TLC Book Review: True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness by Christine Lahti

Another TLC book review, and this one is my very favorite genre of all: the celebrity memoir.

I LOVED this books, you guys!  It is funny and delightful, but also really touching.  I cried 3 separate times.  She has lived a really interesting life, but at the same time, the childhood she describes and the family issues she highlights are things that all of-- regardless of celebrity-- have had to negotiate.

I flew through this book, thought about it when I was doing other things, and looked forward to reading it.  I loved her brand of feminism.  Particularly nice was her takedown of beauty culture coupled with her simultaneous recognition of her complicity in its maintenance.

Read this book!  It's sharp, funny, engaging, and memorable.  Lahti is a good writer with a compelling voice, and this book is a complete delight.

Here are the deets:

About True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness

ï Hardcover:†224 pages ï Publisher:†Harper Wave (April 3, 2018) A fiercely intelligent, hilarious, and deeply feminist collection of interrelated personal stories from Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awardñwinning actress and director Christine Lahti. For decades, actress and director Christine Lahti has captivated the hearts and minds of her audience through iconic roles in†Chicago Hope, Running on Empty, Housekeeping, And Justice for All, Swing Shift, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, God of Carnage,†and†The Blacklist. Now, in†True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness, this acclaimed performer channels her creativity inward to share her own story for the first time on the page. In this poignant essay collection, Lahti focuses on three major periods of her life: her childhood, her early journey as an actress and activist, and the realities of her life as a middle-aged woman in Hollywood today. Lahtiís comical and self-deprecating voice shines through in stories such as "Kidnapped" and "Shit Happens," and she takes a boldly honest look at the painful fissures in her family in pieces such as "Mama Mia" and "Running on Empty." Taken together, the collection illuminates watershed moments in Lahtiís life, revealing her struggle to maintain integrity, fight her need for perfection, and remain true to her feminist inclinations. Lahtiís wisdom and candid insights are reminiscent of Nora Ephronís†I Feel Bad About My Neck†and Joan Riversís†I Hate Everyoneóand yet her experiences are not exclusive to one generation. The soul of her writing can be seen as a spiritual mother to feminist actresses and comedic voices whose works are inspiring todayís young women, including Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, Caitlin Moran, and Jenny Lawson. Her stories reveal a stumbling journey toward agency and empowerment as a womanóa journey thatís still very much a work in progress. True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness†is about the power of storytelling to affirm and reframe the bedrock of who we are, revealing that weíre all unreliable eyewitnesses when it comes to our deeply personal memories. Told in a wildly fresh, unique voice, and with the unshakable ability to laugh at herself time and again, this is Christine Lahtiís best performance yet.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

[caption id="attachment_63551" align="alignright" width="160"] Photo by Peter Ash Lee[/caption]

About Christine Lahti

Christine Lahti is an acclaimed director and stage, television, and†film actress with a career that spans over forty years. She won an Oscar for her short†film,†Lieberman in Love; an Oscar nomination for†Swing Shift; a Golden Globe Award for†No Place Like Home; an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for†Chicago Hope; and an Obie Award for†Little Murders. On Broadway, she starred in†God of Carnage†and†The Heidi Chronicles, among many others. Her films include†Running on Empty†and†Housekeeping. Her television shows include†Jack and Bobby,†Law & Order SVU, and†The Blacklist. She lives in New York City and Los Angeles. Follow Christine on Twitter.