Part Swan, Part Goose

An Uncommon Memoir of Womanhood, Work, and Family

By: Swoosie Kurtz, Joni Rodgers

Narrated by: Swoosie Kurtz

In a wise, warmhearted memoir that celebrates her extraordinary life and stellar career, Swoosie Kurtz shares just the right combination of personal misadventure and showbiz lore, candidly reflecting on the right choices that empowered her, the wrong choices that enlightened her, and the intimate journey of caring for an aging parent.

Animating this remarkable memoir is Swoosie’s relationship with her equally remarkable parents. Her father, Frank, was an Olympic athlete and highly decorated World War II airman. He flew a record number of missions in a cobbled-together B-17D called the Swoose. Her mother, Margo, was the quintessential military wife but with the spunk and will to match her husband’s. Her 1945 memoir, My Rival, the Sky, chronicled their lives up to the time of the birth of their daughter.

Today, Margo, who is fast approaching her hundredth birthday, lives with Swoosie. And Swoosie’s life has become a precarious and precious balancing act as she struggles to stay ahead of her mother’s increasing needs while navigating a showbiz career that keeps one foot in Hollywood and the other on Broadway.


**Includes a PDF of a digital photo gallery

The critics love Swoosie Kurtz….

“Inimitable…one of the best comic actors of our time.” —USA Today

“[An] expert comic actress…may just be the most seductive woman on the New York stage right now.” —Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

and “full of surprises…expressive…devastating…unforgettable.” —Ben Brantley, The New York Times

A good memoir

As memoirs go, this one was good. It would have been so-so had it not been for Kurtz' relationship with her mother, Margo. I took care of my own mother until she passed away at age 91, so it is easy to identify with the things Kurtz went through. Even though towards the end my mom had a hard time doing things for herself, I would have her back in a heartbeat if I could. I miss her every day. I miss her sweet influence in my house, and I miss her touch. That is basically what this book is about. We love our moms and have a hard time without them.

I found other aspects of the book interesting and entertaining even though I have never seen any of Kurtz' movies or TV shows. I'm sure she is a wonderful actress.

Love this woman and love this book!

I truly appreciated the candor in the writing of this book and hearing about Swoosie’s experience over her decades.

Frank and insightful.

This was quite the listening experience! The frankness of her narratives and the clarity of her analysis are excellent.