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Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“As actors, Dern and Ladd have spent decades peeling back layers to reveal their characters’ fears and desires. It’s when they turn that focus to each other and themselves that something remarkable emerges.”— New York Times
A collection of deeply personal conversations from award-winning actress and activist Laura Dern and the woman she admires most, her mother—legendary actress Diane Ladd.
What happens when we are brave enough to speak our truths to the ones we love the most?
Laura Dern and Diane Ladd always had a close relationship, but the stakes were raised when Diane developed a sudden life-threatening illness. Diane’s doctor prescribed long walks to build back her lung capacity. The exertion was challenging, and Laura soon learned the best way to distract her mom was to get her talking and telling stories.
Their conversations along the way began to break down the traditional barriers between mothers and daughters. They discussed the most personal love, sex, marriage, divorce, art, ambition, and legacy. In Honey, Baby, Mine , Laura and Diane share these conversations, as well as reflections and anecdotes, taking readers on an intimate tour of their lives. Complementing these candid exchanges, they have included photos, family recipes, and other mementos. The result is a celebration of the power of leaving nothing unsaid that will make you want to call the people you love the most and start talking.
“As actors, Dern and Ladd have spent decades peeling back layers to reveal their characters’ fears and desires. It’s when they turn that focus to each other and themselves that something remarkable emerges.”— New York Times
A collection of deeply personal conversations from award-winning actress and activist Laura Dern and the woman she admires most, her mother—legendary actress Diane Ladd.
What happens when we are brave enough to speak our truths to the ones we love the most?
Laura Dern and Diane Ladd always had a close relationship, but the stakes were raised when Diane developed a sudden life-threatening illness. Diane’s doctor prescribed long walks to build back her lung capacity. The exertion was challenging, and Laura soon learned the best way to distract her mom was to get her talking and telling stories.
Their conversations along the way began to break down the traditional barriers between mothers and daughters. They discussed the most personal love, sex, marriage, divorce, art, ambition, and legacy. In Honey, Baby, Mine , Laura and Diane share these conversations, as well as reflections and anecdotes, taking readers on an intimate tour of their lives. Complementing these candid exchanges, they have included photos, family recipes, and other mementos. The result is a celebration of the power of leaving nothing unsaid that will make you want to call the people you love the most and start talking.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2023
476 people are currently reading
12802 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 750 reviews
May 10, 2023
Audiobook….read by Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Reese Witherspoon - forward.
….7 hours and 40 minutes
As I was debating to write a review or not — because this book was profoundly personal for me.
(I didn’t just hear words or just listen to stories… I seriously contemplated and thought about things being said)…..
I honestly just don’t want to be judged - for anything I’d share about it ….
My natural desire — is to write nothing —
go sit alone in my hot box (sauna) - cry a little - wishing for everyone else to leave me the F alone … (because things hurt)
But
…..then I read a wonderful review-sentence
by *Cora* (bless this reviewer)….
I couldn’t agree more with her (my own secret wish) —
Cora said: “If only every grown child, and parent would do this”!!!!
ABSOLUTELY!!!
> thank you, Cora!
You took the words out of my own mouth.
I think I was going to say… “If you have a mother read this book”.
LISTEN to these very real authentic women.
They offer up a huge gift!!
The ‘wisdom’ from Diane Ladd was some of the most over-the-top sound truth I’ve ever heard expressed.
And Laura ….
My God, I wish she was one of my close friends. I’m so moved by who she is — she gets it!!! > really gets why we need to talk about the hard things -
She gets why we must allow children to find their own expression — listen to their feelings.
And sometimes— it’s not forgiveness that even needs to be said — it’s just purely acknowledging the conditions of life, and circumstances that we all go through.
Kudos to Laura, looking at points from different sides now as an adult, different than when she was a child and acknowledging her mother and the way that she did—
Including a few disagreements (uncomfortable issues) they allowed us to witness —
Not every aspect of this book is sugary - sweet - love and roses.
But yes— of course there is love — and it’s expressed in a very real way — from both mother and daughter.
For all those debates between being a working mother or a stay at home mother—
this is one of the best books that put an end to the debate!
There are wonderful stories about their personal lives,
some deep tragedy, growing up,
stories about their experiences in the cinema industry—
Talk about the Me-Too movement-
grandma’s banana- famous delicious pudding -
etc.
but mostly — it’s the important things. The value for friendships, worthiness, connection, joy, letting go of regrets, with love as the big context to hold it all in our hearts.
The humanity is simply huge and beautiful!
Thanks Laura!
Thanks Diane
….7 hours and 40 minutes
As I was debating to write a review or not — because this book was profoundly personal for me.
(I didn’t just hear words or just listen to stories… I seriously contemplated and thought about things being said)…..
I honestly just don’t want to be judged - for anything I’d share about it ….
My natural desire — is to write nothing —
go sit alone in my hot box (sauna) - cry a little - wishing for everyone else to leave me the F alone … (because things hurt)
But
…..then I read a wonderful review-sentence
by *Cora* (bless this reviewer)….
I couldn’t agree more with her (my own secret wish) —
Cora said: “If only every grown child, and parent would do this”!!!!
ABSOLUTELY!!!
> thank you, Cora!
You took the words out of my own mouth.
I think I was going to say… “If you have a mother read this book”.
LISTEN to these very real authentic women.
They offer up a huge gift!!
The ‘wisdom’ from Diane Ladd was some of the most over-the-top sound truth I’ve ever heard expressed.
And Laura ….
My God, I wish she was one of my close friends. I’m so moved by who she is — she gets it!!! > really gets why we need to talk about the hard things -
She gets why we must allow children to find their own expression — listen to their feelings.
And sometimes— it’s not forgiveness that even needs to be said — it’s just purely acknowledging the conditions of life, and circumstances that we all go through.
Kudos to Laura, looking at points from different sides now as an adult, different than when she was a child and acknowledging her mother and the way that she did—
Including a few disagreements (uncomfortable issues) they allowed us to witness —
Not every aspect of this book is sugary - sweet - love and roses.
But yes— of course there is love — and it’s expressed in a very real way — from both mother and daughter.
For all those debates between being a working mother or a stay at home mother—
this is one of the best books that put an end to the debate!
There are wonderful stories about their personal lives,
some deep tragedy, growing up,
stories about their experiences in the cinema industry—
Talk about the Me-Too movement-
grandma’s banana- famous delicious pudding -
etc.
but mostly — it’s the important things. The value for friendships, worthiness, connection, joy, letting go of regrets, with love as the big context to hold it all in our hearts.
The humanity is simply huge and beautiful!
Thanks Laura!
Thanks Diane
May 12, 2023
What a beautiful book! The conversational format of dialogue shared between the author and her mom was also something I really enjoyed.
I smiled through many of the stories shared, as they were very relatable and brought my own mother to mind. I found myself wondering why I hadn’t asked my mother some of the same questions in the book!
It was also fun to thumb through many of the photos and especially fun to read some of the stories Diane Ladd shared from when she was pregnant with Laura Dern while filming a movie.
This book is a truly enjoyable read and it is a perfect Mother’s Day gift!
A special thank you to Tiffany Porcelli at Grand Central Publishing and Goodreads for this book won via Goodreads Giveaways!
Thanks for reading.
I smiled through many of the stories shared, as they were very relatable and brought my own mother to mind. I found myself wondering why I hadn’t asked my mother some of the same questions in the book!
It was also fun to thumb through many of the photos and especially fun to read some of the stories Diane Ladd shared from when she was pregnant with Laura Dern while filming a movie.
This book is a truly enjoyable read and it is a perfect Mother’s Day gift!
A special thank you to Tiffany Porcelli at Grand Central Publishing and Goodreads for this book won via Goodreads Giveaways!
Thanks for reading.
October 16, 2023
*Libby app. Overdrive was better *
---
This was lovely, got me tearing up in a few spots and laughing with others.
I love the relationship Laura has with her mother. ❤️ They are two strong women who have been through a lot and came out the other side dinged and with emotional scars without losing themselves.
I'm glad Diane is doing well, hopefully she continues to do so.
This just reminds you to cherish every moment with those you love, you never know when your time will come.
Hug em close, tell them you love them every day, ask for the stories they never told before (and the ones they've already told you)
It was wonderful to go on this journey with these two ladies:).
*audiobook is the way to go 🚶♀️ for this in my opinion *
---
This was lovely, got me tearing up in a few spots and laughing with others.
I love the relationship Laura has with her mother. ❤️ They are two strong women who have been through a lot and came out the other side dinged and with emotional scars without losing themselves.
I'm glad Diane is doing well, hopefully she continues to do so.
This just reminds you to cherish every moment with those you love, you never know when your time will come.
Hug em close, tell them you love them every day, ask for the stories they never told before (and the ones they've already told you)
It was wonderful to go on this journey with these two ladies:).
*audiobook is the way to go 🚶♀️ for this in my opinion *
April 29, 2023
Lovely memoir, and I hardly ever use that word in any of my reviews: Lovely.
But it is. When actor Laura Dern learned her mother (actor Diane Ladd) had only months to live, that her mother's lungs were weakened from exposure to certain chemicals, and yet that exercise might lengthen her life - she took it on. As a challenge. Of love. And so...
They started with brief 15-minutes walks. (Wasn't easy; Diane griped and complained about the length of the walk constantly at the start.) But Laura persevered and when they walked, they talked. (Initially, as a diversion, to keep her mother going.) About their lives. Their childhoods. Boyfriends and husbands and eventually into the truly heavy issues which guide, influence and shape who they are. Their spirituality and religious beliefs. Their thoughts on life, death, children, marriage, and of course, acting!
I found the passages on Diane Ladd's upbringing and how she went into acting to be most interesting indeed. Of a generation just a bit younger than my own mother, (and my mom was a homemaker who left work as soon as she married my father cuz that was expected), many of the issues Diane faced were common for the time. These include: expectations of women in the 40's and 50's; opportunities available to women outside raising a family were mainly secretarial work, teaching and nursing. Then we have prejudices, assumptions, stereotypes. Diane had to work to overcome each and every one, including, sorrily, the expectations of her own family because they were solidly against what she wanted most to do - to act!
Laura, also, encountered problems in her career. So there's a lot of 'give and take' in this book. I came away with great respect for both of them. Strong women. Imaginative, creative, caring. What they had to give up to get what they wanted; what was given back to them in return. Two outstanding and highly talented women, IMO.
Five remarkable stars.
But it is. When actor Laura Dern learned her mother (actor Diane Ladd) had only months to live, that her mother's lungs were weakened from exposure to certain chemicals, and yet that exercise might lengthen her life - she took it on. As a challenge. Of love. And so...
They started with brief 15-minutes walks. (Wasn't easy; Diane griped and complained about the length of the walk constantly at the start.) But Laura persevered and when they walked, they talked. (Initially, as a diversion, to keep her mother going.) About their lives. Their childhoods. Boyfriends and husbands and eventually into the truly heavy issues which guide, influence and shape who they are. Their spirituality and religious beliefs. Their thoughts on life, death, children, marriage, and of course, acting!
I found the passages on Diane Ladd's upbringing and how she went into acting to be most interesting indeed. Of a generation just a bit younger than my own mother, (and my mom was a homemaker who left work as soon as she married my father cuz that was expected), many of the issues Diane faced were common for the time. These include: expectations of women in the 40's and 50's; opportunities available to women outside raising a family were mainly secretarial work, teaching and nursing. Then we have prejudices, assumptions, stereotypes. Diane had to work to overcome each and every one, including, sorrily, the expectations of her own family because they were solidly against what she wanted most to do - to act!
Laura, also, encountered problems in her career. So there's a lot of 'give and take' in this book. I came away with great respect for both of them. Strong women. Imaginative, creative, caring. What they had to give up to get what they wanted; what was given back to them in return. Two outstanding and highly talented women, IMO.
Five remarkable stars.
June 26, 2023
I was very excited to listen to this book because it is narrated by Laura Dern and her mother Diane Ladd and because it’s about a mother & daughter who go for walks while talking about all the things that they did not want to be left unsaid before it’s too late.
But this book for me might have earned more stars if I had read rather than listened. It was not spontaneous and especially Diane Ladd’s part was truly annoying at times listening to her brag and stroke her own ego. And then she would cough for effect and say I need to sit down… eye roll. At times it felt I was listening to a scripted play. There was so much information thrown in and well thought out answers, obviously highly edited. There were several thought provoking tidbits but the downside was it did not feel authentic or genuine.
It was nice to see that although they did disagree on many things, this mother & daughter have great respect, love and admiration for each other. Also, listening to them both share their hurts over divorce and feelings about inadequacy of being a working mother was most likely very healing for both of them. As two very successful actress’s there was a lot of name dropping which didn’t bother me & was to be expected. I could not rate it more than a 3 because it seemed so contrived.
But this book for me might have earned more stars if I had read rather than listened. It was not spontaneous and especially Diane Ladd’s part was truly annoying at times listening to her brag and stroke her own ego. And then she would cough for effect and say I need to sit down… eye roll. At times it felt I was listening to a scripted play. There was so much information thrown in and well thought out answers, obviously highly edited. There were several thought provoking tidbits but the downside was it did not feel authentic or genuine.
It was nice to see that although they did disagree on many things, this mother & daughter have great respect, love and admiration for each other. Also, listening to them both share their hurts over divorce and feelings about inadequacy of being a working mother was most likely very healing for both of them. As two very successful actress’s there was a lot of name dropping which didn’t bother me & was to be expected. I could not rate it more than a 3 because it seemed so contrived.
May 17, 2023
I admire what this mother/daughter duo set out to do: explore difficult topics in their lives while walking to improve Diane Ladd’s health. But, it was kind of boring and too much name dropping. And too much Diane Ladd tooting her own horn. Probably a 2.5 for me.
June 23, 2023
لطيف وصادق 😌
عبارة عن حكايات بين الأم وبنتها الاتنين ممثلتين
بيتكلموا بكل صراحة أثناء مشيهم اليومي، لأن الام بتمر بأزمة صحية ف الدكتور نصحها بالمشي كل يوم
عجبني جدا الصراحة ف كلامهم
الصور لطيفة كمان 😌
عبارة عن حكايات بين الأم وبنتها الاتنين ممثلتين
بيتكلموا بكل صراحة أثناء مشيهم اليومي، لأن الام بتمر بأزمة صحية ف الدكتور نصحها بالمشي كل يوم
عجبني جدا الصراحة ف كلامهم
الصور لطيفة كمان 😌
October 2, 2023
3.5 👟👟👟
April 17, 2023
A beautiful conversation between a mother and daughter. I love this idea of interviewing your mother. Asking all the questions and being willing to listen and understand the answers given. Bold, brave, and honest. What a lovely tribute to Dern's family and the relationship between these amazing women.
~Tanja
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~Tanja
Follow me on
✿KTBookReviews✿Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿TikTok
June 25, 2023
Start to finish, what a brilliant read!
There are no shortage of celebrities who put memoirs into the world, but I was smitten with the construct of this one: Faced with a life-threatening illness, actress Diane Ladd receives a prescription from her doctor to walk to strengthen her lungs. Her daughter, the brilliant Laura Dern, recognizes the only way she's going to get her mother to exercise is by turning it into a creative exercise. And so begins the conversations that form the basis of Honey, Baby, Mine, a book that takes its title from the Crawdad Song that Ladd's father used to sing to her when she was little.
These two cover all the bases in their discussions: from surviving Hollywood, to their favorite things, to raising kids and the guilt (and opportunities) that accompany the role of being a working parent. I loved every one of their "walk and talk"s, even as SEVERAL made me cringe. (OMG…do not get Laura started on the time Diane gave her grandson, Ellery, a gender-defining hair cut!)
Because these two are the acting powerhouses they are, they elevate the audio version of the book to performance art. I finished this one wanting to call my own mother as well as dig into a backlist of both actresses’ films, starting with the Oscar nominated “Rambling Rose.”
There are no shortage of celebrities who put memoirs into the world, but I was smitten with the construct of this one: Faced with a life-threatening illness, actress Diane Ladd receives a prescription from her doctor to walk to strengthen her lungs. Her daughter, the brilliant Laura Dern, recognizes the only way she's going to get her mother to exercise is by turning it into a creative exercise. And so begins the conversations that form the basis of Honey, Baby, Mine, a book that takes its title from the Crawdad Song that Ladd's father used to sing to her when she was little.
These two cover all the bases in their discussions: from surviving Hollywood, to their favorite things, to raising kids and the guilt (and opportunities) that accompany the role of being a working parent. I loved every one of their "walk and talk"s, even as SEVERAL made me cringe. (OMG…do not get Laura started on the time Diane gave her grandson, Ellery, a gender-defining hair cut!)
Because these two are the acting powerhouses they are, they elevate the audio version of the book to performance art. I finished this one wanting to call my own mother as well as dig into a backlist of both actresses’ films, starting with the Oscar nominated “Rambling Rose.”
July 8, 2023
4.5 stars
Absolutely get your hands on a copy of the audiobook if you can—hearing Laura Dern and Diane Ladd narrate this really adds to the experience. When Ladd not that long ago experienced life-threatening lung issues, but was resistant to doctor’s orders to walk every day as a way to improve her lung capacity, Dern cooked up a plan to get her mom out there for a little longer each day in spite of herself—as they walked, they’d engage in a series of Q&A conversations about their lives, which Dern recorded and turned into this book. Really, few subjects seemed off the table, and I was sometimes startled by the candour and emotion. I’m aware that both women are excellent actors, and that might well have informed some of the anecdotes, but it sure seemed like some of the emotion was quite genuine—I particularly recall the heat in both voices when they discuss the (now years ago) incident of Grandma Diane, while babysitting Laura’s very long-haired little boy, taking him for his first haircut, without parental permission.
It seemed very striking to me that a mother-daughter combo could speak so candidly about many sometimes challenging home truths. My own mother, the kindest, gentlest, most loving mom imaginable, lives with a deep need for conflict avoidance at all costs, so whenever anything remotely difficult comes up, she engages in the emotional equivalent of sticking her fingers in her ears and going “la-la-la-la-la, I can’t heeeear you.” I would love to be able to talk to her sometimes the way Dern and Ladd do. Oh, well. She’s otherwise pretty perfect!
Absolutely get your hands on a copy of the audiobook if you can—hearing Laura Dern and Diane Ladd narrate this really adds to the experience. When Ladd not that long ago experienced life-threatening lung issues, but was resistant to doctor’s orders to walk every day as a way to improve her lung capacity, Dern cooked up a plan to get her mom out there for a little longer each day in spite of herself—as they walked, they’d engage in a series of Q&A conversations about their lives, which Dern recorded and turned into this book. Really, few subjects seemed off the table, and I was sometimes startled by the candour and emotion. I’m aware that both women are excellent actors, and that might well have informed some of the anecdotes, but it sure seemed like some of the emotion was quite genuine—I particularly recall the heat in both voices when they discuss the (now years ago) incident of Grandma Diane, while babysitting Laura’s very long-haired little boy, taking him for his first haircut, without parental permission.
It seemed very striking to me that a mother-daughter combo could speak so candidly about many sometimes challenging home truths. My own mother, the kindest, gentlest, most loving mom imaginable, lives with a deep need for conflict avoidance at all costs, so whenever anything remotely difficult comes up, she engages in the emotional equivalent of sticking her fingers in her ears and going “la-la-la-la-la, I can’t heeeear you.” I would love to be able to talk to her sometimes the way Dern and Ladd do. Oh, well. She’s otherwise pretty perfect!
April 23, 2023
Won this book from a Goodreads giveaway and I'm so glad I did! I really enjoyed reading the conversations between Laura and her mother, Diane. It really is an example of questions and conversations we can and should have with the important people in our lives. I loved the honest, candid discussions and reliving their memories brought up some of my own. I really enjoyed this book!
June 2, 2023
Maybe more of a 2.5. I listened to this on Audible and it just didn’t work well for me. It felt contrived or even scripted at times. This mother and daughter conversation began over walks Laura took her mother on because Diane has lung damage due to environmental pesticide exposure and she needed to exercise her lungs and walking was a great opportunity to do that. Definitely quality and quantity of time for both busy actors. Both were often critical of each other and defensive of how they reacted to the others criticism. All of (Chapter) Walk 13, a discussion (fight really) of Diane taking Laura’s son (whom she co-parents with ex-husband musician Ben Harper) Ellery to get a haircut was really heated and juvenile. Mind you he was 6 or 7 at the time and it was 14 years ago. These two hard working and talented women feel more disconnected than connected to me. Diane is 87 and seems a bit medically fragile due to the lung issue and I hope this did bring them together and that Laura learned more about her parents, their divorce, and her mother’s perseverance in working to raise Laura as a single mother. Maybe Laura, now in the same place as her mother, can see why certain choices were made.
August 20, 2023
I listened to this which was narrated by the authors. I can’t imagine reading it as it’s all just dialogue of them talking, sharing, arguing etc.. There were many aspects which I enjoyed and made me reflect in my relationship with my mother. As a whole, I was disappointed. There was a LOT of name dropping, which I get, you’re a famous Hollywood family, but it became annoying. I also found Diane Ladd to be egotistical. She constantly talked about all her awards and movies. She was incredibly defensive when Laura brought up difficult topics. She even went so far as to correct Laura on her favorite memories and recipes. It was an easy listen but could have been so much more.
December 19, 2023
This book is so incredibly beautiful and powerful. Truly made me so proud to be a woman and proud of the strong line of woman in my family. This book makes you want to pick up the phone and call your mom! 🤎 I plan to gift this to my mama in the very near future.
There is something so intimate about being able to talk honestly about your mistakes, heartbreaks, achievements, and love with those close to you. Honey, Baby, Mine made me feel more empowered to ask the hard questions and truly get to know the souls of those around you.
A new bookshelf staple!
There is something so intimate about being able to talk honestly about your mistakes, heartbreaks, achievements, and love with those close to you. Honey, Baby, Mine made me feel more empowered to ask the hard questions and truly get to know the souls of those around you.
A new bookshelf staple!
September 2, 2023
I love both these actresses but this was 25% charming and 75% grating.
April 5, 2025
This book came timely to me, as there’s been a lot of talk in our house lately about what we don’t want or would be willing to give up to accomplish whatever-goal, talking about the “negative” space rather than the things we want.
It’s such a beautiful encapsulation of the way your conversations change with parents after you’ve been an adult.
I highly recommend listening, rather than reading — the conversational reading is amazing, and I really enjoyed the realistic side notes giving individuality to Laura and Diane (it would be easy to see them as a singular). Their voices are so warm, and these independent but loving women are logical, graceful and thoughtful, but also strong and intelligent. I don’t know, and never want to, how this book was made.
It’s such a beautiful encapsulation of the way your conversations change with parents after you’ve been an adult.
I highly recommend listening, rather than reading — the conversational reading is amazing, and I really enjoyed the realistic side notes giving individuality to Laura and Diane (it would be easy to see them as a singular). Their voices are so warm, and these independent but loving women are logical, graceful and thoughtful, but also strong and intelligent. I don’t know, and never want to, how this book was made.
October 14, 2024
I listened to this on audible. I recently took a trip and got back in to listening to books.
Laura Dern and her mother, Diane Ladd, hash over their lives and disputes before it is too late to have these discussions. Diane has a lung disease and doctors hadn't been hopeful. Laura isn't ready to lose her mother (who ever is?) and decides to take her for walks to see if that will help clear her lungs. She distracts her with discussion of those things she had always wanted to know.
I found it an enjoyable and informative listen. For those interested in the theater or the movies there is indepth discussion on life in/out of the theater and making movies both together and apart.
Laura Dern and her mother, Diane Ladd, hash over their lives and disputes before it is too late to have these discussions. Diane has a lung disease and doctors hadn't been hopeful. Laura isn't ready to lose her mother (who ever is?) and decides to take her for walks to see if that will help clear her lungs. She distracts her with discussion of those things she had always wanted to know.
I found it an enjoyable and informative listen. For those interested in the theater or the movies there is indepth discussion on life in/out of the theater and making movies both together and apart.
August 20, 2023
I found so many tidbits of advice and information in this book! Interesting to read both mother and daughter POVs because I only relate to being a daughter, obviously. But still feel like I pocketed away some thoughts for ~future motherhood. I always find it interesting to learn about others’ upbringings!
October 5, 2023
3.5 — it was honestly really stressful / frustrating to hear how all the ways it felt like Dianne was willfully misunderstanding Laura. But also endearing in a way to hear them bicker and fight back and fight towards some kind of understanding. I of course thought of Little Women the entire time and thank God for that
August 8, 2023
This audiobook was an absolute pleasure to listen to. The format was brilliant being able to listen to Laura Dern and her mother, Diane Ladd discuss their lives, past and present. One of my favorite memoirs. Simply beautiful.
October 6, 2023
A moving collection of stories between actress Laura Dern and her famous mother as they recorded conversations had while walking during the pandemic. Facing a terminal illness, Laura knew her mother did not have long to live so these talks felt very cathartic as the two women discuss their careers, Laura's childhood, regrets, and so much more. Perfect for fans of books like Jann Arden's Feeding my mother. This book also includes some of the women's favorite recipes. Definitely recommend listening to this on audio read by the authors with a great foreword by Reese Witherspoon!
January 1, 2024
first book of 2024-
what a very nice book to start off the year. very easy to read and very heart warming- but not what i expected! i really loved it, but im not so sure i’ll reach for it and pick it up again.
what a very nice book to start off the year. very easy to read and very heart warming- but not what i expected! i really loved it, but im not so sure i’ll reach for it and pick it up again.
June 4, 2023
Not completely sure how I feel about this one. I don’t usually do audiobooks because I find it difficult to pay attention, but maybe this one would have been better to listen to. Maybe it would have felt more natural.
I liked it. There were bits and pieces that were truly beautiful and thought provoking. I don’t necessarily mind the name-dropping. . . it does reflect their life and their business and how the two blur together. It was kind of fun.
It simultaneously felt natural and unnatural at the same time. Supposedly they were having these conversations while taking walks to improve Diane Ladd’s health, but it often came across as very scripted and. . . just off. The conversation prompts never seemed organic. I honestly would have bought this more as a work of fiction with the same idea.
But as scripted as it seemed, it wasn’t even well written. And I guess that’s because it’s “natural” but that’s the part that felt so off to me. So I struggled to stay with it.
The parts that I liked, I really liked. I just wish it seemed more genuine to me.
I liked it. There were bits and pieces that were truly beautiful and thought provoking. I don’t necessarily mind the name-dropping. . . it does reflect their life and their business and how the two blur together. It was kind of fun.
It simultaneously felt natural and unnatural at the same time. Supposedly they were having these conversations while taking walks to improve Diane Ladd’s health, but it often came across as very scripted and. . . just off. The conversation prompts never seemed organic. I honestly would have bought this more as a work of fiction with the same idea.
But as scripted as it seemed, it wasn’t even well written. And I guess that’s because it’s “natural” but that’s the part that felt so off to me. So I struggled to stay with it.
The parts that I liked, I really liked. I just wish it seemed more genuine to me.
March 30, 2024
Wow. This was a beautiful conversation between a mother and daughter. I found it so emotional as they discussed past joys and pains. From a relationship that is so complex, to hear these women remember loves, losses, heartaches, triumphs and the regular growing pains that mothers and daughters go through as they journey through life was incredibly moving. I found myself laughing, relating and tearing up, especially as Dianne discussed the loss of her toddler. This book needs to be experienced as an audiobook. Love love love this book❤️
May 2, 2024
I had quite the experience (or experiences) with reading this memoir. Originally, I picked up a copy from the library and one chapter in, stopped reading to order myself a copy because I knew this book was going to be one that I'd love. Then, after my purchased copy arrived, upon perusing the audiobooks I realized this audiobook was narrated by Laura Dern and Diane Ladd themselves and thought, what's better than hearing their story from their own voices. Thus, I ordered the audiobook as well.
This is such a memorable memoir and story of love between mother and daughter. It's a memoir that I will no doubt reread time and time again and it will always be timeless.
Both in writing and in narration (especially with Diane) this memoir is classically southern. I found myself mesmerized by her tales of life in the South especially with her beautiful accent.
This memoir was refreshing in the fact that there seemed to be total honesty between Laura and Diane. Not everything was sunshine and rainbows. There were quite a lot of tough conversations and topics that were broached.
I'm surprised by just how much I loved this book. I didn't expect for it to have as much of an impact as it did and it really encourages me to ask these questions and have these conversations with my loved ones.
This is such a memorable memoir and story of love between mother and daughter. It's a memoir that I will no doubt reread time and time again and it will always be timeless.
Both in writing and in narration (especially with Diane) this memoir is classically southern. I found myself mesmerized by her tales of life in the South especially with her beautiful accent.
This memoir was refreshing in the fact that there seemed to be total honesty between Laura and Diane. Not everything was sunshine and rainbows. There were quite a lot of tough conversations and topics that were broached.
I'm surprised by just how much I loved this book. I didn't expect for it to have as much of an impact as it did and it really encourages me to ask these questions and have these conversations with my loved ones.
July 21, 2023
An interesting insight of a mother-daughter talk about all the questions they want answers for but had never asked before. With mother Diane Ladd facing a life-threatening lung illness, daughter Laura Dern proposes walks (suggested by Diane's doctor) and talks. Both women are actresses so they talk about their careers, their families and most importantly the things they need to talk about while they have each other. At times, it feels almost too personal to be listening in on their talks. But the big takeaway is to talk to your family members and ask all the questions you can think of, as that history and the stories they carry will one day be gone.
As much as I was intentional about asking my parents as much as I could think of while they were alive, I still wish they were here to ask more questions. Even imperfect families (and I think we all are!) deserve love, forgiveness and a bit of curiosity of what it was like to walk in their shoes during their time of life.
The book is filled with pictures, poems, and recipes. The audio is done by Reese Witherspoon (Foreword), Diane Ladd (mother) and Laura Dern (daughter) on their walks. It is great to hear this story in their voices.
As much as I was intentional about asking my parents as much as I could think of while they were alive, I still wish they were here to ask more questions. Even imperfect families (and I think we all are!) deserve love, forgiveness and a bit of curiosity of what it was like to walk in their shoes during their time of life.
The book is filled with pictures, poems, and recipes. The audio is done by Reese Witherspoon (Foreword), Diane Ladd (mother) and Laura Dern (daughter) on their walks. It is great to hear this story in their voices.
June 24, 2023
from topics of motherhood, womanhood and hollywood, Laura Dern and Diane Ladd gave us readers a glimpse of their personal life and relationship. i would highly recommend this as an audiobook simply because it feels so real and raw. by listening to it, i was taken into their conversations in real time, which made the reading experience truly visceral. as a daughter myself, i loved how they touched upon the exposed wounds of the bond between mother and daughter as well as the development in vulnerability we have with our mothers as we grow up. i really didn’t want this to end as it was candidly fascinating. whether it’s friends, family, marriage, divorce, sex, self, Laura Dern and Diane Ladd explored it all in this lovely memoir, one that i’ll remember and cherish forever
September 5, 2023
3.5 stars! I really enjoyed this concept for a memoir, with a conversational style between mother and daughter. I always find it interesting learning about the lives of actors and actresses and the relationships that the industry can produce. Overall this book made me feel grateful and seen for the relationship I have with my mom. It addresses topics that a lot of women can or will relate to at some point in a really great way. I love Laura Dern and love her even more after reading this.
Only reason it’s not rated higher is because I actually think I would’ve enjoyed this style memoir as an audio book more than reading it. However I loved seeing the pictures, recipes, and highlighting some favorite quotes.
Only reason it’s not rated higher is because I actually think I would’ve enjoyed this style memoir as an audio book more than reading it. However I loved seeing the pictures, recipes, and highlighting some favorite quotes.
June 5, 2023
This is my favorite audible book since I started listening to books. The conversations between mother and daughter were entertaining (the inside look at old Hollywood) happy(sharing happy times in the their family) and heartbreaking (death, divorce). Laura Dern started these walks after Diane Ladd was diagnosed with a debilitating lung disease. You could hear Miss Ladd improving with each walk. I think listening to this book gives it more power. If you want to start listening to books this is the one to start with
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