As a huge fan of the Sopranos, I couldn't wait to dive into this book. I wasn't disappointed. First, let me say what this book is NOT. It is not a gossipy, name dropping tell-all of her glamorous, movie star life. Instead it is a memoir that is refreshingly candid, revealing intimate details of her family life, her career, her loves, and her bout with depression.
As it read it, I kept thinking, wow, if I wrote a memoir of my own life could I even go that deep? Reveal that much? At times I feel like a voyeur reading her journal. Reading about her custody battle over her daughter Stella was gut-wrenching. I felt like I was on a seesaw with her... one day up...next day down, wondering how could it get worse? And then seeing it happen.
And through it all, she seeks to work through her mistakes and keep going.
Yes, there are a few good "Sopranos" stories and insights. Like how she was first offered the part of Carmela, and why she turned it down. What it was like to be Tony's psychiatrist, and other little tidbits that fans will like.
It is one of those books where, when you turn the last page, you feel sad because you lost a friend. There is a consolation prize. In the back she serves up a list six "lessons from the couch." The list offers sound advice for anyone--- not just those suffering depression.
You can hear an archived interview with Lorraine Bracco about the book at NPR.
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