Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir

by Mary Higgins Clark

Angela’s Ashes comes home to the Bronx in a brilliant, touching, charming, and bittersweet account of a childhood during the Depression from America’s Queen of Suspense.Mary Higgins Clark’s memoir begins with the death of her father in 1939. With no money in the house—the Higgins Bar and Grill in the Bronx is failing and in debt, and worry about it is one of the things that has killed her father—Mary’s indomitable Irish mother (she devotes a chapter to her “Wild Irish Mother”) puts a classified ad in the Bronx Home “Furnished rooms! Kitchen Privileges!” Very shortly there arrives the first in a succession of tenants who will change the lives of the Higgins family and set the young Mary on her start as a writer, while bringing to them all a dose of the Christmas spirit that seemed to have vanished with Mr. Higgins’s death. Full of hope, faith, memorable characters, and warmth, Kitchen Privileges brings back into sharp, nostalgic focus the feeling of growing up poor, but determined to survive, in a vanished Bronx that was one of white lace curtains instead of a slum, and at a time when everybody was poor and either needed or offered a helping hand.

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

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark has written thirty-eight suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a his­torical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke she wrote the Under Suspicion series. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels. Her sister-in-law is the also author Mary Jane Clark.

Clark’s books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. Her books are beloved around the world and made her an international bestseller many times over.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest,funny,modest and a recollection of her past life:ups & downs....(paperback!)

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked this better than her novels. It was interesting to see the background she has. I especially liked the part about her early life. As I recall, it got less interesting later on.

I copied one cool passage about deja vu from the book:

"I felt as though I'd come 'home.' I had the most extraordinary sensation of being in a place I knew intimately. I don't believe in reincarnation, but I do wonder sometimes if it isn't possible that we inherit memory. If we can look exactly like someone who lived hundreds of years ago, if we inherit that person's particular gift or talent, his or her allergies, isn't it possible that we can also inherit some awareness that comes from a memory base?....'This is familiar, but I don't know why.'"

I thought that was a fascinating (and spooky) idea. I've never heard it expressed by anyone else, before or since reading this book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember in several of my English classes discussing whether the author's personal life and story should be considered in examining their body of work. Many critics say it should have no consideration, while others say yes it should. Perhaps it is due to my fascination with people, but I always find it interesting how an author's personal life shaped their work. I have to confess I have only read one of Mary Higgins Clark's fictional works. After reading this memoir, I want to read her body of work. This is an amazing story of courage, perseverance, and how far a positive attitude can take you. My only wish is that I had read this sooner. There have been circumstances in my personal life that I could have used her example as a single mother to a brood of children (she had 5!). I highly recommend this engaging memoir. Now I have to go read some more of her books...

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Higgins Clark's autobiography is as engrossing as one of her popular suspense novels! As a little girl living in the Bronx when there were still fields and meadows, she would probably not have believed that she would someday be worth $140 millions dollars! She has worked hard to get to where she is today, being left a widow with five children after only 14 years of marriage, she rose every day at 5 to write before getting her children ready for school and catching her carpool for work at 8 a.m! And there's much more to the book like her days as a Pan Am stewardess seeing the world etc. Definitely worth a read!

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not actually read any of Clark’s book but I always love a good nonfiction about a strong woman! She had many hard things happen to her but she found the will to fight for herself and her family. Quick listen, read by the author!

[Rehan Abd Jamil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, i simply love it!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Higgins Clark autobiographical story of her childhood/life and what made her the writer she is.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir is a brilliant, short read. The audio version read by Mary Higgins Clark was entertaining, informative and realistic. Her drive, her enthusiasm and love of her family were evident in her memoir. The reader can both cry and laugh, as Mary Higgins Clark relates her many moments of pain and job. I certainly could relate when she talked about her wallpaper experience.

[Omar Abu samra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful memoir

- Mrs. Clark, your stories are light, slight, and trite

- You’re the best writer in the world, and the reason these people aren’t publishing you is because they’re do busy publishing their friends

[Elizabeth Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this memoir. Mary Higgins Clark certainly overcame a lot to be the accomplished author she is today. It was great reading about her life while she was poor; what a contrast to the photos in the back of the book where she's sooooo overdone and high-maintenance looking. I got a chuckle out of that. Especially since the book ends at the point when she starts earning money. Makes sense, though. I wouldn't have wanted to read about diamonds and second homes as much as I enjoyed reading about how she made ends meet.

All in all, this was a fun book to read. I love memoirs and books about making something out of nothing, and this combined both.

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 3 out of 5]

#2015-Reading-Challenge--Week 21: A book your mother loved.

My mother always enjoyed Mary Higgins Clark's mysteries and was thrilled to read this memoir of her life because they were more or less contemporaries and had had similar life experiences. She urged me to read it too but I wasn't too interested at the time, to tell you the truth. I am reading it now in her memory.

Final verdict: 2.5 stars rounded up.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't thought about deja vu as being an inherited trait, I always thought of it as remembering something that you have already experienced yourself, but this really got me thinking.

"I felt as though I'd come 'home.' I had the most extraordinary sensation of being in a place I knew intimately. I don't believe in reincarnation, but I do wonder sometimes if it isn't possible that we inherit memory. If we can look exactly like someone who lived hundreds of years ago, if we inherit that person's particular gift or talent, his or her allergies, isn't it possible that we can also inherit some awareness that comes from a memory base?....'This is familiar, but I don't know why.'"

[Katrine Solvaag · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas gift from my father a few years back. I’m almost ashamed I haven’t managed to read it until now, seeing as him giving me this book was his silent acknowledgement and support for the fact that I wanted to be a writer.

I always find reading about another women’s life experiences interesting, especially as Clark lived in an entirely different country and time from myself, and the stories are rendered flawlessly by Else Frogner who translated the autobiography into Norwegian (the edition I read).

[Susan Lenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book at a thrift store for fifty-cents because I liked the picture on the perfect-condition dust jacket. The blurb sounded vaguely interesting. What I didn't expect was to be so wonderfully entertained. Mary Huggins Clark's memoir is fast paced fun despite some seriously sad occurrences. Her life splits open with financial difficulties, risk-taking, and unexpected deaths ... all told with optimism and a touch of humor. I highly recommend this book for a quick read and a smile.

[Andie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Higgins Clark is one of those novelists who churns out 1-2 books every yer and continues to do so even though she is now 90.

This is a memoir of her life growing up in the Bronx, her school days and how she became a writer. It's a pleasant tale, but there is nothing here that's very dramatic, and it almost seems like after making tons of money for her publisher, they let her do this book as a vanity project.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not sleep one night and picked this book up from a stack and started reading it. To me the first section, about her early life, was the most interesting. She does offer tips to would-be writers and I was impressed with her modesty. She has had, believe it or not, a very tragic life but has worked so hard to support her 5 children.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable, she starts with earliest memories, and we learn that she and her family, through no fault of love, had a really hard time with illnesses and deaths. She takes us through her first two books sold when her life went from a struggle to comfortable and more. She raised 5 children, much of their childhoods she was raising them alone. Fascinating story.

[Jeffner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never actually read any of her books but really enjoyed the story of her life. There were several parts that made me laugh out loud and a couple that made me tear up. Well written. Guess that’s why she has so many best sellers 😉

[Linda Spyhalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why I picked up this book. I am not a big mystery reader but have always heard about her books. Her life is amazing and the book was interesting and an easy read. Glad I picked it up!

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really ingesting biography. It's been a while since I've read any of Mary Higgins Clark's books and will probably check them out.
She sure lived an interesting life!

[Colleen Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book. It's never too late to do what you love.

[Adrienne Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read some of her memoirs including why and how she writes

[Claudia Flores Cabarrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this memoir. Easy to follow and amazing story of this author (single mom with about 5 kids)

[Ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read about one of my favorite authors.

[Molly Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming memoir!

[Michele Bonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book for any author to read. Grit, tenacity, and humor are all reflected in this inspirational book. Thank you Mary Higgins Clark for writing your memoir!

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this short book in a day or so. It was excellent. I have read most of her books but very little about Mary and her life. It was poignant, illuminating and even funny in places. It was very interesting that her early short stories were submitted to many magazines but she received so many rejections it was unbelievable. She persevered! She also wrote despite having a job and five children. If you pick up this novel, you will be pleasantly surprised and pleased you read it. Despite many deaths in her family, she stayed upbeat and bypassed depression. She is a wonderful example for writers everywhere. She never writes with swear words or racy stories. You don't need them if you are a superb writer.

[Lisa DICicco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Memoir/Book!!! I wanted it to continue. Mary Higgins Clark is & always will be my favorite author. After reading this I love her even more! When she’s telling her story you feel like your at her kitchen table. Sad that she is gone now, but her books never get old. I can read them over and over again.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank my friend, Jennifer Das, for recommending this memoir to me! Mary Higgins Clark not only writes great suspense novels, but a highly entertaining memoir as well. Starting from humble beginnings and rising to the famous novelist she became, I enjoyed reading how her life and writing career progressed. You'll laugh, you'll cry...give this book a try.

[Janie R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and informative book about Mary Higgins Clark. I admire the way she dealt with tragedy and sorrow in her life. After her husband died at an early age, she raised on her own a wonderful family. I loved her positive attitude in all she did, she is a great inspiration of a person! I really enjoyed reading this book, and highly recommend it!