What do you think?
Rate this book
Bella Bella
Four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein takes on New York City’s very own political firebrand, Bella Abzug, in his new raucous, heart-rending, and absurdly humorous solo show. Set in 1976, on the eve of her bid to become New York State’s first female senator, Bella Bella finds this larger-than-life, truth-slinging, groundbreaking, hat-wearing icon squirreled away in the bathroom of a midtown hotel awaiting that night’s election results while a coterie of family and celebs await her entrance. Directing is Kimberly Senior (The Niceties).
Audiobook
First published August 4, 2020
2 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Harvey Fierstein
27 books157 followersHarvey Fierstein is an acclaimed American actor, playwright, and screenwriter known for his unmistakable gravelly voice and groundbreaking work in theatre, film, and television. He first rose to prominence with Torch Song Trilogy, which he wrote and starred in, earning Tony Awards for both Best Play and Best Actor in a Play. Fierstein followed with another major success, writing the Tony-winning book for the musical La Cage aux Folles, and later won Best Actor in a Musical for playing Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, a role he reprised for Hairspray Live!.
In addition to his acting accolades, Fierstein wrote the books for Broadway musicals such as Kinky Boots, Newsies, and A Catered Affair, continuing to shape musical theatre with stories that center empathy and inclusion. He has been widely recognized for bringing LGBTQ+ narratives to mainstream audiences and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2007.
Fierstein’s screen work includes memorable roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day, and voicing Yao in Disney’s Mulan. A versatile performer and vocal activist, he has authored op-eds and scripts that champion visibility and equality. His 2022 memoir, I Was Better Last Night, became a New York Times Bestseller and offered personal reflections on his identity, career, and survival.
Openly gay since early in his career, Fierstein has long been a pioneer in LGBTQ+ representation on stage and screen. Though he resists labeling his gender identity, he embraces his unique experience, saying, “I’m comfortable being me.” His influence remains vital to American culture and theatre.
In addition to his acting accolades, Fierstein wrote the books for Broadway musicals such as Kinky Boots, Newsies, and A Catered Affair, continuing to shape musical theatre with stories that center empathy and inclusion. He has been widely recognized for bringing LGBTQ+ narratives to mainstream audiences and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2007.
Fierstein’s screen work includes memorable roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day, and voicing Yao in Disney’s Mulan. A versatile performer and vocal activist, he has authored op-eds and scripts that champion visibility and equality. His 2022 memoir, I Was Better Last Night, became a New York Times Bestseller and offered personal reflections on his identity, career, and survival.
Openly gay since early in his career, Fierstein has long been a pioneer in LGBTQ+ representation on stage and screen. Though he resists labeling his gender identity, he embraces his unique experience, saying, “I’m comfortable being me.” His influence remains vital to American culture and theatre.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
September 7, 2020
I am not a fan of Harvey Fierstein so I skipped going to see this biographical play when it was at the Manhattan Theatre Club. I liked this audio more than I expected to because Bella had an interesting life and I could relate to her experiences, but I’m still glad that I didn’t pay to see the play. 3.5 stars
August 23, 2020
I'd listen to a hell of a lot more (auto)biographies if Harvey Fierstein performed their audiobook counterparts!
November 20, 2020
One legend interprets another in this one-person play. Written and performed by the inimitable Harvey Fierstein, he looks back at icon Bella Abzug's life and all of the barriers she scaled. Every woman in politics today, whether they want to admit it or not (I'm talking about you, Sarah Palin), owes her a debt.
January 9, 2022
Absolutely brilliant! I was nearly in tears in laughter. And to use this type of comedy to highlight the history of women in politics is pure genius. The audible version is the only way to read this in my opinion - unless you can watch a live performance!!
August 7, 2020
UNBELIEVEABLE!!!
GET AGAIN AND THIS TIME ON AN AUDIBLE MONTHLY BOOK I HAD TO SEARCH VIA AUTHOR!!!
GET IT TOGETHER GOODREADS!!
GET AGAIN AND THIS TIME ON AN AUDIBLE MONTHLY BOOK I HAD TO SEARCH VIA AUTHOR!!!
GET IT TOGETHER GOODREADS!!
August 19, 2020
Bella on Fier
Review of Audible Original audiobook (August 2020)
Bella Bella is a studio recording of the stage performance by writer/actor Harvey Fierstein of his own one-person play about American lawyer and politician Bella Abzug which ran at the Manhattan Theater Club in October 2019.
Fierstein's gravelly voice does take a bit of getting used to at first, especially if you saw Margo Martindale's recent performance as Bella in the Mrs. America (2020) TV mini-series, but Fiersteins's acting and voice performance skills will win you over after only a short time.
Bella Bella was one of eleven Audible Originals available free for members in the month of August 2020. It is available to everyone for a standard price.
Trivia and Link
There is an interview with Harvey Fierstein about his inspiration for the play which you can see on YouTube here.
Review of Audible Original audiobook (August 2020)
Bella Bella is a studio recording of the stage performance by writer/actor Harvey Fierstein of his own one-person play about American lawyer and politician Bella Abzug which ran at the Manhattan Theater Club in October 2019.
Fierstein's gravelly voice does take a bit of getting used to at first, especially if you saw Margo Martindale's recent performance as Bella in the Mrs. America (2020) TV mini-series, but Fiersteins's acting and voice performance skills will win you over after only a short time.
Bella Bella was one of eleven Audible Originals available free for members in the month of August 2020. It is available to everyone for a standard price.
Trivia and Link
There is an interview with Harvey Fierstein about his inspiration for the play which you can see on YouTube here.
September 14, 2020
Bella Bella on Audible.
I listened because I’m missing live theater so, so much. I heard ‘His Broadway Royalness’ had something to offer so I grabbed it. Bella was ‘a politician for real people’ as my grandma would say. A strong voice in NY history. This was spot on.
The two together is a winning event!
I listened because I’m missing live theater so, so much. I heard ‘His Broadway Royalness’ had something to offer so I grabbed it. Bella was ‘a politician for real people’ as my grandma would say. A strong voice in NY history. This was spot on.
The two together is a winning event!
August 31, 2020
Quick Listen.
December 31, 2020
Love Harvey Fierstein. This was a fun performance piece.
August 13, 2020
I had first heard about Bella Abzug watching the tv series Mrs America. I am so glad I learned about her and the other wonderful women who fought to be heard and to bring change into a society in which women weren't even considered a value.
This audiobook recounts Bella's wait during the eve of her bid to become New York State’s first female senator in 1976. We find her as she has hidden away inside the bathroom of a hotel. Everyone's waiting for her, and we get to listen to an amazing stream of consciousness in which the amazing Harvey Fierstein gives Bella strength, humour, passion, and fragility at the same time.
I loved this audiobook, I loved Fierstein's performance, and in this period of time, it is more important than ever for women to learn about other amazing women such as Bella, who have left a permanent influence in today's society.
This audiobook recounts Bella's wait during the eve of her bid to become New York State’s first female senator in 1976. We find her as she has hidden away inside the bathroom of a hotel. Everyone's waiting for her, and we get to listen to an amazing stream of consciousness in which the amazing Harvey Fierstein gives Bella strength, humour, passion, and fragility at the same time.
I loved this audiobook, I loved Fierstein's performance, and in this period of time, it is more important than ever for women to learn about other amazing women such as Bella, who have left a permanent influence in today's society.
August 19, 2020
A monologue sketch. The raucous voice of this author was not what I was expecting for a story about a female politician. Took a lot of getting used to, even if it did suit the character. A really big contrast with other narrators of audiobooks. The story itself was okay. No more, no less. Some anecdotes on politics, feminism, and emerging self-awareness.
September 5, 2020
Fierstein’s one-“woman” show reminded me how far we’ve come and how much we owe women like Abzug who pushed their way into the congressional boys’ club.
We’ve let them run the government for over 200 years and what do we have to show for it? Chaos.
Move over, boys! Our time has come.
We’ve let them run the government for over 200 years and what do we have to show for it? Chaos.
Move over, boys! Our time has come.
December 31, 2020
OK I only know Harvey Fierstein from Mrs. Doubtfire. Because I was born in the 80's. But that voice, I would recognize anywhere. And in long periods of time, even just an hour, it's grating. I couldn't even concentrate on the story.
January 27, 2022
A brilliant show on the history of women in politics!
A must for every woman and every HF fan.
A must for every woman and every HF fan.
November 8, 2020
I inadvertently picked this up at the perfect time, just as we were all awaiting news of the final state vote counts that would put Joe Biden over the top. It turns out the premise here is that Harvey Fierstein is performing a one-man show of some of the great congresswoman Bella Abzug’s best lines. He is doing so, though, as she awaits word on whether she has won the Democratic primary for the New York Senate race. (Hint: if you’re as old as I am, you remember that Daniel Patrick Moynihan won instead.)
That said, I think any time would be a good time to “read” this. It’s actually a recording of Fierstein’s one-person stage show, and it’s brilliant. Abzug is a hero it’s great to hear about at this moment, but the script works as a focused political autobiography.
If I understand it correctly, Fierstein has taken excerpts of her actual speeches and writing and woven them together into an extended monologue. It’s hard to believe he didn’t invent at least some of the material because it flows from start to finish, but either way it works. We get to hear this remarkable woman in her own words.
What surprises me most of all, however, is Fierstein’s performance. A minute in, I was irritated by his distinctive voice. It’s so gravelly, so masculine, that it seemed an insult to this woman. Ten minutes in, I did a 180. Somehow, this strange voice seemed to channel Abzug. The sound didn’t match up to what I saw in my head, but I felt I saw her ever more clearly. I can’t begin to figure out what made it work so well, but I know it from what I heard: it’s great acting.
I dimly remember Abzug first-hand, but she emerges as a progressive political lodestar in this version. She recognizes how to mobilize people power, how to be a distinct voice in politics.
What’s most inspiring is that she takes for granted that she should be speaking on behalf of others. You can’t take power until you think you deserve power, and the Abzug we meet here has come to that realization from the cradle. She brags about winning a third-grade election even after the teachers removed her name from the ballot for insubordination. (She won as a write-in candidate.) She talks about how she decided to go to law school because she wanted a degree that would let her help people. And she recalls the way she decided to run for Congress in the first place. When a local politico approached her for help on his campaign, she declared she’d run herself.
All of this happens in the context of women slowly grabbing political power. (Again, how nice to be reading this on what turns out to be the day before the first woman in history has ascended to the vice-presidency.) It’s fun to hear her recognizing her role next to Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisolm, and Betty Friedan as female pioneers. She clearly admires all of them, but that doesn’t keep Fierstein from channeling some petty (but fun) jealousies.
My favorite element here, though, is her Jewishness. Fierstein seems to have a particular feel for her Yiddish-inflected sensibility. He captures the rhythms in a combination of sarcasm and self-confidence, and her stories all include a dash of self-deprecation alongside their we-can-do-it message.
Speaking as she does in Fierstein’s voice, Abzug emerges for me as the hero I dimly remember her. She made the world better than she found it. We needed her when we had her, and we could use someone like her again.
That said, I think any time would be a good time to “read” this. It’s actually a recording of Fierstein’s one-person stage show, and it’s brilliant. Abzug is a hero it’s great to hear about at this moment, but the script works as a focused political autobiography.
If I understand it correctly, Fierstein has taken excerpts of her actual speeches and writing and woven them together into an extended monologue. It’s hard to believe he didn’t invent at least some of the material because it flows from start to finish, but either way it works. We get to hear this remarkable woman in her own words.
What surprises me most of all, however, is Fierstein’s performance. A minute in, I was irritated by his distinctive voice. It’s so gravelly, so masculine, that it seemed an insult to this woman. Ten minutes in, I did a 180. Somehow, this strange voice seemed to channel Abzug. The sound didn’t match up to what I saw in my head, but I felt I saw her ever more clearly. I can’t begin to figure out what made it work so well, but I know it from what I heard: it’s great acting.
I dimly remember Abzug first-hand, but she emerges as a progressive political lodestar in this version. She recognizes how to mobilize people power, how to be a distinct voice in politics.
What’s most inspiring is that she takes for granted that she should be speaking on behalf of others. You can’t take power until you think you deserve power, and the Abzug we meet here has come to that realization from the cradle. She brags about winning a third-grade election even after the teachers removed her name from the ballot for insubordination. (She won as a write-in candidate.) She talks about how she decided to go to law school because she wanted a degree that would let her help people. And she recalls the way she decided to run for Congress in the first place. When a local politico approached her for help on his campaign, she declared she’d run herself.
All of this happens in the context of women slowly grabbing political power. (Again, how nice to be reading this on what turns out to be the day before the first woman in history has ascended to the vice-presidency.) It’s fun to hear her recognizing her role next to Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisolm, and Betty Friedan as female pioneers. She clearly admires all of them, but that doesn’t keep Fierstein from channeling some petty (but fun) jealousies.
My favorite element here, though, is her Jewishness. Fierstein seems to have a particular feel for her Yiddish-inflected sensibility. He captures the rhythms in a combination of sarcasm and self-confidence, and her stories all include a dash of self-deprecation alongside their we-can-do-it message.
Speaking as she does in Fierstein’s voice, Abzug emerges for me as the hero I dimly remember her. She made the world better than she found it. We needed her when we had her, and we could use someone like her again.
May 8, 2025
My Slightly Sarcastic But Ultimately Honest Book Rating System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 Stars): This book achieved legendary status in my personal library. I will likely reread it until the pages fall out (or my e-reader spontaneously combusts). Consider this my enthusiastic endorsement – you should probably read it unless you actively dislike joy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars): A truly excellent read! I enjoyed it immensely and would heartily recommend it to fellow bookworms. You might even catch me subtly pushing it into their hands.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 Stars): Yep, it was a book I read. I turned the pages, absorbed the words, and emerged...unchanged. It was a pleasant enough journey, like a scenic detour that you wouldn't necessarily take again, but didn't regret.
⭐️⭐️ (2 Stars): This book existed. I finished it. That's about the highest praise I can offer. If you're looking for something truly captivating, maybe keep scrolling. This one's more of a "it filled the silence" kind of experience.
⭐️ (1 Star): Oh dear. This book and I did not get along. It was a literary tumbleweed in the vast desert of good books. Consider this a strong "do not recommend," unless you're conducting research on what not to do in storytelling.
Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've read/listened to or will read/listen to multiple times.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 Stars): This book achieved legendary status in my personal library. I will likely reread it until the pages fall out (or my e-reader spontaneously combusts). Consider this my enthusiastic endorsement – you should probably read it unless you actively dislike joy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars): A truly excellent read! I enjoyed it immensely and would heartily recommend it to fellow bookworms. You might even catch me subtly pushing it into their hands.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 Stars): Yep, it was a book I read. I turned the pages, absorbed the words, and emerged...unchanged. It was a pleasant enough journey, like a scenic detour that you wouldn't necessarily take again, but didn't regret.
⭐️⭐️ (2 Stars): This book existed. I finished it. That's about the highest praise I can offer. If you're looking for something truly captivating, maybe keep scrolling. This one's more of a "it filled the silence" kind of experience.
⭐️ (1 Star): Oh dear. This book and I did not get along. It was a literary tumbleweed in the vast desert of good books. Consider this a strong "do not recommend," unless you're conducting research on what not to do in storytelling.
Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've read/listened to or will read/listen to multiple times.
August 29, 2020
3.5 rounded up. It started really strong for me, and that's why the rounding. Yeah, I could try to get worked up about Fierstein as Abzug, but...it worked for me. I believe it. It wasn't a caricature, or didn't seem like one to me. So that's now why it sort of fizzled near the end. It fizzled because the portrayal (both in words and performance) rose and rose in the beginning, then hit a plateau...and stayed there. We didn't get more insight into Bella as we went along; some of the things that seemed to be promised us in terms of insight never went anywhere. It was really good, and then it was fine, and then it was still fine, and then it was over. Which is fine. I learned a couple of new things about Bella, which was fun; I grew up in New York in the same time period as her political career, and she was somewhat omnipresent in the news for those years, and then sort of disappeared from my life. I was glad to remake her acquaintance.
November 26, 2020
Overall: 3.4/5
It was more than occasionally funny, but there was a lot of rambling which I'm not sure where it was leading. My heart went out to Bella and all she had to endure for being a woman, even in "the greatest democracy in the world."
Cover: 5/5
Very simple, yet powerful. I immediately wanted to know about this Bella person. A cover is supposed to sell books, and this one did just that.
Writing/Delivery: 6/10
It was good... just not as much as I expected. The best part was getting to know a little bit about Bella Abzug's contributions to this way of government we call democracy and yet 200 years later she was victim of its leaders' prejudices. But there was too much info-dump in my opinion.
Performance/Audio: 6/10
Fierstein's voice is hard to get used to. But he can be funny as hell! However his "double voice" is part of what consistently threw me out through the reading.
It was more than occasionally funny, but there was a lot of rambling which I'm not sure where it was leading. My heart went out to Bella and all she had to endure for being a woman, even in "the greatest democracy in the world."
Cover: 5/5
Very simple, yet powerful. I immediately wanted to know about this Bella person. A cover is supposed to sell books, and this one did just that.
Writing/Delivery: 6/10
It was good... just not as much as I expected. The best part was getting to know a little bit about Bella Abzug's contributions to this way of government we call democracy and yet 200 years later she was victim of its leaders' prejudices. But there was too much info-dump in my opinion.
Performance/Audio: 6/10
Fierstein's voice is hard to get used to. But he can be funny as hell! However his "double voice" is part of what consistently threw me out through the reading.
January 20, 2021
I loved--LOVED--Harvey Fierstein before I listened to this. What's not to love? He's a loud, obnoxious, flaming homosexual, often cross-dressing, Yiddish-slang-using Jew I've ever heard of. He's an absolute joy!!! Everything I've ever seen/read/heard of his has been brilliantly entertaining. This is no different!
Speaking from the perspective of a female lawyer turned politician in the early 70's, "Mrs. Bella Abzug" waits for the results of the recent election where she was one of five top candidates for the role of New York Senator. Her recounting of history, as well as her personal experiences coming up through the ranks of a man's world in law AND politics, is at once heart-warming, educational, and inspirational. Fierstein never disappoints!!!
I really believe this is something all women should listen to--I would love it if men listened to it, as well, but I waffle between being and optimist and a realist!
Speaking from the perspective of a female lawyer turned politician in the early 70's, "Mrs. Bella Abzug" waits for the results of the recent election where she was one of five top candidates for the role of New York Senator. Her recounting of history, as well as her personal experiences coming up through the ranks of a man's world in law AND politics, is at once heart-warming, educational, and inspirational. Fierstein never disappoints!!!
I really believe this is something all women should listen to--I would love it if men listened to it, as well, but I waffle between being and optimist and a realist!
September 21, 2020
Harvey Fierstein enacts the unforgettable Bella Abzug on primary night, 1976, as she awaits the results. Friends and family gather for the anticipated celebration while she ducks into the bathroom to calm her nerves. She expects to win; she always had before. Her soliloquy is funny and revealing. Her life, triumphs, and obstacles show us how much and how little has changed for women since 1976. Hearing about Ruth Bader Ginsberg passing and her accomplishments over the same weekend makes me hope for another light to shine for us in the years ahead as the struggle continues.
January 15, 2021
I remember Bella Abzug, fondly. If not for her willingness to fight for women, minorities, LGBT, and all who were not part of the old white man's club, there would be no Madam Vice President Kamal Harris, Shirley Chisom would not have been the FIRST WOMAN of color to run for president and Hillary Clinton would have never broken through that glass ceiling in 2016. What a hell of a woman Bella was! Remember her fighting for us, and throw a thanks to the heavens while you're at it. She was our warrior.
August 11, 2020
OH my goodness his voice is something else.
At first I wasnt into it because of the vocals. Dont get me wrong I love him in all the films I seen him in but reading took some adjusting. After a few minutes I fell in love with this character.
I enjoyed how he enter weaved real history into this story.
Mrs. Bella got you to thinking how the world is today and how we are people can move forward and change the world for the better.
At first I wasnt into it because of the vocals. Dont get me wrong I love him in all the films I seen him in but reading took some adjusting. After a few minutes I fell in love with this character.
I enjoyed how he enter weaved real history into this story.
Mrs. Bella got you to thinking how the world is today and how we are people can move forward and change the world for the better.
August 20, 2020
Harvey Fierstein is a wonderful performer and the subject was informative but also entertaining due to the talents of Mr. Fierstein. Instead of just listening to dull facts about a woman before her time and what she did for women and our country but we get a performance by a talented actor who brings her story to life and humanizes Bella Savitzky Abzug as she seeked to become an attorney and then eventually a U.S. Representative during a time when that was uncommon for women.
September 13, 2020
Couldn't Keep My Interest
Starts off a little slow but then becomes interesting. I lost interest before it was over though but listened all the way through. Even though it was short, it should have been shorter. If this was 15 or so minutes shorter, my rating would probably be higher. It just ran a bit too long for the content in the story. It started to feel repetitive to me. Overall, it was ok. Nothing spectacular but not awful either. Worth a listen during a commute.
Starts off a little slow but then becomes interesting. I lost interest before it was over though but listened all the way through. Even though it was short, it should have been shorter. If this was 15 or so minutes shorter, my rating would probably be higher. It just ran a bit too long for the content in the story. It started to feel repetitive to me. Overall, it was ok. Nothing spectacular but not awful either. Worth a listen during a commute.
July 1, 2021
"The nasty fact of my life is... if I gave into my emotions and cried, they'd say it's because I'm a girl. So let's give 'em hell."
What a FANTASTIC quick read! I ate it up. I meant to only listen for 10 minutes, and an hour later I was done. So so so good. I learned, I laughed, I empathized. And I think Harvey Fierstein's performance only improved the story, adding a fantastic layer to an already stellar story about an interesting person.
What a FANTASTIC quick read! I ate it up. I meant to only listen for 10 minutes, and an hour later I was done. So so so good. I learned, I laughed, I empathized. And I think Harvey Fierstein's performance only improved the story, adding a fantastic layer to an already stellar story about an interesting person.
August 24, 2020
This audio play features Harvey Firestein as Bella Abzug the night she lost her run for the US Senate, and discusses her life and her fights to become a lawyer and a member of the US House of Representatives. I enjoy any history about the "women who came before me" - who blazed the trail that allows me to be successful in my life. Thank you, Bella!
August 27, 2020
I loved this. If you are from a generation after Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan and your education about feminists was kinda pitiful, I would say watch Mrs. America on Hulu and listen to this. It is a lovely production. I am loving that audible is exploring lots of different listening experiences. I felt like I was sitting with Bella. Harvey is a phenomenal voice.
August 27, 2020
Who knew? I really didn't know much about Bella Abzug other than that I could pick her out in a crowd. Harvey Fierstein's take on her run for the Senate seat and her history is now one of my favorite audio books I've ever listened to. His delivery and story telling is outrageously funny and clever. I hope he chooses to do another book about her or any other historical figure real soon!
September 16, 2020
This is not really a book but a performance by Harvey Fierstein. His wonderful talent for voices really took me back to the days when Bella Abzug was the most vocal member of house of Representatives. I remember her ever more outrageous hats and how she fried the conservative boy's club. Great job Harvey!
September 21, 2020
This audible selection was Harvey playing Bella Abzug in his one man/woman play. I enjoyed the sarcasm, the funny quips and I learned a lot about Bella as she struggled to live in a 'man's world'. I may not agree with all her politics, but I admire her for what she believed in, and how she made such an impact in politics.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews