Mommy Tried to Kill Me: Why It's Never Too Early to Start Drinking in Paris

by Suzy Soro

Comedian Suzy Soro's latest book is memoir done right. It's self-effacing without being too earnest, hilarious without being too blunt, and spot on when it comes to secrets, and her family is rife with secrets. To survive requires armor and Soro is properly suited for this work. She deftly blends her particular brand of humor with the heartbreak of caring for her mother, who lives in France. Soro spent all her summers in Europe and went to college in Paris but hasn't been back in twenty years. Can she leave Los Angeles and try and mend the rifts with her mother that have plagued them over a lifetime? Although her "privileged poverty," some odd health woes, and a highly critical mother could weigh down a memoir, Soro's skill as a comedy writer pairs with her acerbic and simultaneously charming tone to take the reader through a series of French nightmares. It's one calamity after another and as the weeks drag on, it doesn't look like the problems will end or that Soro will ever master the metric system as well as she masters wine and pastries.

194 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2017

About the author

Suzy Soro is a stand-up comic, actress, and writer.

As a comedian, she traveled the world entertaining the troops. She formed her own stand-up comedy group, Single, Married & Divorced, and toured the US and Canada for 8 years. She has also done dozens of TV shows, most notably Seinfeld - she got the last chocolate babka - and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Her Seinfeld is ranked 25 out of all 169 episodes of the show. This fact brings in no extra revenue.

When offered a book deal, she wrote Celebrity sTalker, the story of all her embarrassing encounters, from Angelina Jolie to Lucille Ball. From almost getting bitten by Bea Arthur's dog to getting a pep talk from Sly Stallone.

Her second memoir is about the four months she spent in Paris, taking care of her mother while trying not to have a nervous breakdown. The second part of that sentence failed.

Reviews

[Kimberly Jayne]

Suzy Soro Knocked It out of the Park with This One

I've read Suzy's previous books, and this one might be my favorite. Et tu? Or et vous? Suzy excels at telling her unique story with cracker-jack wit and warmth, and evocative details that she then massages and twists into moments of hilarity—and those were plentiful. The many anecdotes about her life and her wonderfully complicated family are delivered in a narrative that's nicely braided with details about their involvement in historical events in Russia, Turkey, and Paris in World War II.

But I most enjoyed Suzy's alternately funny and heartbreaking relationships with her family: her sister Lindy, her father and his numerous wives, her beloved stepfather, and, most importantly, her mother Olga. Mothers and daughters can have especially complicated relationships, and the way Suzy has navigated hers is this book's real strength, I think.

Mommy Tried to Kill Me is a candid, humorous, and surprisingly poignant memoir that kept me engrossed and turning pages. I absolutely loved this revealing look into a life so different from my own—sans couenne. Given how the book ended, I have a feeling a sequel must be in the works, and I'll buy that one too! I want to know how Olga fares in the future, and how their mother and daughter relationship evolves and resolves, as all relationships must. Well done, Soro.

[Stephanie]

I was fortunate to be an early reader of this book and I loved every bit of it.

Let me preface this review with two statements: first, memoir is not my favorite genre; second, I'm a high school English teacher, so I'm a judgmental reader.

Soro's latest book is memoir done right. She broke my heart and made me laugh over and over again, often on the same page. I think to survive being a part of a family often requires armor, and Soro is properly suited in this work. She deftly blends her particular brand of humor with the heartbreak of caring for an aging parent who lives on another continent. The combination of Soro’s “privileged poverty,” some odd health woes, and a highly critical mother could weigh down a memoir (and that’s the true problem with this genre), but Soro’s skill as a comedy writer pairs with her acerbic and somehow simultaneously charming tone to take the reader on a journey with her. We know she suffers, but she doesn’t want us to suffer with her—she wants us to laugh.

Soro is self-effacing without being too earnest, hilarious without being too blunt, and spot on when it comes to family secrets, and her family is absolutely rife with secrets. Note the first two sentences of her book: “I believe women can’t keep a secret because they talk too much. I believe men can because they aren’t listening to you in the first place.” It’s the perfect beginning to a perfectly awful tell pretty well-told. I highly recommend this memoir, readers.

[Jolene Dobbin]

Once I started reading Suzy Soro’s Mommy Tried to Kill Me, I could not put it down. This poignant, sad, and heartbreaking account of her return to Paris to care for her infirmed mother is not only laugh-out-loud hilarious (seriously, for reals, LOLs were emitted at several points throughout this read) but also extremely well-written and paced. I appreciated both her ear for dialogue and her head for grammar—and her bod for sin. As a current student of refresher courses in French, I especially welcome her witty (and true!) commentary on the French language’s adorable oddities. I found myself nodding along while reading the sections on Tu and Vous and how learning to distinguish proper usage would, understandably, drive anyone mad.

Her unflinchingly honest and acerbic accounts of human emotions and interplay are nonetheless tinged with brilliant, empathetic observations. She makes you feel as if you’re a treasured friend that she’s writing letters to, as well as dragging along on the fun, yet fearful rollercoaster that is her relationship with her mother. Do yourself a favor and buy that ticket to ride*! (* = this book)

[Sue-Ellen]

I loved Suzy's first book and enjoyed this one just as much! I felt like I was actually in Paris at times and she again has that way of pulling you fully into her stories! This was a great book and I recommend to everyone especially those that are dealing with parents that need our help as we all get older. I laughed and got sad and felt like I was in the room as she told her stories.

[Audrey Van petegem]

Dealing with aging parents is never easy but Suzy brings such humor to the most difficult and embarrassing situations. I laughed out loud throughout the book. Her writing is so visual that I can't help but understand what she is going through. I felt like I was intimately involved with her story. A very nice read!

[Kim M]

Could not put it down.

I have known Suzy Soro for years and have always been a big fan. This Book gave me a real insight to Suzy and where she came from. I saw myself and My Mother in a lot of the stories. The writing style was flawless and flowed so well that I could not stop reading. I look forward to more books by Suzy Soro. Keep them Coming!!!

[Seth Kines]

Decent read. I did find some parts of the book to be hilarious and witty. Overall “meh”. Suzy definitely used this book as an outlet while dealing with her mother’s declining health, which I can respect that. Left me with a very average feeling... hence the 3 stars.

[Juli Ryan]

Suzy Soro has written an entertaining, poignant, charming and ultimately heartbreaking memoir about caring for her ageing mother in Paris. In MOMMY TRIED TO KILL ME Soro describes her life in Paris in a style that reminds me a bit of Peter Mayle or Bill Bryson. This is to say, Soro is a witty, engaging and very perceptive writer. She is also brutally honest, especially when reflecting on her own personal challenges and shortcomings. Caring for ageing parents and navigating family relationships while doing so can be an extraordinarily difficult phase of life, so I for one am grateful to Soro for sharing her experiences in this memoir. This is a highly relatable page turner that will make you laugh and cry. I’m really looking forward to reading Soro’s next book.