This Is My Life

By Meg Wolitzer

Book Overview

The early novel that established Meg Wolitzer's career, later made into Nora Ephron's first film as a director. The third book by New York Times -bestselling author Meg Wolitzer (originally published as This Is Your Life ), a smart, witty and perceptive novel about the daughters of a female stand-up comic who watch as their mother struggles to balance her career with the needs of her children. Dottie Engels, comedienne extraordinaire, performs her act in Vegas and on late-night TV. Her two daughters, Opal and Erica, live on the periphery of her glittering life, seeing her on the television screen more often than they do at home. But when Dottie's ratings begin to slide, it takes both her daughters to save Dottie from herself. Displaying Wolitzer's signature style that combines keen observations, compassion for her characters, sharp humor, and a strong social hook, This Is My Life expertly captures the uncertainties of adolescence and the trials of growing up in the shadow of a mother who is caught between the conflicting pulls of fame and family.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594633142
• ISBN13: 9781594633140
• Release Date: March 2014
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Wolitzer's early work reflects the mother-daughter relationship

Much darker than her more recent works, this book is likely a reflection of the ambiguous feelings Meg Wolitzer had for her own mother, novelist Hilma Wolitzer -- whose popularity Meg eclipsed with her later novels. Even though I enjoyed the book, I also enjoyed the movie, which was so diferent that it can hardly be said to be the same story. It's no wonder the movie was less intense -- the screenplay was by Nora Ephron and the mother was played by Julie Kavner.