Always Wear Joy

My Mother Bold and Beautiful

by Susan Fales-Hill

On Sale: 05/04/2004

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Always Wear Joy

My Mother Bold and Beautiful

by Susan Fales-Hill

On Sale: 05/04/2004

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Amazon Indigo

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About the Book

From an inside peek at the inner workings of Hollywood to the backstage drama of Broadway, from a poignant look at the black upper class to an honest look at the WASP elite, this elegantly wrought memoir of an extraordinary family has something for everyone.

Growing up with a black Auntie Mame-like mother (who performed with the likes of Lena Horne) and an Anglo sea-faring father, Susan Fales-Hill moved seamlessly between many worlds. But it was from her mother -- a woman who was dressed by Givenchy and sculpted by Alexander Calder, yet rejected by many a casting agent for her "dark," unconventional looks -- that Susan drew inspiration, particularly when she faced challenges in her own career as a television writer in Hollywood, a town that wasn't always receptive to positive images of people of color. As a result the two developed a bond that mothers and daughters everywhere will find inspiring. Both a universally touching mother-daughter story and a portrait of a dazzling American family, Always Wear Joy is a memoir readers won't soon forget.

Critical Praise

“Moving and beautifully rendered.” — Town & Country

“A distinguished memoir as well as an important contribution to black cultural history.” — Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

“At last, at last a memoir by a daughter who appreciates and loves her mother, at last.” — Bill Cosby

“[An] extraordinary story.” — Essence

“A daughter’s ode to her mother who showed her ‘infinity instead of . . .limitations.’ This is no Mommie Dearest.” — Andre Leon Talley, Vogue

“A daughter’s ode to her mother who showed her ‘infinity instead of . . .limitations.’ This is no Mommie Dearest.” — Vogue

“This love-filled, uplifting book will gladden your heart, moisten your eyes, and leave you smiling at the end.” — Malachy McCourt, author of A Monk Swimming: A Memoir

“A moving tribute from a daughter to a mother [and] a book about the undefeatable spirit of black women everywhere.” — E. Lynn Harris