Ali in Wonderland

And Other Tall Tales

By: Ali Wentworth

Narrated by: Ali Wentworth

Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Growing up in a family of political journalists - and daughter of President Reagan’s White House social secretary - Ali Wentworth rebelled against her blue-blood upbringing, embracing Hollywood, motorcycles, even a few wildly inappropriate marriage proposals. Today she is an acclaimed comedic actress and writer, former Oprah regular, wife of political and media star George Stephanopoulos, and a mother who lets her two girls eat cotton candy before bed. Though she’s settled down, her rebellious nature thrives in her comedy and her view of her crazy world.

In this addictively funny and warm memoir, she takes us through the looking glass and into the wonderland of her life, from a childhood among Washington’s elite to a stint in the psych ward they called a New England prep school; days doing L.A. sketch comedy (with then-aspiring artists Will Ferrell and Lisa Kudrow) to a series of spectacularly failed loves (that eventually led her to Mr. Right). Constant throughout is her mother, Muffie - a flawlessly elegant yet firm, no-nonsense force of nature and pure WASP convictions.

As charming and off-the-wall as Ali herself, Ali in Wonderland is an entertaining look at life that is both intimate and hilarious.

©2012 Trout the Dog Productions, Inc. (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

“Wentworth is amusing and frank, often frenetic, with sharp intelligence underneath the sassy wackiness; passages about her struggle with depression, falling in love with her husband, and her daughter’s baptism have funny moments, but they’re thoughtful and touching, too…. Highly entertaining memoir.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Ali Wentworth is funny and warm and crazy all at once. Like Barbara Eden. But on something. Like crystal meth.” (Alec Baldwin)

“[A] satirical dissection of class and privilege….A smart, often-funny memoir.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

Loved it! Masterful!

I love her. she is amazing! nearly rolled on the floor laughing and audio beats the written word hands down!!!

Fun to listen to

Ally is so funny with her quick wit. Live listening to it while walking, makes me giggle out loud! I listened to one book and ended up downloading the rest, fun read!

Ali in Wonderland

Excellent Book! Entertaining! Ali is Smart, Down to Earth, Funny and has quite an extraordinary sense of humor. I will definitely purchase another book authored by her! Enjoyed it!

Love At First Sight

What made the experience of listening to Ali in Wonderland the most enjoyable?

She is fresh, self-deprecating with a great sense of humor. Granted she has led a charmed life, but she is down to earth with strong family values.

What did you like best about this story?

I fell in love with Ali Wentworth when Charlie Rose interviewed her to promote this book. She told Charlie that her husband, George takes their children to church every Sunday. Charlie asked if she joins them, she said, "Oh no, that's mommy time!" I instantly fell in love with her! Ali in Wonderland is a continuation of that conversation with a glimpse into her upper middle class up-bringing as the daughter of parents who worked in the center of Washington DCs power elite.

Which character – as performed by Ali Wentworth – was your favorite?

Did you know that Donald Rumsfeld talked baby talk to his dachshund? Her story about attempting to send him a gift is hysterical.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Just go the the Four Seasons!

Any additional comments?

It's a fast read and I highly recommend the audio book to get Ali's stories in her own voice.

Funny But the Order of the Stories is Confusing

The timeline of the stories is too broken up.. She is in her late twenties, then a child, then in her thirties, then in college, then in her forties ,then her twenties again, then a child..... you get the idea. Plus, it is hard to feel much compassion for another upper middle class child who ends up in therapy as an adult after trips to Europe, partying, pretending to be broke to blend in, multiple fiancés etc. Funny but not that original.

Ali in Privileged Wonderland

Where does Ali in Wonderland rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Fun, amusing read, but it's hard to sympathize when she says her family is broke yet she goes to boarding schools or goes the Four Seasons whenever something bad happens. Must be nice. A funny look at how the 1% lived in the 70s and 80s.

Ali Wentworth- A funny biography

I love Ali Wentworth. Everytime I have seen her on talk shows, she has me in stitches. She has the fast mind of a good comedienne and proves it in the book. It is great that she reads it herself because I dont think a reader would do it justice or portray the funny stories as well as she does.
My only fault is that the stories are not chronological in any way. It jumps back and forth between different stages of her life which makes it more difficult to follow. I always have to try to stop at chapter end so I know where I am.

You will disturb others with your laughter

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I found this book to be incredibly funny. I kept wondering, "Did her husband read this before it was published?"

Who was your favorite character and why?

Her mother, Bunny, had some of the greatest lines.

Which scene was your favorite?

Looking at the fellowship hall of the Greek Orthodox church and figuring out how to have a wedding reception there.

Any additional comments?

I also read Tina Fey's book and this book is just as if not more funny.

Hilarious

After listening to Ali's stories, I wish we could be friends. She is the funniest person I've ever heard and I'm going to listen to her new book now. I picked this for our Northern Virginia book club because we needed a happy break from the sad stories of war and the holocaust and books of the like. I wish everyone could look on the bright side like Ali. Plus I grew up in NY, worked in Greenwich CT, so understood her reference to Silver Hill, and have lived in the DC area for 25 years, so get all those references too. If you need a laugh, listen to this book. It has brightened the time spent waking my dog, and amused fellow pedestrians as I was guffawing along my route.

Enjoyed

Too many metaphors, but I love this lady in real life. Sorry, Ali. Keep on keepin on!