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    The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir
    The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir
    The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir

    Written by Jenifer Lewis

    Narrated by Jenifer Lewis

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    About this audiobook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateNov 14, 2017
    ISBN9780062791542
    Author

    Jenifer Lewis

    Jenifer Lewis (deemed a “national treasure” by TV Guide.com) has appeared in more than three hundred television and film roles. She currently stars on the hit ABC show black-ish. She lives in Los Angeles with her bichon frise, Butters Lewis, and has a drag queen named Shangela living in her basement.

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    Reviews for The Mother of Black Hollywood

    5/5

    383 ratings68 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Raw. Honest. Hilarious. Heavy. Enlightening. Necessary. Sweet. Pointed. Comforting. Yassss!!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Such honesty , such truth, very inspiring . I ❤️ it

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Great read I love Jenifer Lewis. If you haven't read this book you should.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The honesty of this book gave me the courage to face my own mental health issues.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      THE FUNNIEST and BEST memoir I’ve ever listened to. I can’t wait to listen to her next book.
    • 5/5
      I laughed. Oh, did I laugh! And I cried. Dr. Jenifer ( fuxking) Lewis is a phenomenal storyteller.
    • 5/5
      Wow, what a life. So glad Mother Lewis shared her story with such truth and humor. My biggest take away from this amazing story is to be real with myself, face my truths, be accountable for the choices I make in life, and take calculated risks to achieve my goals. This was truly an encouraging story. I can’t wait to see what else Mother Lewis shares with us.
    • 5/5
      Love love loved this book. What a joy to have it read to me by this amazing women.
    • 5/5
      Enjoyed this book so much. Funny with a lot of lessons. Jennifer Lewis is amazing
    • 5/5
      I loved listening to this book. It felt like Ms. Lewis was talking to you in person.
    • 5/5
      I’m so grateful for this insightful beautiful book. It was captivating and it filled my heart. I love this woman. She was in fact THAT GIRL in her day. I enjoyed listening to these stories. I laughed I cried.
    • 5/5
      A really good book for folks of all all backgrounds. Must read!
    • 5/5
      EXCELLENT!!!!!BRAVO ?????????????????????????????????????????? YOU ARE A DIVA............ OF HOLLYWOOD!!!! YES INDEED

    • 5/5
      So many words to describe this book and only one can come to mind, outstanding. The themes presented in this book are on time and captivating. This is a must read, Jenifer Lewis is a STAR.
    • 5/5
      This book was so good. It was so inspiring. To be so open is such a big help on my outlook now.
    • 5/5
      Jenifer Lewis' narration of her story is absolutely the best autobiography I have ever heard. I was captivated by every word. I don't believe anyone would be able to voice her story and do it justice. This is by far, the most engaging book I read (heard) during quarantine. KUDOS TO THE DYNAMIC JENIFER LEWIS FOR SHARING HER STORY, HER SONG!
    • 5/5
      Thank you Ms Lewis for sharing your story. I loved it.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely enjoyed listening to this book. Jenifer Lewis's life is full of highs and lows, but at each turn she triumphs to find meaning and growth. I laughed and cried through this whole book.
    • 5/5
      This was amazing to listen to. Plenty of lessons learned, and don't we all just love when the author narrates her own story
    • 5/5
      This book displays a great journey,and hell of a story. A woman’s story
    • 5/5
      Yes I loved it. Anyone that read the book should listen to Audio for the fun of it. Jenifer with one ‘n’ is a phenomenon and I am glad I was alive to witness some of her work.
      Its a good light read between heavy authors.
    • 5/5
      Representation matters! It means everything that Jenifer Lewis an actress I’ve loved since I was a child and saw her in Corrina Corrina would open up about so many personal trials! Black mental health matters! Thanks Jenifer!
    • 5/5
      I loved it! Listening to the audiobook is like watching a movie!
    • 5/5
      I devoured it in 3 days. Thank you for sharing Ms. Lewis.❤❤❤
    • 4/5
      An honest telling of black stardom and mental illness
    • 5/5
      Ms. Jenifer thank you for this book. I will use it as a reminder to keep pushing past my obstacles.
    • 5/5
      I ain’t gonna lie, Jennifer Lewis is the kind of woman that would scare the living #4*&^ out of me.
      Her verboseness and unwillingness to back down and off would send me into a corner and I am tough old(er) broad myself.

      The colorful language in this memoir is exactly what I’d expect from her. She doesn’t color coat a darn thing.
      We all like to dip our noses into the surreptitious lives of others because secretly we are just as curious and tattle-tellers as anyone else. I applaud Jennifer’s choice not to go into a lot of the shadiness and dirt of Hollywood (which we already know), but chose to tell HER story about HERSELF, HER way.

      I once read a memoir about an extremely popular and exceedingly handsome star (which he narrated it himself) and afterwards I was like “Dude, you and I both know you held back a lot of stuff about YOU that you could have told because even I know stuff about you.”

      Jennifer Lewis laid herself bare in the journey of her life. There might be some things she didn’t tell, but she told enough to let people know that with ALL her success, with all her money, she is subject to human frailties just like everybody else.

      She told of her feelings about her mother and the love(s) of her life.

      Most of all she was not shy about telling of her sexual addiction and the many partners she had (some by name). She tells how grateful she is to have been passed over by the HIV specter of death when so many of her beloved friends were dying of the disease at rapid pace. I felt her sorrow when she went to her friends’ bedside as they lay dying offering what comfort she could, and with each death a little of her died too.

      But most of all, I respect the fact that she was finally able to recognize a mental illness she had that she didn’t even KNOW she had. She just knew she was acting out in a way that she felt was natural for her. With clarity and honesty, she outlined all of her insecurities and why she felt she had them. Some of them at the wrong time. Finally conceding to needing professional help to at least understand what was going on with her, she was able to come to terms with some of the devils that had been riding her for years. Seeking help to help yourself does NOT mean you are crazy. It means you have finally come to a point when you need assistance to help you cope. Good for you girl!

      Jennifer has one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood and a particular way she sets her lip that every black mother I have ever known has that ALL black children and adults know, this is not the time to be messing with her.

      She is loud, course and perhaps conceited, but this woman has paid her dues and deserves to be called the black mother of Hollywood, and she has never made a movie that I didn’t like
    • 5/5
      Inpove this audio, it just sucks with all the buffering especially at the end
    • 5/5
      Such an awesome read! Love, love loved this book/audiobook.
    • 5/5
      A thoughtful account of a wonderful life lived with its bumpy ups and downs. A true inspiration of how understanding one’s self can open up more of the world.