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Out of the Corner: A Memoir
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A deeply candid and refreshingly spirited memoir of identity lost and found from the star of the iconic film Dirty Dancing
“A funny, dishy, occasionally heartbreaking coming-of-age story.”— The New York Times
“Savage and engaging . . . Grey’s memoir is interesting not only for her journey out of darkness but also for what her story reveals about what women encounter in the entertainment business, and the fortitude required to make it.”— The Washington Post
In this beautiful, close-to-the bone account, Jennifer Grey takes readers on a vivid tour of the experiences that have shaped her, from her childhood as the daughter of Broadway and film legend Joel Grey, to the surprise hit with Patrick Swayze that made her America’s sweetheart, to her inspiring season eleven win on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars .
Throughout this intimate narrative, Grey richly evokes places and times that were defining for a generation—from her preteen days in 1970s Malibu and wild child nights in New York’s club scene, to her roles in quintessential movies of the 1980s, including The Cotton Club, Red Dawn, and her breakout performance in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . With self-deprecating humor and frankness, she looks back on her unbridled, romantic adventures in Hollywood. And with enormous bravery, she shares the devastating fallout from a plastic surgery procedure that caused the sudden and stunning loss of her professional identity and career. Grey inspires with her hard-won battle back, reclaiming her sense of self from a culture and business that can impose a narrow and unforgiving definition of female worth. She finds, at last, her own true north and starts a family of her own, just in the nick of time.
Distinctive, moving, and powerful, told with generosity and pluck, Out of the Corner is a memoir about a never-ending personal evolution, a coming-of-age story for women of every age.
“A funny, dishy, occasionally heartbreaking coming-of-age story.”— The New York Times
“Savage and engaging . . . Grey’s memoir is interesting not only for her journey out of darkness but also for what her story reveals about what women encounter in the entertainment business, and the fortitude required to make it.”— The Washington Post
In this beautiful, close-to-the bone account, Jennifer Grey takes readers on a vivid tour of the experiences that have shaped her, from her childhood as the daughter of Broadway and film legend Joel Grey, to the surprise hit with Patrick Swayze that made her America’s sweetheart, to her inspiring season eleven win on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars .
Throughout this intimate narrative, Grey richly evokes places and times that were defining for a generation—from her preteen days in 1970s Malibu and wild child nights in New York’s club scene, to her roles in quintessential movies of the 1980s, including The Cotton Club, Red Dawn, and her breakout performance in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . With self-deprecating humor and frankness, she looks back on her unbridled, romantic adventures in Hollywood. And with enormous bravery, she shares the devastating fallout from a plastic surgery procedure that caused the sudden and stunning loss of her professional identity and career. Grey inspires with her hard-won battle back, reclaiming her sense of self from a culture and business that can impose a narrow and unforgiving definition of female worth. She finds, at last, her own true north and starts a family of her own, just in the nick of time.
Distinctive, moving, and powerful, told with generosity and pluck, Out of the Corner is a memoir about a never-ending personal evolution, a coming-of-age story for women of every age.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
21 people are currently reading
3758 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 2, 2023
Jennifer gray had a kickass life. She’s inspiring and I loved listening to this memoir as an audiobook, also want to watch dirty dancing on repeat now.
July 6, 2025
I read this bc I figured it would be super juicy what with the infamous nose job, an engagement to Matthew Broderick and Johnny Depp plus Patrick Swayze and Dirty Dancing deets…and I wasn’t wrong! I really enjoy memoirs I’ve decided.
October 11, 2024
It took me a while to actually connect with her story. It’s clear she struggled with anxiety, self-esteem issues, self sabotage & inner conflict about her ambitions. Though loving, it seems her parents were too preoccupied to really help guide her through her formative years. She went through some tough stuff emotionally in her relationships & physically with the car accident & years of neck pain. I think she’s made of tough stuff & admire her moxie & resilience.
April 28, 2023
This was a very slow read for me. I guess I thought it would be more about her life making the movie.
October 11, 2025
If you like sex swearing and drug use and drinking you will enjoy this book. I couldn’t finish it
November 7, 2023
Jennifer Grey writes about her life and her family. Being the daughter of broadway legend Joel Grey and the female lead in the movie Dirty Dancing. She makes the book interesting and funny. She really did “come out of the corner” but she had some tough times doing that as she was always the good daughter. But when she was in her teens she began stretching her boundaries. She was nor given a lot of outside support during and after Dirty Dancing. However when she was forty she married and made some changes in her life. I enjoyed listening to this book.
June 28, 2023
I was hooked from the first page. Jennifer Grey is a brilliant, funny writer who I'm sure has many more stories she could share with the world. I love the end where she says everyone should write their own story as they see it now. It's something I've been thinking about doing and trying to gain inspiration from memoirs, hers is definitely pushing me further to starting my own!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but let's be real. We all wanna know what Baby has to say, right? No spoilers, but it's a lot. You won't regret this book.
Winning this book has no influence on my positive review.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but let's be real. We all wanna know what Baby has to say, right? No spoilers, but it's a lot. You won't regret this book.
Winning this book has no influence on my positive review.
September 15, 2023
Don’t put me in the corner but the first half was slooow. The second half was super good though and the ending/message was fantastic. I would recommend listening as Jennifer is the narrator and you feel like you’re bffs after spending 12 hours together.
January 25, 2024
📖 11 / 100 in 2024
✍️ Memoir
⭐️ 4.5 stars (rounded up for Goodreads)
Out of the Corner by Jennifer Grey
for you if you like reading about....
celebrity memoirs, stage fright, Dirty Dancing, self-judgment, struggles with addictions, honest narrator, wild teenaged years, no ghostwriter, called-off engagements, plastic surgery, backstage of the theatre, self-discovery
Given that my VHS copy of Dirty Dancing was well-worn, I had to read this memoir as soon as I glimpsed the cover of this book - and I thank the magic of library holds for bringing it to me quickly, because I devoured this in 24 hours after picking it up.
At first I was a bit apprehensive because I’m not one to follow celebrities, but I was quickly drawn in. Missed chances, roads not taken, the agony of reading second-hand how much further she could have gotten if only someone had been *in her corner*, the relationships gone awry, the close-call moments I think all women can relate to.
On the surface, Jennifer’s life appears to be all right place at the right time (born into theatre and show business elite) but as we read throughout the book, wrong timing more adequately describes her experience. Out of The Corner is a coming-of-age that acknowledges that not everyone has fully completed that process by their mid-twenties. The distinct stages of her life were fascinating to me and I loved the way we were drawn into the still-unfolding story.
Reading her honest reflections on patterns of self-denial really hit home for me - I recognize her likelihood to shut down when the possibilities become too great than she thinks she deserves. It’s a gift to be able to receive these life lessons from an actress I idolized as a teen. Seeing as I only read one or two memoirs a year, I’m so happy I came across this one!
Connect with me on Instagram @mybookshelfawareness
✍️ Memoir
⭐️ 4.5 stars (rounded up for Goodreads)
Out of the Corner by Jennifer Grey
for you if you like reading about....
celebrity memoirs, stage fright, Dirty Dancing, self-judgment, struggles with addictions, honest narrator, wild teenaged years, no ghostwriter, called-off engagements, plastic surgery, backstage of the theatre, self-discovery
Given that my VHS copy of Dirty Dancing was well-worn, I had to read this memoir as soon as I glimpsed the cover of this book - and I thank the magic of library holds for bringing it to me quickly, because I devoured this in 24 hours after picking it up.
At first I was a bit apprehensive because I’m not one to follow celebrities, but I was quickly drawn in. Missed chances, roads not taken, the agony of reading second-hand how much further she could have gotten if only someone had been *in her corner*, the relationships gone awry, the close-call moments I think all women can relate to.
On the surface, Jennifer’s life appears to be all right place at the right time (born into theatre and show business elite) but as we read throughout the book, wrong timing more adequately describes her experience. Out of The Corner is a coming-of-age that acknowledges that not everyone has fully completed that process by their mid-twenties. The distinct stages of her life were fascinating to me and I loved the way we were drawn into the still-unfolding story.
Reading her honest reflections on patterns of self-denial really hit home for me - I recognize her likelihood to shut down when the possibilities become too great than she thinks she deserves. It’s a gift to be able to receive these life lessons from an actress I idolized as a teen. Seeing as I only read one or two memoirs a year, I’m so happy I came across this one!
Connect with me on Instagram @mybookshelfawareness
October 7, 2024
I wish I had never read this awful memoir and could still visualize her as “Baby.” This is by far the worst memoir I’ve ever read, (and I’ve had the misfortune of reading Debbie Reynolds’.) Seriously, this read more like the tell-all diary of a silly and vindictive teenager than the writings of a mature adult. Many of the events would have been better left untold or at the very least were not hers to tell.
We get it, Jennifer, you’re edgy. It’s clear by the excessive named dropping, that you know a lot of famous people. You’ve slept with a lot of famous people. You’ve done drugs with a lot of famous people. You’ve been engaged to famous actors. You seem to blame others for all of your relationship problems. You, Jennifer, are the common denominator.
And, how many times did we really need to read about your stupid nose? I think we got it after about the third time you whined that the nose job was not your idea. If you wanted to come across as shallow, spoiled, crass, and foulmouthed, you nailed it.
Believe me, one star is being generous.
We get it, Jennifer, you’re edgy. It’s clear by the excessive named dropping, that you know a lot of famous people. You’ve slept with a lot of famous people. You’ve done drugs with a lot of famous people. You’ve been engaged to famous actors. You seem to blame others for all of your relationship problems. You, Jennifer, are the common denominator.
And, how many times did we really need to read about your stupid nose? I think we got it after about the third time you whined that the nose job was not your idea. If you wanted to come across as shallow, spoiled, crass, and foulmouthed, you nailed it.
Believe me, one star is being generous.
June 27, 2023
Grey gets a lot of positive reviews from her friends, considering her a great actress and discovering that she is also a good writer.
The cosmetic surgery on her nose feels like the scapegoat for her career path, which is actually consistent, more of a hardworking actress than a superstar, which she aspired to be. What I find encouraging and heartening in Grey's story is the struggle, endurance, and survival to reach a place of thriving. Being very close in age, I was acquainted with permissive parenting, though not experiencing it myself, and wondered how she survived at all with the lifestyle she was permitted from her early teens onward. As we have heard so often, an outside force has to awaken us to the inside force we need to draw from for survival.
I am delighted that Jennifer Grey has come into her place of thriving, finding meaningfulness in her offspring, after such a painful to watch journey.
The cosmetic surgery on her nose feels like the scapegoat for her career path, which is actually consistent, more of a hardworking actress than a superstar, which she aspired to be. What I find encouraging and heartening in Grey's story is the struggle, endurance, and survival to reach a place of thriving. Being very close in age, I was acquainted with permissive parenting, though not experiencing it myself, and wondered how she survived at all with the lifestyle she was permitted from her early teens onward. As we have heard so often, an outside force has to awaken us to the inside force we need to draw from for survival.
I am delighted that Jennifer Grey has come into her place of thriving, finding meaningfulness in her offspring, after such a painful to watch journey.
August 1, 2025
There are about 50 interesting pages in this book. Unfortunately, it is 331 pages long. I was hoping for more, she always seemed like she was pretty down to Earth, but man, this is boring. It's nothing but a lot of self help and personal motivation trying to tell herself that the silver spoon that she was born with was a burden when she had it better than 99 percent of us.
The only interesting things about this book were the behind the scenes stuff with Dirty Dancing and Red Dawn as well as her nose job and the fallout she got from it. Her engagements to Matthew Broderick, who comes off as a real asshole as well as Johnny Depp, who comes off as Johnny Depp.
This was a "D". She could have talked about so much more. Her dad, Academy Award winner Joel Grey who struggled with his sexuality and didn't come out until he was 82 was barely covered and would have been a bit more interesting.
Don't waste your time, I wasted mine.....
The only interesting things about this book were the behind the scenes stuff with Dirty Dancing and Red Dawn as well as her nose job and the fallout she got from it. Her engagements to Matthew Broderick, who comes off as a real asshole as well as Johnny Depp, who comes off as Johnny Depp.
This was a "D". She could have talked about so much more. Her dad, Academy Award winner Joel Grey who struggled with his sexuality and didn't come out until he was 82 was barely covered and would have been a bit more interesting.
Don't waste your time, I wasted mine.....
May 29, 2023
Wow! I am one of thousands who obsessed over and still watch Dirty Dancing every time it’s on. “Time of My Life” was the the last song played at my wedding, on purpose. (I didn’t do the lift.) And by watching a million times, I swear to this day, Patrick Swayze taught me to dance. Yes, I also cried when I heard of his passing.
All this to say that Jennifer Grey was a huge part in all of that and in effect on me, yet I didn’t know the half of her story. No clue she was engaged to Matthew or Johnny. No idea about Ireland or the accident or her friendship with Madonna.
I picked this book up before bed thinking ok I’ll skim it and see. Damn if I didn’t read the whole thing straight through. I have a new respect for Jennifer and can relate to her in ways I didn’t know possible. What a wonderful memoir and one I am very glad I read.
All this to say that Jennifer Grey was a huge part in all of that and in effect on me, yet I didn’t know the half of her story. No clue she was engaged to Matthew or Johnny. No idea about Ireland or the accident or her friendship with Madonna.
I picked this book up before bed thinking ok I’ll skim it and see. Damn if I didn’t read the whole thing straight through. I have a new respect for Jennifer and can relate to her in ways I didn’t know possible. What a wonderful memoir and one I am very glad I read.
August 13, 2024
Honestly, it’s probably unfair of me to expect a memoir of Jennifer Grey’s life thus far to concentrate mostly on her filming of Dirty Dancing, but I feel like the title is purposefully misleading to generate sales. With the exception of the sections about her nose job, relationships with Johnny Depp and Matthew Broderick, and of course, Dirty Dancing, I already find the other details slipping my mind. This sadly lacked direction and substance, not sharing enough insights in certain sections (like the weird experience with a Fonda and her dad’s reaction to the maintenance man’s advances on his young daughter) while rambling on in others (name-dropping of famous people from parties and most of her schooling days).
February 28, 2025
A long audiobook (like 11 hours), but the time went fast. I enjoyed how the prologue dived right into what everyone talked about years ago; her nose job. Then she dives into a lot about her parents and childhood before we get to her Hollywood days.
I really did not know much about Jennifer Grey, and she led quite a crazy life at times. Like she was a teen acting like an adult and hanging around them quite a bit. Also, I can’t believe she was told by one of her doctors to abort her baby only to have another one say to wait, and she had a healthy baby! Crazy!
There was a bit more sexual innuendo than I would have liked. And the f-bomb was used way too much for my taste, but I did enjoy how the memoir was written.
I really did not know much about Jennifer Grey, and she led quite a crazy life at times. Like she was a teen acting like an adult and hanging around them quite a bit. Also, I can’t believe she was told by one of her doctors to abort her baby only to have another one say to wait, and she had a healthy baby! Crazy!
There was a bit more sexual innuendo than I would have liked. And the f-bomb was used way too much for my taste, but I did enjoy how the memoir was written.
June 13, 2025
I gravitated to this based on one word in the description of it I read--- "dishy." I'm in an emotionally exhausting season and I need my reading material to be light and mostly funny. And this is light in places, and funny in places, and also, because it's a real life, she struggles sometimes with things I find moderately to significantly stressful. So it wasn't a great book for my situation, but it wasn't a terrible book for my situation, either. As memoirs go, it was truthful and personal, there were elements that were dishy. I would say it was entertaining all the way through. Fairly unsparing when she was making bad decisions, took responsibility pretty graciously and didn't really serve up exes or old friends, even when she talked frankly about them. A fully respectable effort.
September 2, 2024
The first part of this was just her name dropping and talking about her teenage hyper sexuality. Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie and I really wanted to hear her (read it on Audible) discuss that so I stuck around and by then I was so far into it, that I finished it. I’m only giving it two stars instead of one because I did enjoy the parts about DD and her reverence for Patrick Swayze as well as her thoughts on her dad and his coming out. However, I know way more than I ever needed to about her sex life. Also, Matthew Broderick is an ass (which I’ve always suspected) and his mom was a biatch.
September 13, 2025
Hands down the best memoir I've ever read and one of the best books. After seeing Dirty Dancing at the drive-in a couple weeks ago I looked up both Swayze and Grey, mostly to see if they did their own dancing. Then I saw Grey had written a book which I promptly checked out from the library. What a book! It's non-fiction yet full of plot twists. What a life! Very well-written, so interesting and the last chapter was full of feminist optimism. And the end of the chapter "The Time of My Life"? I came inside from my patio and between sobs told my daughter what a nice tribute to Swayze Grey had written. Such an honest, beautiful story of a life so far. Hope there's a sequel, LOL!
January 28, 2026
Wow. Who knew Jennifer Grey had such a colorful life? I especially enjoyed the second half of this book. Once it got into the Dirty Dancing part, it really took off..
With that being said, I wonder if any other reader was super annoyed when she said her daughter wasn’t the type to go to summer camp, so this mommy never got a vacation. 🙄 Seriously, you have a school-age child and stay at home. That’s your vacation! What about the mothers who actually work (besides being a mom)!
That and the ending with her words seeming that she “couldn’t break the cycle” of being a stay at home mom threw me for a loop.
Besides that, the book was enjoyable.
With that being said, I wonder if any other reader was super annoyed when she said her daughter wasn’t the type to go to summer camp, so this mommy never got a vacation. 🙄 Seriously, you have a school-age child and stay at home. That’s your vacation! What about the mothers who actually work (besides being a mom)!
That and the ending with her words seeming that she “couldn’t break the cycle” of being a stay at home mom threw me for a loop.
Besides that, the book was enjoyable.
February 6, 2024
This was hard to rate, because I listened to it as an audiobook. Listening to a book changes the experience for me. I was reading this on a plane and did fall asleep a couple times but overall it was well written. Pretty interesting although her ego is enormous. The only thing I really hated, and I know I’m old, is her ubiquitous use of the word fucked, fuck, fucking. She’s older than me. there’s no excuse.
June 16, 2023
Audiobook: Dirty Dancing was my favorite movie as a teenager. I knew every line, dreamt of being lifted up at my wedding (it didn’t happen) but I still have the best memories of how it made me feel. This book was worth the read for Chapter 13 alone. I love reading about people who go through “stuff” and come out the other side HAPPY!
June 18, 2023
Great memoir! I felt that Jennifer Grey was genuine, and sure had a jagged life compared to her Dirty Dancing character. I loved reading about her loyalty to her daughter, and how she stated her story without judging or being angry at those who wronged her. Great read! You will learn a lot about actors and acting.
June 23, 2023
This book was so good! It must have been difficult to grow up in a fishbowl having a celebrity family and celebrity friends. Ms. Grey captures it all well.
I've read memoirs before where the celebrity pretty much throws people "under the bus". Ms. Grey describes failed relationships with a kindness.
I hope Grey continues to find contentment and remembers every day to be kind to herself.
I've read memoirs before where the celebrity pretty much throws people "under the bus". Ms. Grey describes failed relationships with a kindness.
I hope Grey continues to find contentment and remembers every day to be kind to herself.
August 6, 2023
I found this book so enjoyable. I loved the unapologetic account of her life and her choices. I am very linear, and Jennifer Flipflops in the timeline quite a bit, which felt so creative - like I was learning the stories exactly the way she intended. Thank you for sharing this glimpse into your story and for doing it now when you can reflect with such a wonderful view.
October 1, 2023
Listened as an audiobook - wasn’t expecting it to be bad, but wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did! I LOVED it. I only did 4 stars because there were a couple of moments that seemed a little preachy and privileged. Without giving anything away, this memoir was refreshingly honest, funny, vulnerable, and fascinating
December 20, 2023
Yet another eye-opening, mouth agape recounting of an actor I had no idea about - other than her role in Dirty Dancing - but was still shocked to get to know. Several times throughout this book, I gasped. Audibly. I'm glad I listened to this, and am now off to rewatch DD knowing all the BTS goodies (The. LIFT!).
May 27, 2024
Although she sometimes has to follow a theme through its chronology before going on to the next theme, at which point she goes back to an earlier point to take up the next theme, the narrative is never confusing. Grey appears to have been very open about her life experiences.
When she mentions celebrity friends, she generally includes their role of support at various times in her life. On several occasions, when she alludes to people about whom she does not have nice things to say, she refrains from naming them.
This is a compelling read . . .
When she mentions celebrity friends, she generally includes their role of support at various times in her life. On several occasions, when she alludes to people about whom she does not have nice things to say, she refrains from naming them.
This is a compelling read . . .
June 14, 2024
I loved the movie Dirty Dancing and Patrick Swayze. I liked this memoir and Jennifer Grey is much more edgy than I would have imagined. It was a good book, but I wished there was more around Dirty Dancing and her relationship with Patrick Swayze. I enjoyed reading about her life and struggles including her nose job and Dancing with the Stars.
June 15, 2024
It’s a who’s who of Hollywood life and Jennifer Grey’s Life. Had no idea she’d been through so much - men, drugs, car accidents. I just took her for the actress as I knew her. Entertaining and enjoyable read. I listened on Audible - which was a bonus as she reads herself. So great to hear her story in her distinct voice.
February 28, 2025
An intriguing memoir by the author and star of "Dirty Dancing". Jennifer shares about her anxiety, insecurities, loves, and desires. Being born into an acting family (her dad is Joel Grey) she experienced a lot as a young child. The book is well written sharing a lot about growing up and getting out of the corner.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews