My Mother Was Nuts

A Memoir

By: Penny Marshall

Narrated by: Penny Marshall

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Most people know Penny Marshall as the director of Big and A League of Their Own. What they don’t know is her trailblazing career was a happy accident. In this funny and intimate memoir, Penny takes us from the stage of The Jackie Gleason Show in 1955 to Hollywood’s star-studded sets, offering up some hilarious detours along the way.

My Mother Was Nuts is an intimate backstage pass to Penny’s personal life, her breakout role on The Odd Couple, her exploits with Cindy Williams and John Belushi, and her travels across Europe with Art Garfunkel on the back of a motorcycle. We see Penny get married. And divorced. And married again (the second time to Rob Reiner). We meet a young Carrie Fisher, whose close friendship with Penny has spanned decades. And we see Penny at work with Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Whitney Houston.

Throughout it all, from her childhood spent tap dancing in the Bronx, to her rise as the star of Laverne & Shirley, Penny lived by simple rules: “try hard, help your friends, don’t get too crazy, and have fun.” With humor and heart, My Mother Was Nuts reveals there’s no one else quite like Penny Marshall.

©2012 Penny Marshall (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“There's as much practical, hard-won advice here as there is Hollywood gossip, and Marshall's boundless energy and no-nonsense attitude make for a fun read.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Hollywood aficionados will get a kick out of Marshall’s anecdotes about her circle of friends, including Albert Brooks, John Belushi, and Carrie Fisher, all told in a funny, down-to-earth manner.” (Booklist)

“Penny Marshall is a fascinating woman who has lived a life few of us could survive. Did you know she gave me two of the best jobs I’ve ever had? Of course not, because when she talks she is barely comprehensible. Read her memoir and you’ll come to love her as much as I do.” (Tom Hanks)

Celebrating Penny

I initially decided to listen to Penny Marshall’s memoir as way to honor her after her passing. I had no idea she had accomplished so much! I had only known her as “Laverne”. The more I listened, the more I celebrated this amazing, talented, smart, honest, fun, intuitive, creative, kind, witty, generous and an in-all-things-intriguing woman. I really enjoyed getting to know Penny and can’t wait to (re)watch all the movies she directed.

My Mother Was Nuts

As I don’t keep up with many celebrities, I’ll have to admit this book provided me with more than a few surprises. It also provided me with more than a few laughs which I’m sure was Ms. Marshall’s intent. She was a remarkable lady!

Great listen!

I loved this. I always liked Penny and I knew how accomplished she was. It has been so enjoyable listening to her stories. It makes me sad to think I listened to this after her death. I would have enjoyed following her career much more had I read this before her passing. Finishing this, makes me feel like I lost a friend.

Wonderful book.

Loved it. This book was interesting, well written and very honest. The openness was exhilarating.

Loved it

Audio is the only way to read this book because she has such a strong Brooklyn accent. She was a lot smarter than most gave her credit. The storyline is great, she doesn’t get bogged down on one person or issue. The book answered several questions I’ve had over the years about different shows. I will go back and re-read this in the future

Fun to listen to

What a delight to be able to hear of her life and adventures. I grew up watching her on TV, and enjoying all the movies she was in and a part of. She is human, she is loving and and judge mental

A fascinating life

I totally enjoyed this book. Penny Marshall had so many interesting experiences in her life, and shared them as well-written stories. My only criticism is in her narration. I loved her Brooklyn accent, but she read her stories in a way that made her sound bored with it all, in kind of a sing-songy way. For an actress, I thought she could have done “bettuh”. But I still recommend this book and am glad she narrated it herself.

Don't read it, listen!

There are some books that just scream the need to be done in audio and this is one of them. Penny seems to struggle a tiny bit in the beginning with her performance, but then finds a great rhythm and the book just flows. Living near NYC, I could identify with the style of her performance. The books offers a lot of insight and quite a few yuks too. The book is also touching, especially when Penny battles tears as she describes emotional moments in her life. What I love about this book, something I also found to be true in Rob Lowe's book, is how approachable Marshall seems to be. Yes, there are some curses, especially toward the latter portion of the book, but it isn't every other word and I didn't find it to be that big of a deal. She is a New Yorker and that comes through loud and clear. Her friendships with many of Hollywood's well known names was enlightening. All in all it is a fun read and the 8+ hours went by quickly. I did desire to hear a little bit more detail about the Odd Couple and Laverne and Shirley than the amount she offered, although she didn't gloss over it either. Penny's narration is what seperates this book from good to great.

The best!

Would you listen to My Mother Was Nuts again? Why?

Penny's candid and conversational style made me truly feel like I was sitting across a table from someone casually sharing memories of the past. It wasn't encased in contrived prose that did not fit with our perception of the personality that is Penny Marshall.

Amazing Story!

Loved this book! Penny Marshall was always one of my fav actresses; loved Laverne & Shirley, so right after her unfortunate passing, I got this book and so glad I did. Great Read! Love her narration, Wish she had written more books.