I, Rhoda

I got this as a gift for my mom for her birthday. She loves it. She also keeps texting me points of trivia about her as she reads them, so there are drawbacks.

Valerie Harper, in this auto-biographical/memoir style book writes candidly and practically about her life -from when she was a little girl who loved to try new things, work hard, make friends... all the way through her career as a dancer, actress, her successes, obstacles... friendships, marriage, community and activism, her cancer diagnosis in 2009, and family stories. She sprinkles in compelling, touching and funny anecdotes, opinions, and points of view - always with honesty, realism and humility. The book is a great read for anyone who has been a fan of the Rhoda and/or Mary Tyler Moore shows, or even for those who enjoy reading first-person inspirational stories.As a long time fan of Valerie Harper in her role as Rhoda and a person in general (from what I've read in the media), I found this book to be confirming of things I already knew about her, as well as enriching me with more delightful, entertaining, and uplifting stories and information. Valerie is a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" kind of person. She is good-hearted, upbeat, positive, cute, funny, warm, and strong. Her story conveys passion, optimism and warmth from the beginning till the end.One thing unique about Valerie that I noticed is that she has a mix of old-fashioned values of discretion, wisdom and family closeness, combined with an open-minded way of learning and being open to new ways of doing things. Valerie stays away from pettiness and seems to really grasp the important things in life which are love, loyalty and integrity, among other things. She shows her human side in the book without divulging overly private matters, something I really respect in her. And readers who are discerning and know how to read between the lines, can and will sense in Valerie a most insightful individual with lots of depth and insight, even through the seemingly chatty writer's voice and friendly anecdotes.The book is highly detailed on the one hand - discussing how she made friends, how she got her jobs, who she appreciates, how she achieved her goals, and some obstacles along the way - while appropriately non-gossipy, on the other hand. It sheds light on her attitudes and experiences in a way that is inspiration without being cliche. Knowing that Valerie - after the publishing of the book - has been diagnosed with a serious illness, and still is constantly upbeat only reinforces the underlying tone and message of the book. Overall, I highly recommend the book to anyone who is a fan of the Rhoda show, or simply wants to read a story about a celebrity - a human being - who is a class act, passionate, funny and real.

I read this entire book in one evening over approximately 4 hours. What can I say? Valerie is a natural storyteller, as you would expect from any gifted stage/screen performer like her! From her early days in New York to her breakout 9-year run as Rhoda Morgenstern, followed up by court battles, health scares and continued good acting work, 'I, Rhoda' covers every step of Valerie's journey. If you are mainly interested in this book for stories about The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda, then you will not be disappointed: Valerie recounts in detail the audition process, working with the other actors (on both MTM and her spinoff), developing her character, and the various changes Rhoda went through over the years. Valerie's conversational style and quick wit make this a joy to read.

The book looks good and I will enjoy reading the story of Valerie Harper

This book is an absolute delight. Very, very pleased with my purchase.