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Connie: A Memoir
In an industry dominated by white men, Connie Chung stood alone, the first and only Asian woman to break into the television news industry. This is her extraordinary story, told with incisive wit and remarkable candor. Connie Chung is a pioneer. In 1969 at the age of 23, this once-shy daughter of Chinese parents took her first job at a local TV station in her hometown of Washington, D.C. and soon thereafter began working at CBS news as a correspondent. Profoundly influenced by her family’s cultural traditions, yet growing up completely Americanized in the United States, Chung describes her career as an Asian woman in a white male-centered world. Overt sexism was a way of life, but Chung was tenacious in her pursuit of stories – battling rival reporters to secure scoops that ranged from interviewing Magic Johnson to covering the Watergate scandal – and quickly became a household name. She made history when she achieved her dream of being the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News and the first Asian to anchor any news program in the U.S. Chung pulls no punches as she provides a behind-the-scenes tour of her singular life. From showdowns with powerful men in and out of the newsroom to the stories behind some of her career-defining reporting and the unwavering support of her husband, Maury Povich, nothing is off-limits – good, bad, or ugly. So be sure to tune in for an irreverent and inspiring this is CONNIE like you’ve never seen her before.
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First published September 17, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 917 reviews
October 3, 2024
There’s a lot going on in this book. Things that stuck out: 1) the moment with Jimmy Carter cracked me up, 2) my estimation of Maury Povich has hugely risen after reading this book, 3) her family dynamics are out of Asian whack (she essentially acted as the oldest child would, though she is the youngest), 4) the amount of red tape she must’ve gone through had to have taken years to get through (guessing), because she names names!!!, and many of these people are still alive!!!!!, 5) Dan Rather, you are a tiny, tiny man, and I hate that the public has already forgiven you for your compromise of journalistic ethics, which you do not deserve, especially given what you did to Connie Chung, and I shall never forgive you.
I just realized Constance Wu may have been among the generation of women who chose their names after Connie Chung. (I read this book after seeing this post on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAEq_6lyU...)
I just realized Constance Wu may have been among the generation of women who chose their names after Connie Chung. (I read this book after seeing this post on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAEq_6lyU...)
February 27, 2025
Incredible!! Connie Chung wrote and narrated Connie: A Memoir. I love it when an author narrates their work!
From the beginning to the end of the book, I was mesmerized! Connie was the youngest of ten children. There were seven daughters and three sons. The three sons passed away as infants. Connie was the tenth child and the only one born in America. Connie's father asked her to carry on the Chung legacy. Connie became like the son of the family.
As one of the very few women in journalism, Connie tried to become like men in the industry. This was typical of what many of us women initially did in the workplace to try to fit in.
Connie was sexually abused by her ob gyn doctor during her first visit as a young woman. This was the same doctor who had delivered her as a child. She did not share this experience when it occurred. She shared it when the #MeToo movement started.
The book concludes with research done by Connie Wong regarding the number of Asian women who were named Connie during the seventies to nineties after seeing Connie Chung on television.
Chung is humble, humorous, and engaging>
Highly recommend!
From the beginning to the end of the book, I was mesmerized! Connie was the youngest of ten children. There were seven daughters and three sons. The three sons passed away as infants. Connie was the tenth child and the only one born in America. Connie's father asked her to carry on the Chung legacy. Connie became like the son of the family.
As one of the very few women in journalism, Connie tried to become like men in the industry. This was typical of what many of us women initially did in the workplace to try to fit in.
Connie was sexually abused by her ob gyn doctor during her first visit as a young woman. This was the same doctor who had delivered her as a child. She did not share this experience when it occurred. She shared it when the #MeToo movement started.
The book concludes with research done by Connie Wong regarding the number of Asian women who were named Connie during the seventies to nineties after seeing Connie Chung on television.
Chung is humble, humorous, and engaging>
Highly recommend!
January 12, 2025
In December one of my goodreads groups reads a celebrity memoir of choice in lieu of a group read. It’s a busy time and we don’t want members to be encumbered by reading. All the best laid plans, but my library is notoriously slow at processing new books. Thus January has started with a pile of new celebrity memoirs that I am just receiving now. I had been excited to read all of them so no big deal- books will get read when they get read. Growing up my main television was live sports and still is. Even though there were almost no women reporters or announcers at the time, my dream job was announcing for a specific baseball team. That never materialized but I still dream it from time to time. On the few times I forayed to watching the national news, mainly at my grandparents’, I didn’t notice many women anchors or reporters there either. This was the late 1980s thru early 1990s. I didn’t notice women in positions of prominence on television because sadly there were not that many of them besides the fictional Murphy Brown. One of the trailblazers was Connie Chung. She enjoyed stints at all three of the major news networks over the course of a groundbreaking career. Even though I did not know much about her career, I knew that this memoir could not wait for women’s history month.
Connie Chung is the youngest child in her family. Her parents at a great personal cost to themselves immigrated to the United States at the end of World War II. They already had four daughters and attempted to assimilate into a society that did not have many Asians outside of California. One year later their youngest daughter was born and automatically became an American citizen. Her older sisters chose her name from the pages of People Magazine, and Connie Chung became the first truly American member of her family. Her father asked her to carry on the family’s name and how little did he know that his youngest daughter would become not just the most prominent member of their family, but of a generation of Asian women looking to achieve the American dream.
Connie details her childhood and difficulties faced as a lower middle class immigrant family. Her mother was determined for her children to maintain their Chinese culture and sewed the family’s clothes and cooked their delicacies. She came from a well to do Chinese family and yet adapted to life as a 1950s housewife. She expected her older three daughters to marry Chinese men and they did. Connie lived an American childhood, graduating from an integrated high school and attending the University of Maryland. Unlike her sisters, Connie did not achieve an Mrs degree. Hers was the Betty Friedan generation that started to choose a career over starting a family at a young age. Upon graduation from Maryland, Connie went to work for the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC. As a cub reporter in an old boys network, she did not always earn top assignments. Usually she had to defer to seasoned reporters, all men. The dutiful employee, she was happy to be employed by a news agency and didn’t think much about her assignments. As a woman, she covered fashion shows, First Ladies, and Julie Nixon’s wedding. Male reporters would not be asked to take fluffy assignments as these but that is how the old boys viewed women intruders. A picture from Nixon’s Oval Office attests to this.
Chung’s career arc took her to Los Angeles as a news anchor and then back to New York. Her closest friends in the industry were women trailblazers like herself but she was the only Asian. Her career included a one sided rivalry with Dan Rather and getting involved in a spat between Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer. All Connie wanted to be was a top reporter. She enjoyed stories that made a difference like the silicone implants expose and an exclusive with the captain of the Exxon Valdez. Many remember her for her spat with Newt Gingrich’s mother but this is uneven remembrances perpetuated by the old boys’ network who did not want her “taking their stories.” This career arc came at the expense of raising a traditional family, and she finally adopted her son Matthew when she neared fifty, an age when women are usually shafted aside for younger, “prettier” looking women. Her biggest supporter at this time has been her husband of forty years Maury Povich, who I gained more respect for after reading this account, especially after he referred to Connie as the Jackie Robinson of Asian women on television. That brought a huge smile to my face. Although they got married later, Chung and Povich have been supportive of each other’s careers, and their marriage has endured much longer than a traditional celebrity one. Good for them, this has been refreshing to read about.
While Connie Chung has not had, in her opinion, the most illustrious of careers, it has been ground breaking. Her generation was the first of career women to choose between shattering the glass ceiling and raising a family. A few were fortunate to do both simultaneously but not many. That came later. Chung’s presence on television inspired generations of Asian women to achieve their personal American dream because they saw someone who looked like them, so they in turn were inspired to reach greater heights. Chung also inspired a generation of Asian women named Connie including Connie Wang and Constance Wu only because their mothers saw someone who they thought that their daughters could aspire to be like. Connie Chung has met with the Connies and has been moved by their collective stories. Her two greatest supporters remain her husband and son, which shows that family is family no matter how it is achieved. I enjoy the majority of celebrity memoirs that I read. They allow me to see the person behind the persona and allow me to step out of my own life for awhile. Reading memoirs also allows me to patch together the fabric of society, which is why I could read a new one each day. I leave this memoir inspired after reading about this trailblazing woman and I will take her experience with me as I navigate this reading year.
4 stars
Connie Chung is the youngest child in her family. Her parents at a great personal cost to themselves immigrated to the United States at the end of World War II. They already had four daughters and attempted to assimilate into a society that did not have many Asians outside of California. One year later their youngest daughter was born and automatically became an American citizen. Her older sisters chose her name from the pages of People Magazine, and Connie Chung became the first truly American member of her family. Her father asked her to carry on the family’s name and how little did he know that his youngest daughter would become not just the most prominent member of their family, but of a generation of Asian women looking to achieve the American dream.
Connie details her childhood and difficulties faced as a lower middle class immigrant family. Her mother was determined for her children to maintain their Chinese culture and sewed the family’s clothes and cooked their delicacies. She came from a well to do Chinese family and yet adapted to life as a 1950s housewife. She expected her older three daughters to marry Chinese men and they did. Connie lived an American childhood, graduating from an integrated high school and attending the University of Maryland. Unlike her sisters, Connie did not achieve an Mrs degree. Hers was the Betty Friedan generation that started to choose a career over starting a family at a young age. Upon graduation from Maryland, Connie went to work for the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC. As a cub reporter in an old boys network, she did not always earn top assignments. Usually she had to defer to seasoned reporters, all men. The dutiful employee, she was happy to be employed by a news agency and didn’t think much about her assignments. As a woman, she covered fashion shows, First Ladies, and Julie Nixon’s wedding. Male reporters would not be asked to take fluffy assignments as these but that is how the old boys viewed women intruders. A picture from Nixon’s Oval Office attests to this.
Chung’s career arc took her to Los Angeles as a news anchor and then back to New York. Her closest friends in the industry were women trailblazers like herself but she was the only Asian. Her career included a one sided rivalry with Dan Rather and getting involved in a spat between Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer. All Connie wanted to be was a top reporter. She enjoyed stories that made a difference like the silicone implants expose and an exclusive with the captain of the Exxon Valdez. Many remember her for her spat with Newt Gingrich’s mother but this is uneven remembrances perpetuated by the old boys’ network who did not want her “taking their stories.” This career arc came at the expense of raising a traditional family, and she finally adopted her son Matthew when she neared fifty, an age when women are usually shafted aside for younger, “prettier” looking women. Her biggest supporter at this time has been her husband of forty years Maury Povich, who I gained more respect for after reading this account, especially after he referred to Connie as the Jackie Robinson of Asian women on television. That brought a huge smile to my face. Although they got married later, Chung and Povich have been supportive of each other’s careers, and their marriage has endured much longer than a traditional celebrity one. Good for them, this has been refreshing to read about.
While Connie Chung has not had, in her opinion, the most illustrious of careers, it has been ground breaking. Her generation was the first of career women to choose between shattering the glass ceiling and raising a family. A few were fortunate to do both simultaneously but not many. That came later. Chung’s presence on television inspired generations of Asian women to achieve their personal American dream because they saw someone who looked like them, so they in turn were inspired to reach greater heights. Chung also inspired a generation of Asian women named Connie including Connie Wang and Constance Wu only because their mothers saw someone who they thought that their daughters could aspire to be like. Connie Chung has met with the Connies and has been moved by their collective stories. Her two greatest supporters remain her husband and son, which shows that family is family no matter how it is achieved. I enjoy the majority of celebrity memoirs that I read. They allow me to see the person behind the persona and allow me to step out of my own life for awhile. Reading memoirs also allows me to patch together the fabric of society, which is why I could read a new one each day. I leave this memoir inspired after reading about this trailblazing woman and I will take her experience with me as I navigate this reading year.
4 stars
October 24, 2024
Listening to the audiobook of Connie, Connie Chung’s memoir, was enjoyable while highlighting how little I actually knew about her — I knew Connie had a long, storied career in news and that she’s married to former talk show host, Maury Povich.
I didn’t realize how extensive Connie’s news career was, both as a reporter and an anchor. She dealt with the old boys club, sexism, racism, and stereotypes. She worked hard and didn’t let these challenges get her down.
Connie’s parents immigrated to the United States from China shortly before Connie was born. She has several sisters and was largely raised in Washington D.C. She began her news career in D.C. too after graduating from the University of Maryland. Connie shares how she and Maury dated for 7 years, the majority being long-distance, before they got married, how they experienced fertility challenges and the eventual adoption of their son, Matthew, along with more about her life.
While I liked Connie before, her memoir is interesting and informative, and I appreciate how hard she’s worked for her success even more now.
I didn’t realize how extensive Connie’s news career was, both as a reporter and an anchor. She dealt with the old boys club, sexism, racism, and stereotypes. She worked hard and didn’t let these challenges get her down.
Connie’s parents immigrated to the United States from China shortly before Connie was born. She has several sisters and was largely raised in Washington D.C. She began her news career in D.C. too after graduating from the University of Maryland. Connie shares how she and Maury dated for 7 years, the majority being long-distance, before they got married, how they experienced fertility challenges and the eventual adoption of their son, Matthew, along with more about her life.
While I liked Connie before, her memoir is interesting and informative, and I appreciate how hard she’s worked for her success even more now.
September 25, 2024
I Like Her
I didn’t know much about Connie Chung, but there was something about her that appealed to me. I always thought that she was so bright and so pretty. I was interested in learning more about her. Immediately, I was drawn to her candor. She didn’t hold back on how she felt about people. She was a little sassy and a lot spunky. I loved that. She came off as so poised and unbreakable. I really enjoyed learning about her courtship with Maury. Her family’s background was also very interesting. I wasn’t as invested in some of her political recollections, but I loved hearing about her career path. She spilled some good tea about some big name folks. I’m glad that I got to know Connie Chung better. She’s my kinda lady.
I didn’t know much about Connie Chung, but there was something about her that appealed to me. I always thought that she was so bright and so pretty. I was interested in learning more about her. Immediately, I was drawn to her candor. She didn’t hold back on how she felt about people. She was a little sassy and a lot spunky. I loved that. She came off as so poised and unbreakable. I really enjoyed learning about her courtship with Maury. Her family’s background was also very interesting. I wasn’t as invested in some of her political recollections, but I loved hearing about her career path. She spilled some good tea about some big name folks. I’m glad that I got to know Connie Chung better. She’s my kinda lady.
January 16, 2026
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a signed copy of Connie Chung’s memoir last year while attending a talk she gave, but of course, I didn’t get around to reading the book when I got home, so with my newfound foray into audiobooks, it made sense to put her memoir near the top of my list. Thinking about it now, I’m so glad I waited to listen to this one on audio, as hearing Connie narrate her memoir in her own voice made this a much more intimate and immersive experience.
While Connie may not think of herself as extraordinary, many of us who looked up to her would probably beg to differ. As one of the first (and, even to this day, very few) Asian women to break into mainstream news journalism, Connie is absolutely a trailblazer and an icon. As a Chinese girl growing up in Los Angeles back in the 1980s and 1990s, I was thrilled to see a Chinese woman on TV who did not fit into any of the “Asian female” stereotypes that we were expected to abide by. The Connie I remember onscreen was beautiful, fashionable (in my humble opinion, her “Connie hairstyle” set the stage for the “Rachel hairstyle” that came later), outspoken, confident, spoke perfect English, and most importantly, was able to hold her own day-in and day-out in a cutthroat industry dominated by powerful men.
Reading Connie’s memoir was truly enlightening, not only because I knew so little about her outside of what I saw on TV, but also because I was finally able to “meet” (albeit through the pages of a book) a woman I so admired growing up. There were so many things I learned about Connie that I never would have guessed (for example – her incisive wit and self-deprecating humor were things I didn’t know about), yet at the same time, so much of her experience coming up the ranks was also familiar to me because of our shared attributes of being both Chinese and a woman. Reading about Connie’s many instances of having to deal with both overt and covert sexism as well as racism was heartbreaking but of course, not surprising; by contrast, reading about the unwavering love and support that Connie has gotten from the two “rocks” in her life (husband Maury Povich and son Matthew) was heartwarming – it definitely made me happy to see Connie’s life turn out so well.
Unsurprisingly, my favorite parts of the book were when Connie talked about her background (her parents’ and sisters’ journeys from China to the U.S.), her family, her career path, etc. I was of course less keen on the parts involving the political stories she covered (i.e. Watergate and the interviews with various presidents and political leaders) due to my aversion to American politics in general (another advantage of audiobooks is that I could zone out or forward through those bits), but luckily, those parts weren’t too overwhelming.
Overall, Connie’s memoir was an inspiring read and one that I greatly enjoyed, especially on audio. Since I started getting into audiobooks in December, I’ve read 4 memoirs already, 3 of which were narrated by the authors themselves and have been pleasant experiences so far. Based on this, I think I’ve found my “audiobook niche” in the form of memoirs narrated by their respective authors, which I’m definitely excited to continue pursuing. While I intend to read both celebrity and non-celebrity memoirs alike via audiobooks, I’m especially happy about this newfound niche as it pertains to celebrity memoirs, which, traditionally, I very rarely read in print because of the whole ghostwriting thing (a topic that I have strong thoughts about, but that’s for another day). Essentially, a celebrity narrating their own memoir via audiobook makes the book feel more personal and, for me at least, lessens my feeling of being “duped” reading a book that the celebrity may not have actually written.
Looking forward to the memoirs I’ve got lined up over the next couple of months, though I will probably be spacing them out more going forward, since I’ve got a stack of upcoming spring releases that I’m super excited about and definitely need to get to soon!
While Connie may not think of herself as extraordinary, many of us who looked up to her would probably beg to differ. As one of the first (and, even to this day, very few) Asian women to break into mainstream news journalism, Connie is absolutely a trailblazer and an icon. As a Chinese girl growing up in Los Angeles back in the 1980s and 1990s, I was thrilled to see a Chinese woman on TV who did not fit into any of the “Asian female” stereotypes that we were expected to abide by. The Connie I remember onscreen was beautiful, fashionable (in my humble opinion, her “Connie hairstyle” set the stage for the “Rachel hairstyle” that came later), outspoken, confident, spoke perfect English, and most importantly, was able to hold her own day-in and day-out in a cutthroat industry dominated by powerful men.
Reading Connie’s memoir was truly enlightening, not only because I knew so little about her outside of what I saw on TV, but also because I was finally able to “meet” (albeit through the pages of a book) a woman I so admired growing up. There were so many things I learned about Connie that I never would have guessed (for example – her incisive wit and self-deprecating humor were things I didn’t know about), yet at the same time, so much of her experience coming up the ranks was also familiar to me because of our shared attributes of being both Chinese and a woman. Reading about Connie’s many instances of having to deal with both overt and covert sexism as well as racism was heartbreaking but of course, not surprising; by contrast, reading about the unwavering love and support that Connie has gotten from the two “rocks” in her life (husband Maury Povich and son Matthew) was heartwarming – it definitely made me happy to see Connie’s life turn out so well.
Unsurprisingly, my favorite parts of the book were when Connie talked about her background (her parents’ and sisters’ journeys from China to the U.S.), her family, her career path, etc. I was of course less keen on the parts involving the political stories she covered (i.e. Watergate and the interviews with various presidents and political leaders) due to my aversion to American politics in general (another advantage of audiobooks is that I could zone out or forward through those bits), but luckily, those parts weren’t too overwhelming.
Overall, Connie’s memoir was an inspiring read and one that I greatly enjoyed, especially on audio. Since I started getting into audiobooks in December, I’ve read 4 memoirs already, 3 of which were narrated by the authors themselves and have been pleasant experiences so far. Based on this, I think I’ve found my “audiobook niche” in the form of memoirs narrated by their respective authors, which I’m definitely excited to continue pursuing. While I intend to read both celebrity and non-celebrity memoirs alike via audiobooks, I’m especially happy about this newfound niche as it pertains to celebrity memoirs, which, traditionally, I very rarely read in print because of the whole ghostwriting thing (a topic that I have strong thoughts about, but that’s for another day). Essentially, a celebrity narrating their own memoir via audiobook makes the book feel more personal and, for me at least, lessens my feeling of being “duped” reading a book that the celebrity may not have actually written.
Looking forward to the memoirs I’ve got lined up over the next couple of months, though I will probably be spacing them out more going forward, since I’ve got a stack of upcoming spring releases that I’m super excited about and definitely need to get to soon!
February 6, 2025
Ummmm Connie Chung is a badass
May 6, 2025
An interesting and thoughtful read!
April 4, 2025
They say never meet your heroes, and I think this is a case of that. I did not expect this and actually do feel sad to give this memoir a 2 star rating.
I generally enjoy reading memoirs, because it gives me an intimate insight into someone’s life. Especially with a career like Connie Chung’s I was so so excited to read all about her life! But perhaps because of her decades on being a broadcast journalist, this memoir felt guarded - there seems to be a hyper-awareness of the words being written - and ultimately it felt like a regurgitation of facts with little emotion, almost like a news broadcast. I think that vulnerability/sincerity/reflection are some of the main reasons memoirs appeal to people, but this one just felt calculated.
I did learn about some sexist practices in the newsroom, about “pink collar” jobs reserved for women on the floor, and rules that restricted female journalists from doing certain things before their male counterparts. In that same spirit, it is also admirable how Connie Chung bulldozed her way through out of sheer ambition.
A self-admitted showman, I think this memoir definitely reflects that well. There are big names dropped, lots of gossip, and often times felt like a report card of I-did-this and I-did-that, which fair, she DID all of that, but I really would love to know why or how or what these achievements meant to or affected her. I felt like I learned a lot about things that happened around/to her, but not about her. A lot of the memoir felt self-aggrandizing — there was nothing in the memoir of any positive or thoughtful interactions with the Asian community, yet it ends with her calling herself a living legacy because there were generations of Asian women named after her — and I wasn’t a fan of it.
I generally enjoy reading memoirs, because it gives me an intimate insight into someone’s life. Especially with a career like Connie Chung’s I was so so excited to read all about her life! But perhaps because of her decades on being a broadcast journalist, this memoir felt guarded - there seems to be a hyper-awareness of the words being written - and ultimately it felt like a regurgitation of facts with little emotion, almost like a news broadcast. I think that vulnerability/sincerity/reflection are some of the main reasons memoirs appeal to people, but this one just felt calculated.
I did learn about some sexist practices in the newsroom, about “pink collar” jobs reserved for women on the floor, and rules that restricted female journalists from doing certain things before their male counterparts. In that same spirit, it is also admirable how Connie Chung bulldozed her way through out of sheer ambition.
A self-admitted showman, I think this memoir definitely reflects that well. There are big names dropped, lots of gossip, and often times felt like a report card of I-did-this and I-did-that, which fair, she DID all of that, but I really would love to know why or how or what these achievements meant to or affected her. I felt like I learned a lot about things that happened around/to her, but not about her. A lot of the memoir felt self-aggrandizing — there was nothing in the memoir of any positive or thoughtful interactions with the Asian community, yet it ends with her calling herself a living legacy because there were generations of Asian women named after her — and I wasn’t a fan of it.
October 22, 2024
Veteran journalist Connie Chung takes us on a journey of her life - from being the daughter of immigrants (the only one of her siblings to be born on U.S. soil) to defying many challenges to become the first Asian woman to occupy a distinguished seat in the television news industry. She was co-anchor of the CBS Evening News and the first Asian to anchor any news program in the U.S. She overcame cultural and sexist barriers by being spunky, hardworking, fast thinking, persistent, adept at honing a nose for “the” story, and a bit audacious. She is frank, funny, and self deprecating as she recounts her career and personal life story. I enjoyed listening to her story as narrated by her in the audiobook. She deftly recounts how she got her many scoops and sets us straight on how situations were mischaracterized in some famous fallouts that involved her. She ranks among her stalwart peers of women journalists like Barbara Walters, Diana Sawyers and Lesley Stahl and male journalists like Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw (Dan Rather omitted by design). The book is well written, interesting and insightful and I enjoyed how her personality came through across the pages. I highly recommend Connie Chung’s memoir.
December 13, 2024
She's a badass.
September 22, 2024
An icon!!!!
October 7, 2024
Self-admitted liar Connie Chung weaves some fascinating tales (thankfully slamming the horrible Dan Rather and the mean Bryant Gumbel) mixed with a shockingly large inability to recall specifics and details. For a supposed "journalist" she lacks many of the basics of what it means to be an honest reporter, unless she's attempting to do creative writing. While her stories hit all the important marks in her life, many are either insufficient in specifics or are simply difficult to believe.
It's filled with put-downs of men but constant bragging about herself, her husband, and her child. There are a number of false claims made, a lack of understand about the TV business, and a dramatic lack of introspection to consider her own many flaws. She hides behind repeated claims of sexism or racism, which is difficult to hear from a rich successful woman who did things no other had ever achieved.
It's laugh-out-loud absurd when she repeatedly claims to hold to high "journalistic" standards of "truth," then also mentions her lying, cheating, and stealing. So much for her understanding of the words "ethical journalism." While I welcome her lightly sharing her many faults (as well as her repeatedly hinting at sexual affairs she had with some famous men), she lacks introspection or redemption. Instead she's a tease--thinking we will appreciate her coy suggestiveness as being a bad girl. You'll just roll your eyes that a nationally known (and historic) anchorwomen would do these kind of things, much less mention them.
Chung, of course, was famously caught on camera with Newt Gingrich's mother, asking a question that Connie said would be "just between you and me." Then she made Mrs. Gingrich's response the headline of the entire interview that was made news throughout the world (that Newt thought Hilary Clinton was a "bitch"). Chung devotes a chapter to it, unsuccessfully trying to defend herself but never stating the truth--that she lied to Mrs. Gingrich and broke all journalistic honor by airing what the source was told would be confidential. Even with a camera running, if a reporter says it's off the record they can't use it. Period.
Chung was no stranger to lying. She admits that she would tell "fibs" when younger in order to keep herself from being embarrassed by the truth about her lower-class status in America. Even as an older adult, when the National Enquirer told her they were doing a story on her newborn baby, she agreed to cooperate, writing, "We would mask any accurate information and allow the tabloid to make mistakes." Yes, you read that right. She intentionally allowed lies and covered up the truth. That's unethical and the opposite of true journalism.
She also frequently in the text says that she can't recall specifics and details about almost everything. Major life events? She doesn't recall much and there are years that are skipped. Do you think she'd confirm with siblings or co-workers or even online? Nope, usually she just says she has a bad memory.
So how can you believe when she tells the harrowing story of her family leaving China, which happened before she was born? She admits she never talked to her parents about most of it--so how can she claim things happened with such certainty?
Or what do you do with her claim of being sexually assaulted in college by her family doctor? Here are her words: "The exact date and year are fuzzy, but details of the event are vivid." But those "details" take up only a couple sentences and there honestly isn't much to it. His touching her private parts was part of an exam, and the weirdest part was that she claims she was brought to orgasm before he bent down to give her a kiss ("a peck on the lips"). But she can't remember when this happened? She writes that those details are "insignificant." Well, Connie, without any evidence those details become very significant and raise suspicions about the validity of the story.
She didn't tell others, lied to avoid going to see the doctor again, and then decades later says husband Maury Povich was the first she ever told about it: "Was it before or after we were married? I don't remember." Seriously? She doesn't recall telling the supposedly most horrific thing in her lifetime for the only time she has ever told it?
Then Connie dares to defend feminist operative Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who claimed future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teens. First, the two situations were completely different, and second, there was zero proof of either event occurring. You cannot just simply believe an accusation when there is no evidence, and there are cases where women try to falsely accuse men for a variety of reasons (including political) or have false memories. Wish we'd as a society work as hard to find out the truth about accused men as liberals are trying to free actual killers and criminals.
It's extremely ironic (or hypocritical) when later in the book Chung describes a similar unwelcome sexual advance by Senator George McGovern, the Democrat running for president of the United States. He invites her to his vacation home while his wife isn't there and tries to kiss her "in a dark, narrow hallway." This is not reported by her as a sexual assault or harassment, but she seems to take it as a compliment, writing, "It was not an aggressive act. Just a surprising one."
So the doctor that kissed her just a few feet from his wife in the office was a bad guy but this married famous American Senator that coerced her into his private home while his wife was gone was being nice by giving her an unwanted kiss? Why, because McGovern was a powerful political liberal that she doesn't want to make look bad? The book is filled with these types of contradictions, which diminish her repeated claims of being a consistent feminist truth-teller.
So there is no evidence here for a number of claims she makes. As a "journalist" she should know better--her spewing her opinions doesn't make any of this accurate or true. Her ridiculous claim that she feared speaking up to support Blasey Ford because "In telling my story, I crossed the invisible line I had assiduously avoided my entire career. Shielding my personal thoughts and biases, especially in my news reporting, was crucial to my credibility." Ha! Is she serious? She was one of the most obnoxious, opinionated, mean-spirited, anti-conservative "journalists" out there. Just look at the Newt Gingrich story, where an off-the-record comment was misused unethically to make the Republican Speaker of the House look bad.
Connie Chung should be ashamed. True journalists shouldn't hide their liberal biases as she claims and pretend of be objective. They have to be fair and handle accurately the truth but it's better to admit up front that you have biases, then let us decide whether we can trust what you present to us. In this case, she's delusional and in denial, offering a life story that isn't objective or completely honest.
It's filled with put-downs of men but constant bragging about herself, her husband, and her child. There are a number of false claims made, a lack of understand about the TV business, and a dramatic lack of introspection to consider her own many flaws. She hides behind repeated claims of sexism or racism, which is difficult to hear from a rich successful woman who did things no other had ever achieved.
It's laugh-out-loud absurd when she repeatedly claims to hold to high "journalistic" standards of "truth," then also mentions her lying, cheating, and stealing. So much for her understanding of the words "ethical journalism." While I welcome her lightly sharing her many faults (as well as her repeatedly hinting at sexual affairs she had with some famous men), she lacks introspection or redemption. Instead she's a tease--thinking we will appreciate her coy suggestiveness as being a bad girl. You'll just roll your eyes that a nationally known (and historic) anchorwomen would do these kind of things, much less mention them.
Chung, of course, was famously caught on camera with Newt Gingrich's mother, asking a question that Connie said would be "just between you and me." Then she made Mrs. Gingrich's response the headline of the entire interview that was made news throughout the world (that Newt thought Hilary Clinton was a "bitch"). Chung devotes a chapter to it, unsuccessfully trying to defend herself but never stating the truth--that she lied to Mrs. Gingrich and broke all journalistic honor by airing what the source was told would be confidential. Even with a camera running, if a reporter says it's off the record they can't use it. Period.
Chung was no stranger to lying. She admits that she would tell "fibs" when younger in order to keep herself from being embarrassed by the truth about her lower-class status in America. Even as an older adult, when the National Enquirer told her they were doing a story on her newborn baby, she agreed to cooperate, writing, "We would mask any accurate information and allow the tabloid to make mistakes." Yes, you read that right. She intentionally allowed lies and covered up the truth. That's unethical and the opposite of true journalism.
She also frequently in the text says that she can't recall specifics and details about almost everything. Major life events? She doesn't recall much and there are years that are skipped. Do you think she'd confirm with siblings or co-workers or even online? Nope, usually she just says she has a bad memory.
So how can you believe when she tells the harrowing story of her family leaving China, which happened before she was born? She admits she never talked to her parents about most of it--so how can she claim things happened with such certainty?
Or what do you do with her claim of being sexually assaulted in college by her family doctor? Here are her words: "The exact date and year are fuzzy, but details of the event are vivid." But those "details" take up only a couple sentences and there honestly isn't much to it. His touching her private parts was part of an exam, and the weirdest part was that she claims she was brought to orgasm before he bent down to give her a kiss ("a peck on the lips"). But she can't remember when this happened? She writes that those details are "insignificant." Well, Connie, without any evidence those details become very significant and raise suspicions about the validity of the story.
She didn't tell others, lied to avoid going to see the doctor again, and then decades later says husband Maury Povich was the first she ever told about it: "Was it before or after we were married? I don't remember." Seriously? She doesn't recall telling the supposedly most horrific thing in her lifetime for the only time she has ever told it?
Then Connie dares to defend feminist operative Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who claimed future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teens. First, the two situations were completely different, and second, there was zero proof of either event occurring. You cannot just simply believe an accusation when there is no evidence, and there are cases where women try to falsely accuse men for a variety of reasons (including political) or have false memories. Wish we'd as a society work as hard to find out the truth about accused men as liberals are trying to free actual killers and criminals.
It's extremely ironic (or hypocritical) when later in the book Chung describes a similar unwelcome sexual advance by Senator George McGovern, the Democrat running for president of the United States. He invites her to his vacation home while his wife isn't there and tries to kiss her "in a dark, narrow hallway." This is not reported by her as a sexual assault or harassment, but she seems to take it as a compliment, writing, "It was not an aggressive act. Just a surprising one."
So the doctor that kissed her just a few feet from his wife in the office was a bad guy but this married famous American Senator that coerced her into his private home while his wife was gone was being nice by giving her an unwanted kiss? Why, because McGovern was a powerful political liberal that she doesn't want to make look bad? The book is filled with these types of contradictions, which diminish her repeated claims of being a consistent feminist truth-teller.
So there is no evidence here for a number of claims she makes. As a "journalist" she should know better--her spewing her opinions doesn't make any of this accurate or true. Her ridiculous claim that she feared speaking up to support Blasey Ford because "In telling my story, I crossed the invisible line I had assiduously avoided my entire career. Shielding my personal thoughts and biases, especially in my news reporting, was crucial to my credibility." Ha! Is she serious? She was one of the most obnoxious, opinionated, mean-spirited, anti-conservative "journalists" out there. Just look at the Newt Gingrich story, where an off-the-record comment was misused unethically to make the Republican Speaker of the House look bad.
Connie Chung should be ashamed. True journalists shouldn't hide their liberal biases as she claims and pretend of be objective. They have to be fair and handle accurately the truth but it's better to admit up front that you have biases, then let us decide whether we can trust what you present to us. In this case, she's delusional and in denial, offering a life story that isn't objective or completely honest.
October 23, 2024
CONNIE: a must-read memoir by a legend.
Connie Chung was the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News and the first Asian to anchor any news program in the U.S.
I grew up admiring her, so I was predisposed to like this, but I was struck by how self-aware Connie came across. I also enjoyed the great anecdotes she incorporated. This memoir is sweeping, sketching her life from her upbringing to the current day. I'd have probably read another 200 pages, but what's here is so well done. A treat that I hope you'll read.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for a free copy of this title.
Connie Chung was the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News and the first Asian to anchor any news program in the U.S.
I grew up admiring her, so I was predisposed to like this, but I was struck by how self-aware Connie came across. I also enjoyed the great anecdotes she incorporated. This memoir is sweeping, sketching her life from her upbringing to the current day. I'd have probably read another 200 pages, but what's here is so well done. A treat that I hope you'll read.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for a free copy of this title.
January 21, 2025
Having honestly and shockingly only having gone into this with the notion that she was semi famous woman cbs news anchor before I was born, might have just been one of the biggest most underwhelming and way undercutting of what this truly trailblazing woman has done in her vast and experienced career. I mean I didn’t even know she was married to maurie and when I read his name I was like wait a minute what… and in truth that exact emotion was probably felt in at least eighteen other chapters as I not only realized the astounding and frankly scary barriers she was able to break into as “one of the guys”, to the Oklahoma bombing underhanding and destruction of her entire earned career, to the Connie revolution she unknowingly started, her beautiful and heartwarming relationship with her son Mathew, and just how whole heartedly funny and quick she can truly be. I don’t just have admiration for her now, I have a newfound respect for her as well with just all she’s accomplished. 4.25/5
April 11, 2025
Incredible! I just finished the audiobook from my library, narrated by her, and I have tears in my eyes, a humungous lump in my throat, and my heart is swelling. I am officially such a fan of hers. Being an early 80s baby, I have so many memories of Connie Chung from all the news being on the TV in my house at any given time since I grew up in a household of news junkies. To be honest, I never knew that much about her except that she was married to Maury Povich (all of which I had long forgotten about). This book was so wonderfully put together that it feels as if I know her like an aunt. Being an Asian-American woman myself, she was relatable in so many aspects of the book, but the part I felt most empathetic about was her telling of her family's history. And when I tell you the amount of nostalgia this book brought to my elder millennial heart! It was just marvelous to relive the past few decades through Connie's eyes. Bravo, Connie, this was a wonderfully emotional memoir that really touched me.
December 17, 2024
Such an interesting read, having grown up in the era of Connie Chung’s reporting. It was so insightful reading about the hurdles she had to overcome, as a Chinese female in a highly competitive field. I recall when she was at the height of her career, and her fall from grace… though this memoir helped me understand the bigger picture (at least from her point of view). Reading this made me miss the days of old-school quality journalism, rather than whatever it is we are dealing with nowadays with 24-hour news frenzies.
January 17, 2026
5 Stars for Connie: A Memoir (audiobook) by Connie Chung read by the author.
I remember seeing Connie Chung occasionally on the TV news when I was growing up. And then it seemed like she disappeared. I wasn’t sure what happened to her. And now I got the whole story. Why she chose journalism and how she worked her way up through the ranks. Also how she got some great interviews and ended up working with the top names in the business. But there’s always politics in a business like that and ultimately she wanted to have a family. And maybe that’s the biggest surprise for me, she’s married to Maury Povich. They got married in 1984 and they adopted a son in 1995. And it looks like she’s been actively working all these years and I’ve just missed her as she has moved around to different shows over the years.
I remember seeing Connie Chung occasionally on the TV news when I was growing up. And then it seemed like she disappeared. I wasn’t sure what happened to her. And now I got the whole story. Why she chose journalism and how she worked her way up through the ranks. Also how she got some great interviews and ended up working with the top names in the business. But there’s always politics in a business like that and ultimately she wanted to have a family. And maybe that’s the biggest surprise for me, she’s married to Maury Povich. They got married in 1984 and they adopted a son in 1995. And it looks like she’s been actively working all these years and I’ve just missed her as she has moved around to different shows over the years.
January 7, 2025
4/5 ⭐
"Chinese people are always reminded that we look like foreigners lest we should forget."
It makes me laugh that the negative reviews all had similar commentary like, "The book was just Connie Chung boasting about her life and accomplishments". Correct me if I'm wrong but...isn't that what a memoir is?
Anyway. I liked this a lot. I chose to listen to the audiobook, as I prefer to do with memoirs, and was not disappointed. Connie Chung's story goes through so many different ups and downs, from her parents and her childhood, her essentially taking on the role of the oldest sibling (despite being the youngest) to her career and the obstacles she had to overcome, I was inspired by her tenacity and ambition. She mentioned "breaking bamboo ceilings" and for many women - a generation's worth - she did.
"Chinese people are always reminded that we look like foreigners lest we should forget."
It makes me laugh that the negative reviews all had similar commentary like, "The book was just Connie Chung boasting about her life and accomplishments". Correct me if I'm wrong but...isn't that what a memoir is?
Anyway. I liked this a lot. I chose to listen to the audiobook, as I prefer to do with memoirs, and was not disappointed. Connie Chung's story goes through so many different ups and downs, from her parents and her childhood, her essentially taking on the role of the oldest sibling (despite being the youngest) to her career and the obstacles she had to overcome, I was inspired by her tenacity and ambition. She mentioned "breaking bamboo ceilings" and for many women - a generation's worth - she did.
January 7, 2025
Saw Connie Chung speak at UMD a few months ago without knowing much about her (except that we both graduated from the same journalism school (!!)). Love her personality and grit. Worth the read for journalists and women in any industry. Thanks for paving the way :)
November 11, 2024
Wow. Connie Chung’s memoir is a riveting exploration of her journey as the first Asian-American woman to anchor a major network newscast, capturing the determination and courage that defined her career. With sharp wit, Chung takes readers behind the scenes of a groundbreaking life marked by resilience in the face of racism, misogyny, and the relentless pressure of representation. From her early days as a junior reporter to her high-profile interviews with world leaders, Chung’s story unfolds as an inspiring testament to unwavering commitment, showing how she carved out her place in an industry where few looked like her or understood the weight she carried. What made this memoir stand out to me is Chung’s refusal to shy away from the costs of her pathbreaking career. She shares the personal toll of standing firm in the face of controversy and the challenges of being both a trailblazer and a target. Chung’s reflections are balanced with warmth and humor, reminding readers of the person behind the career: determined, sharp, and human. Her story is more than just an account of journalistic triumph; it’s a powerful reminder that breaking barriers is not just about being the first but about creating space for others to follow.
October 5, 2024
This was great on audio! I didn’t realize the span of Connie’s career and all the barriers she and all female news anchors were up against. I particularly enjoyed Connie’s humor and how positive she is. Also, from how she describes her infertility, I feel our autoimmune disorder are the same or similar. She was brave to tell her story. Probably my favorite memoir so far this year.
October 1, 2024
So good. Connie is a badass for the ages.
October 20, 2024
A true trailblazer Connie Chung is.
March 14, 2025
❝𝗗𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹.❞ --𝘙𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘩 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘰 𝘌𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯
I think it is fair to say Connie is an American icon, a living legend, and for me personally, an idol.
╰┈➤ Connie Chung was the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News during prime time television and the first Asian American to anchor 𝘢𝘯𝘺 news program in the US.
She was the only Asian American woman common household name growing up in the 80s. I admired her poise and integrity in reporting. Truly a trailblazer both for women and Asian Americans, I got goosebumps listening to her narrate her own life's story. From her family's escape from pre-communist China, she recounts her trials and tribulations with the same grace and dignity she has always embodied.
The both blatant and subtle discrimination [both racism and sexism] she experienced is both unsurprising and disquieting. She was the first, the "only", in her field of broadcast journalism. No matter what happened, she got back up again. Her triumphs in rising above were and still are an inspiration. I went into this predisposed to like it, so while some sections may have been of less interest (following certain politicians on the campaign trail), I still devoured this listen.
I've seen some say that she comes off braggy, and on this point, I must disagree. Connie has earned bragging rights; if anything she leans too humble & modest of her accomplishments. I had to chuckle when she said her father wanted a boy to pass on the family name, and somehow even in a family of all girls, Connie's name will live on through the generations of Asian American Connies named after her.
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|• 🎧 I purchased and listened to this book on @librofm. I love memoirs told in the authors' own voice.
I think it is fair to say Connie is an American icon, a living legend, and for me personally, an idol.
╰┈➤ Connie Chung was the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News during prime time television and the first Asian American to anchor 𝘢𝘯𝘺 news program in the US.
She was the only Asian American woman common household name growing up in the 80s. I admired her poise and integrity in reporting. Truly a trailblazer both for women and Asian Americans, I got goosebumps listening to her narrate her own life's story. From her family's escape from pre-communist China, she recounts her trials and tribulations with the same grace and dignity she has always embodied.
The both blatant and subtle discrimination [both racism and sexism] she experienced is both unsurprising and disquieting. She was the first, the "only", in her field of broadcast journalism. No matter what happened, she got back up again. Her triumphs in rising above were and still are an inspiration. I went into this predisposed to like it, so while some sections may have been of less interest (following certain politicians on the campaign trail), I still devoured this listen.
I've seen some say that she comes off braggy, and on this point, I must disagree. Connie has earned bragging rights; if anything she leans too humble & modest of her accomplishments. I had to chuckle when she said her father wanted a boy to pass on the family name, and somehow even in a family of all girls, Connie's name will live on through the generations of Asian American Connies named after her.
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|• 🎧 I purchased and listened to this book on @librofm. I love memoirs told in the authors' own voice.
February 26, 2025
Book #572
4 ⭐️
So i want to start my review off by saying this memoir / audio book was fun for me because i love reading memoirs but honestly one of my favorite things regarding memoirs is reading a memoir about a person you are not familiar with at all and in that regards that was Connie Chung for me i knew of her by name and stuff but I didn’t know enough so when i went into her memoir i loved learning more about her and her telling us all the stuff she faced being in such a male dominated field but i love that she took no shit from anyone and became such a great reporter I will say I’m glad i did audiobook for this one tho because this was mostly news and broadcast based so i feel as if i read the physical i might not have enjoyed it more but i did enjoy Connie sharing so many stories and historic things she reported on during her career, i also really liked hearing about her and Maury’s relationship because who didn’t love being home from school sick and watching Maury when i probably shouldn’t have been watching that as a teen! LOL! I think they are a cute couple as well with so many years being together! Connie is also hilarious i wanted to read this one after watching her interview on the view a few weeks or month ago I can’t remember but it made me want this read this one and I’m glad i did. Connie had lots of stories for the reader. Connie was definitely a force in her field and i respect her for that, Overall a good memoir but i think a better audiobook!
4 ⭐️
So i want to start my review off by saying this memoir / audio book was fun for me because i love reading memoirs but honestly one of my favorite things regarding memoirs is reading a memoir about a person you are not familiar with at all and in that regards that was Connie Chung for me i knew of her by name and stuff but I didn’t know enough so when i went into her memoir i loved learning more about her and her telling us all the stuff she faced being in such a male dominated field but i love that she took no shit from anyone and became such a great reporter I will say I’m glad i did audiobook for this one tho because this was mostly news and broadcast based so i feel as if i read the physical i might not have enjoyed it more but i did enjoy Connie sharing so many stories and historic things she reported on during her career, i also really liked hearing about her and Maury’s relationship because who didn’t love being home from school sick and watching Maury when i probably shouldn’t have been watching that as a teen! LOL! I think they are a cute couple as well with so many years being together! Connie is also hilarious i wanted to read this one after watching her interview on the view a few weeks or month ago I can’t remember but it made me want this read this one and I’m glad i did. Connie had lots of stories for the reader. Connie was definitely a force in her field and i respect her for that, Overall a good memoir but i think a better audiobook!
January 12, 2025
Heartfelt! I truly enjoyed this memoir.
October 10, 2024
I knew I’d like this book because I admire Connie Chung so much. But I absolutely LOVED this book. She is so relatable, funny and admirable. And like me she also did SGA at UMD, is a journalist and has a best friend named Andrea. Going to try to keep living my life like Connie!
August 4, 2025
An enthusiastic five stars for a life well-lived, overcoming every obstacle the world and workplace threw her way, and paving the way for future generations of Connies to persevere and succeed.
July 29, 2025
Great book. Her family experienced hardships living in China, came to USA and in 1946 made way to Washington, DC. August 20,1946 Connie Chung was first in her family to be born on American soil. 1960’s start of a career in television/news with male dominated white men. 1971 hired by CBS led by Walter Cronkite who she respected which led to becoming a successful news anchor. December 1984 marriage to Maury who gave her support throughout her career. And then adoption. A whole new role, which she cherished, as Connie and Maury wait for the birth of their son, Matthew. She was successful throughout her life as a news anchor and opened doors for women and minorities throughout the years that followed. She was truly an inspiration.
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