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)

Fantastic!

A wonderful book. The audio version is great. Hearing her tell her stories feels like sitting down with a good friend . I highly recommend it.

Love Laverne

As always, Penny Marshall, is genuinely real and hilarious !! Highly recommend !! Prepare to laugh and cry

Excellent!

Loved this memoir and learning what a force Penny Marshall was on all levels! Hearing her read it made it even more special!

Penny was real !

I truly believe that I could have met Penny Marshall anywhere And felt like she was just an old friend from high school or college . What she puts into her book is the very person you'd meet. That was her gift. Thank you for putting this out there before you moved on.

Great Read!

Told in a relaxed and comfortable tone. The fact that Penny Marshall herself is the narrator makes it more special.

So much I didn’t know.

What an amazing life! Really a full and interesting life…warts and all. It’s quite remarkable when you learn where Penny Marshall started out and where she ended up.

very funny. great stories

i loved it. you do have to adjust to Pennys voice and delivery but the stories are great, especially for anyone who remembers Laverne and Shirley. she had me laughing out loud.

Brilliance!!!

I loved listening to Penny tell her story. I laughed and cried. She was such a wonderful person. RIP Penny Marshall, and thank you!!!

Solid, honest and funny. The story of a life well lived.

This book was a delight right out of the gate. I loved actually hearing Penny tell the story of her life in her poignant, unassuming and humorous way. Highly recommend this book!

In the minority

Let me start by saying that I really like Penny Marshall. She seems genuine. She calls them like she sees them.

My major disappointment with the book was, oddly enough, Penny's narration. She seemed to stumble over the words sometimes, and I felt like she was reading (and not that well). About halfway through the book, I stopped being distracted by the narration. Whether this is because I got used to it, or whether Penny became more engaged in the performance, I don't know.

My narration complaint aside, I'm glad Penny was given her "five more minutes" and that she chose to share her story.