The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir

by Jenifer Lewis Narrated by Jenifer Lewis

Overview

AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award Winner

The ""Mega Diva"" and legendary star of Black-ish looks back on her memorable journey to fame and the unforgettable life lessons she learned along the way.

Jenifer Lewis keeps it real in this provocative and touching memoir by a mid-western girl with a dream whose journey from poverty to Hollywood will move, shock, and inspire listeners.

Told in the audacious voice her fans adore, Jenifer describes a road to fame made treacherous by dysfunction and undiagnosed mental illness, including a sex addiction. Yet, supported by loving friends and strengthened by ""inner soldiers,"" Jenifer never stopped entertaining and creating.

We watch as Jenifer develops icon status stemming from a series of legendary screen roles as the sassy, yet loveable, mama or auntie. And we watch as her emotional disturbances, culminating in a breakdown while filming The Temptations movie, launch her on a continuing search for answers, love, and healing.

Written with no-holds-barred honesty, this gripping memoir is filled with insights gained through a unique life that offers a universal message: ""Love yourself so that love will not be a stranger when it comes.""

From her first taste of applause at five years old to landing on Broadway within*eleven days of graduation and ultimately achieving success in movies, television and global concert halls, Jenifer reveals her outrageous life story with lots of humor, a few regrets and most importantly, unbridled joy. Candid, warm and wonderfully inspiring, The Mother of Black Hollywood intimately reveals the heart of a woman who lives life to the fullest.

Editorial Reviews

DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile

Jenifer Lewis, star of the TV show “Black-ish,” holds nothing back in delivering her audacious, outrageous memoir. Dubbed “The Mother of Black Hollywood” by her cohorts, Lewis recalls navigating her way through Broadway and Hollywood as a young actor while dealing with the perils faced by a woman, particularly a black woman, head-on and making a name for herself in show business. She frankly reveals having been sexually abused as a child by her minister, her addiction to sex for emotional comfort, and her eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Bursting into song, exploding with over-the-top hilarity, Lewis confides some of her best-kept secrets to fans as if they were her new BFFs. Wonderfully honest, intelligent, and brave, Lewis delivers a tour-de-force performance not to be missed. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

10/30/2017
At the onset of this energetic memoir, entertainer Lewis boards a cruise ship seeking some well-deserved relaxation and considers whether to retire from her 40-year career in show business. She quickly realizes that to retire at the age of 57 would be akin to stopping breathing: “I AM the SHOW in show business!” she tells herself. From there she describes growing up in a small, poverty-stricken Missouri town where at age five she sang at the Baptist church, already hell-bent on becoming a star. Readers follow the feisty singer through cabaret performances, TV and Broadway shows, tours, many mother roles (thus the title), and love affairs (like the performer, readers will most likely lose count). She revisits the years when many young male friends died of AIDS, the times when she scrambled for parts and didn’t get them, and endless moments of triumph. At age 33, Lewis was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and she began to understand her sexual addiction, as well as to face the demons of her past. Her memoir is frank, funny, and uplifting, capturing the singer’s authentic voice, her humor, and her profound and bold capacity for resilience. (Nov.)

Shelf Awareness

This outstanding, no-holds-barred memoir is captivating, thoughtful, disarmingly frank and unforgettable. The book, like its author, is a treasure.

Brandy

The Mother of Black Hollywood is inspiring, funny, and boldly transparent. It takes a beyond brave person to write such a memoir. Jenifer Lewis is a true vessel and channel for pure expression...the most honest person I have ever met.

Taraji P. Henson

Jenifer Lewis is a natural comedienne in the spirit of Lucille Ball. Inventive, smart, and all her bones are ‘funny bones.’ You know the workday will be all fun and spirit when Jenifer is on set—the hardest part is to keep from laughing. And now she has written it all down for everyone to enjoy. Congratulations, Mother Jenifer. I love you!

New York Post

The co-star of the hit sitcom “Black-ish” tells her story with refreshing honesty, tracing her journey from poor Midwestern girl to one of the most versatile entertainers working today, racking up more than 300 appearances for film, television and stage. Funny and candid.

Booklist

Lewis’ years of journaling and knack for recall make for a rowdy, funny, and emotional exploration of her ascendance as a Hollywood matriarch.”

“Fall Reading List” NBCBLK

The Mother of Black Hollywood is a heartbreaking, honest reflection on the actress, comedian, singer, and activist’s life told in the raucous, irreverent voice fans have come to love. Taking the readers from her humble beginnings in Kinloch, Missouri, Lewis gives us a front row seat to the trials, tribulations, and successes she has encountered. Known for her countless roles in Hollywood, including most recently in the sit-com Black-ish, this book is one you can’t put down, and it will inspire and make you laugh out loud on many occasions.

DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile

Jenifer Lewis, star of the TV show “Black-ish,” holds nothing back in delivering her audacious, outrageous memoir. Dubbed “The Mother of Black Hollywood” by her cohorts, Lewis recalls navigating her way through Broadway and Hollywood as a young actor while dealing with the perils faced by a woman, particularly a black woman, head-on and making a name for herself in show business. She frankly reveals having been sexually abused as a child by her minister, her addiction to sex for emotional comfort, and her eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Bursting into song, exploding with over-the-top hilarity, Lewis confides some of her best-kept secrets to fans as if they were her new BFFs. Wonderfully honest, intelligent, and brave, Lewis delivers a tour-de-force performance not to be missed. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170269570
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/14/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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