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Life Is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond
For millions of people around the world, Carol Brady is synonymous with motherhood, but growing up as the youngest of ten children in rural Indiana in the aftermath of the Great Depression, Florence Henderson lived a life quite different from that of the quintessential TV mom she later played on television.
Florence's father was a dirt-poor tobacco tenant farmer who was ne...more
Florence's father was a dirt-poor tobacco tenant farmer who was ne...more
Hardcover, Large Print, 416 pages
Published
September 20th 2011
by Center Street
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Does anyone really see the person behind the movie star? Florence Henderson was iconic in her T.V. show years, but how many people actually knew her as Florence rather than, say, Carol Brady? She has a very diverse and complicated background.
The reader will get to read a little about her mother and father, how different they were and the problems Florence faced as a young child. She endured abuse and abandonment...described with a fair amount of detail in the book. The reader will immediately l...more
The reader will get to read a little about her mother and father, how different they were and the problems Florence faced as a young child. She endured abuse and abandonment...described with a fair amount of detail in the book. The reader will immediately l...more
Being a true fan of anything Brady, I was captivated by this book cover while at the library. I was inspired by Florence's gumption, perseverance and determination to rise above her troubled childhood to pursue her dream of singing and dancing, despite the many challenges and pressures that these dreams entailed. I appreciated the forthright way in which she addressed her mistakes of her past and their consequences and how she reflected on the lessons learned. She is an amazingly optimistic pers...more
Maybe this book deserves 2 1/2 or 3 stars... I bought it as a 'light read' on my iPhone on a plane flight. I grew up with the Brady Bunch and knew that Florence Henderson had done many things in addition to that show, so I thought it would be interesting to know more about her life. It was somewhat interesting, but unfortunately, it was also poorly written. So much of it seemed to 'skim over the surface' with little explanation or insight, but written as if the reader knew all about the circumst...more
This isn't a book a normally would have picked up on my own. But since I won a copy of the book, I was quite excited to read it. Not completely knowing what to expect this it, I wound up really pleasantly surprised.
I was expecting to read quite a bit more about life filming The Brady Bunch, but now that I've read Florence's story I understand it. There are really only a chapter or two about the show, which really doesn't seem like a lot considering that's want she's know for. But what I had no i...more
I was expecting to read quite a bit more about life filming The Brady Bunch, but now that I've read Florence's story I understand it. There are really only a chapter or two about the show, which really doesn't seem like a lot considering that's want she's know for. But what I had no i...more
I wish I could give this 2 and a half stars. It's a quick read but very bland. It's not that there isn't a lot of dirt that made this a somewhat uninteresting read, just that the way the information was presented wasn't interesting. Ms. Henderson grew up dirt-poor, enduring a mother who deserted the family and an alcoholic father who was abusive. As an adult, she suffered from post-partum depression and ended her first marriage. She has led an interesting professional life with roles on Broadway...more
Article first published on www.blogcritics.org
Florence Henderson, best known for her role as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch opens up about the challenges of her life. Her childhood, stage fright, divorce, and hearing loss are but a few highlights. Her memoir, Life Is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond is co-authored with Joel Brokaw. Her ability to survive despite setbacks shines throughout the book. She notes that her memoir is written, “as a natural consequence of for...more
Florence Henderson, best known for her role as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch opens up about the challenges of her life. Her childhood, stage fright, divorce, and hearing loss are but a few highlights. Her memoir, Life Is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond is co-authored with Joel Brokaw. Her ability to survive despite setbacks shines throughout the book. She notes that her memoir is written, “as a natural consequence of for...more
Dec 01, 2011
Mike
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Children of the 60s and 70s
Recommended to Mike by:
found at the store
Many of us equate Florence Henderson with Carol Brady...the mother of a blended family from the Brady Bunch....but did you know she has also done other television, Broadway productions, and even has sung? All that and more....
Her autobiography is a decent read....it seems she puts more emphasis on the beginning of her life and how she got into show business eventually getting the roles in different plays and untimately getting role of the matriarch of the Brady clan...but there is so much more....more
Her autobiography is a decent read....it seems she puts more emphasis on the beginning of her life and how she got into show business eventually getting the roles in different plays and untimately getting role of the matriarch of the Brady clan...but there is so much more....more
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Like many who grew up watching the Brady Bunch and Wesson Oil commercials, I had no idea that Florence Henderson has had such a long career. I learned that she started on Broadway and was the original Today Show girl and that she came from an alcoholic, impoverished home. Florence talks about abuse, postpartum depression, her father's alcoholism, her mother's abandonment, divorce and affairs. But, I found her memoir straightforward and easy to read and she shares her story with a refreshing hone...more
Henderson's early life was tragic, but she is not. In this frank and fun memoir, she describes the dire poverty in which she was raised, but dwells more on the people who helped her get out of her rural town and into a successful stage and TV career. Parts of her story serve as a lesson on breaking into the Broadway theatre scene, and working in early live TV. Sometimes she can get a little too philosophical for some of us, because she is a licensed hypnotherapist, but she doesn't over do that a...more
I feel kind of bad only giving this two stars - there were many interesting (and some funny) things that happened in Florence Henderson's life, and there were some good learning points for me ("the show must go on" meant that she continued working even while seriously ill - I never really thought about celebrities calling in sick ... or not being able to). But the main problem I had with the book was even up to the very end, I could not warm up to the writing style. I was annoyed in parts (I'd s...more
I have always liked Florence Henderson and I know she has a reputation for being quite witty off-screen. I have roots in Broadway, I'm a television addict, and I love autobiographies - so for all of these reasons I was looking forward to reading this book. Much to my surprise, I found most of it boring. The most interesting part to me was her husband John. I thought his work was fascinating. I think her work was probably fascinating too, but that didn't come across at all. Many of the events she...more
I will readily admit that I knew Florence Henderson from her iconic role as Carol Brady and nothing else. I certainly had no clue she had such an astounding career both before and after The Brady Bunch!
I realized pretty quickly that Florence's life was interesting in its own right, and since I knew nothing about her, every revelation was a surprise. She seems like a good person and admits her own shortcomings and faults with what seems like genuine insight.
I went into this book expecting a ton...more
I realized pretty quickly that Florence's life was interesting in its own right, and since I knew nothing about her, every revelation was a surprise. She seems like a good person and admits her own shortcomings and faults with what seems like genuine insight.
I went into this book expecting a ton...more
I know this is an autobiography about Florence Henderson's life so that's why I did give it at least two stars. It served it's purpose I suppose but I was looking for more dishy stuff about The Brady Bunch and there just wasn't any. Some insider scoop on the kids personalities, etc. would have been so fun to read about but all she included was thoughts on Robert Reid and a disclaimer of affair rumors involving Barry Williams. This book isn't really for the Brady fans out there.
Florence Henderson is quite a person and since her young years has always been an uplifting and vibrant person. The book was very interesting. Biographies are interesting in that they give me a perspective into how I lacked something or how I may incorporate something good into my life. On the other hand some biographies teach you how not to be the ungrateful living dead, like "Hitler". Hooray for those who help themselves and try to uplift others with them.
I picked up this book because The Brady Bunch is one of my favorite TV shows. I thought I would skim those parts, look at the photos and that's it. But no! The book was so good from start to finish -- with Florence explaining how her rough childhood impacted her as an adult, balancing motherhood (with 4 kids), a marriage and working, and sharing inspiring things about her Catholic faith. This is one of the best autobiographies I've read in a long time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While it wasn't an account of Florence's painful childhood, it was a relfection of her life as an adult, forging in her career and her personal life, despite some personal obstacles!
This book is a testament to faith, courage and perseverance in breaking free from your emotional troubles. I really enjoyed reading about Florence's life. It was honest and inspiring. It wasn't a typical "rags to riches", stardom autobiography!
This book is a testament to faith, courage and perseverance in breaking free from your emotional troubles. I really enjoyed reading about Florence's life. It was honest and inspiring. It wasn't a typical "rags to riches", stardom autobiography!
I really enjoyed reading Florence Henderson's memoir--there is so much more to her career than just being a cast member of The Brady Bunch and The Surreal Life. Henderson has a wonderful, if not also heartbreaking life story, and I loved finding out things I never knew about her like she was real-life friends with Julie Andrews, and how she got to met and perform for the real Maria von Trapp. Henderson was even the original Today show girl, whom Barbara Walters eventually replaced.
My only criti...more
My only criti...more
About what one would expect here, a nice show business education/history with a rough childhood and family issues. Her legacy playing Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch is acknowledged and embraced as a blessing and not a burden. A few surprises in her personal life, but nothing scandalous, and overall is a bit bland. Her experiences with sexual abuse/harassment are detailed from a time when such terms were not yet in use and not talked about.
I had no idea that Ms Henderson had been so successful on Broadway and in nightclubs before she entered my consciousness on The Brady Bunch in 1969. The book wasn't particularly well-written which I found a bit irritating. I ended up appreciating her talent and drive to "make lemonade out of lemons" but not really liking her as a person. We can both live with that.
As someone who had only known Florence Henderson as the beloved Mrs. Brady, it was interesting to read how much more accomplished she is. I also really admired her candour about her hardscrabble childhood and some of the mistakes she made along the way. Her positivity and optimism shine throughout the book and leave me feeling she is a genuinely nice person.
Would give this three and a half stars. I was hoping for more about the Brady Bunch, but Florence seems to feel enough has been written about that, and it seems she wants to maintain close relations with her co-stars so, perhaps wisely, refrains from too much dish. She sure made it big on Broadway quickly - I wonder if anyone can really do that today.
I liked it very much. It was written with a clear, comfortable style that made me want to finish it. I originally planned to just read the "Brady Bunch" parts but got hooked by her hard working Midwest demeanor and was glad that she didn't spend more time than was necessary on that part of her life and career. An interesting book about an interesting woman.
I found this autobiography quite intriguing! Florence Henderson had quite the life! And she is not only Mrs. Brady (if you know what I mean!) I will always be a Hollywood girl at heart so I tend to soak up the gossip. She is an intelligent, hard working woman whom I admired greatly at the end of this book! An easy and entertaining read!
She put it all out there, which is what you want in an autobiography. She's had a long and interesting life, and there was lots to tell. I might have enjoyed a little more time spent on the Brady Bunch, or more recollections of the Broadway stars she came in contact with, but all in all it was a good read.
Eh. So so. I loved the Brady bunch as a kid and thought I'd really enjoy the book, but it was a rather blah rendition of what show or play when. Didnt really dive deep into much of anything. Surprised that she does answer all her fan mail, but that's about as interesting as it got.
Fun read about Florence, her rough childhood, her amazing start on Broadway, her family life, her Carol Brady years, all the way through Dancing With the Stars. So fun for anyone interested in the life of a true star. Really engaging.
She glosses over the abuse and dysfunctionality abit, but is really very relatable and honest. She gives us some small taste of the complex business of show business. She's a true survivor, and I'm glad that I got to know her better.
Really fun and interesting. I had a very distinct image of who Florence Henderson was in my mind and in certain ways I was absolutely right but in many I was completely off. This is a fast read and very well written (although sometimes the time line is a little hard to follow) and completely enjoyable. I read an advance copy- it will be out in September. I recommend if you are at all a fan.
A little hard to get into in the beginning but in the end a good book about really overcoming obstacles in life and making the best of things.
There's more to Florence Henderson than Mrs. Brady, and she doesn't pull any punches in this autobiography.
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