the oldest child. Life as a child morphing into life as second in command. Life searching for anything other than what was expected of her.
I felt like Molly was treating me, the reader, as her personal confidant. Like I was there for her, nodding in agreement, providing support along her journey. Until she grew up and turned into that friend whose self-made success becomes more difficult to applaud because they are forever dropping names. I rolled my eyes quite a bit in the last half of the book to be honest.
Maybe she rolled her own eyes too because in the end, she decided to just go back to her base. To her relationship with her family. How they made her who she needed to be to become what she wanted to become. A success.
Although I grew up several decades after Molly, I found myself identifying so strongly with many of her tales. Some sweet, some hysterical and some maddening. All having to do with her relationship to her parents and her siblings. Life as the only child morphing into life as the oldest child. Life as a child morphing into life as second in command. Life searching for anything other than what was expected of her.
I felt like Molly was treating me, the reader, as her personal confidant. Like I was there for her, nodding in agreement, providing support along her journey. Until she grew up and turned into that friend whose self-made success becomes more difficult to applaud because they are forever dropping names. I rolled my eyes quite a bit in the last half of the book to be honest.
Maybe she rolled her own eyes too because in the end, she decided to just go back to her base. To her relationship with her family. How they made her who she needed to be to become what she wanted to become. A success.
March 8, 2010
I lost interest in this book about halfway through. Molly was raised in a fascinating family, a father who was blue collar all the way and five brothers lived baseball as survival in the family dynamics. That left Molly as her mother's helper and confidant. The relationship between the parents was very well portrayed, as was the need for recognition in such a large family.
Then Molly grew up, worked hard, got lucky, met many famous people and became the food columnist for the New York Times. But, even she seemed bored by her success, because the second half reads almost like a list of accomplishments.
It might be fun just to read the first half since we all know how it ends.
Then Molly grew up, worked hard, got lucky, met many famous people and became the food columnist for the New York Times. But, even she seemed bored by her success, because the second half reads almost like a list of accomplishments.
It might be fun just to read the first half since we all know how it ends.
September 22, 2007
I really enjoyed this book. Molly O'Neill does a nice job of painting pictures of her childhood memories, days as a chef and feminist and struggles to become a mother. There is nothing earth-shattering in this memoir. And that is absolutely refreshing to me. It is just a sometimes witty and fun look at the life of a foodie gal in an all-American, baseball obsessed, male dominated family. Hmm, wonder why I identify so much with this one?
December 1, 2008
Kind of rambling, mildly interesting. I read it at bed and get through a couple of pages before falling asleep. I'm not in a big hurry to get back to it but do again the next night anyway. I enjoy reading about this family, I think, primarily because the story makes so many references to Columbus history and locations that I kind of enjoy. Overall though, this story seems like a placeholder for my next good book...
February 7, 2009
It left me wanting to know more about Molly and her O'Neill family members. She's had an interesting life. The early years were very detailed, but information on the later years was pretty sparse. I imagine that was to protect people's privacy (the events didn't happen long ago) but the gaps are noticable. She barely mentions her husband and stepdaughter. That's why I only gave it 4 stars. Otherwise, it was easy to read and interesting.
April 15, 2010
A love letter to food, to family, to memories, to baseball. Especially a love letter to food. Wonderful writer. Beautiful memoir.
Kicking off the baseball season with a memoir from the older sister of Paul O'Neill (Yankees). Food and baseball and family: some of my favorite things too! Next in line: "The Crowd Sounds Happy" - another memoir surrounding baseball and how it was a respite during childhood for the author. Both of these books I got from PaperbackSwap - love, love!
Kicking off the baseball season with a memoir from the older sister of Paul O'Neill (Yankees). Food and baseball and family: some of my favorite things too! Next in line: "The Crowd Sounds Happy" - another memoir surrounding baseball and how it was a respite during childhood for the author. Both of these books I got from PaperbackSwap - love, love!
January 3, 2014
Not being a big baseball fan, I did not know about the famous Paul O'Neill. This book was recommended by AMAZON becuase I am a big fan of "foodie" memoirs. While I enjoyed the entire book, the second half was more engaging. A memoir that shows that the American Dream is still alive and well and reachable by persons from all walks of life.
June 30, 2010
Molly finds the perfect balance in writing about family, food and baseball in this lovely memoir. This book inspired me to make calls to my family just to say 'hello' and try out new recipes. I really did laugh out loud at times and in the end, I cried. The baseball theme really does make it a perfect summer read.
August 6, 2010
Absolutely delightful - a memoir of a famous food critic and cookbook author whose brother just happens to be the former Yankee, Paul O'Neill. The style is extremely witty and entertaining and the family story has moments that will "hit home" with many.
July 26, 2011
Great account of life in the O'Neill family, from the perspective of Paul's oldest sibling, Molly. Reminds me a bit of Anthony Bourdain's "kitchen confidential" in the sense that she earned her stripes in the kitchen before becoming a "food critic".
June 22, 2013
I love a good memoir and this book qualifies! I especially enjoyed the portions of the book about the author with less focus on her family. This book was clearly a labor of love and it was unique and humorous. If you like memoirs give this one a read..
June 10, 2008
Thankfully Paul O'Neill was a better baseball player than his sister is a writer.
August 31, 2008
A book that I was sad to finish because I really enjoyed it. A foodie memoir with a love of family and baseball.
October 15, 2008
Story of the O'Neil family. Daughter Molly is a famous food critic and son Paul is a professional baseball player.
March 15, 2009
This book is kind of boring because it takes forever to get to the point. I thought that it would mention Paul O'neil by now
March 3, 2009
Ok, never got around to finishing.
May 29, 2012
Connections to Irish Catholic families, O'Neills, Nebraska, food, feminism...what's there not to love and identify with??
February 18, 2013
Early bits are interesting, but not enough baseball or food for me. Just because you've achieved a minimum level of fame does not make everything you do interesting.
February 14, 2013
Some parts were good, other parts not so much.
February 15, 2013
I loved this book! Food and baseball- a very funny read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews