I truly feared this book would be fluff. Instead it is fearless and real.
Ali Wong says how we all feel: I'm not fine. Yet in her resilience and griI truly feared this book would be fluff. Instead it is fearless and real.
Ali Wong says how we all feel: I'm not fine. Yet in her resilience and grit she is able to turn childhood resentment, male rejection, discrimination, getting boo'd offstage, the fear of a prenup, and a bushy pussy into the best things that could have happened to her.
I laughed out loud as I imagined Ali's exaggerated comedy voice confessing life moments like this one when she was pregnant:
After a while, I couldn't see my vagina when I looked down, because all I could see was my belly. But when I stared at myself in the mirror, my vagina just looked like an ancient wise Chinese man from a fairy tale that got stuck in a cave and survived off yams. The hair was so damn long and neglected. My nipples became progressively bigger and darker. One day I noticed the tips were starting to look a little scaly and naturally rubbed them. Some bits started to flake off like tiny brown boogers. And I just sat on the bathroom floor completely naked, with a garbage can between my thighs, picking at my nipples. Daddy walked in on me while I was completely focused on this important activity and asked , "Are you harvesting your nipples?" I didn't even look at him and just responded, "Well, obviously."
So many times I said YES I totally get that. It wasn't just because we shared a common Asian experience but often because we shared a common human experience. I applaud her courage in sharing so nakedly (sometimes literally nakedly so be prepared for some frank language).
Asian women live forever and having kids is like a 401(k) for companionship YES If a man rejects you once you've physically made a move on him, he's not going to change his mind. The dick don't lie. YES What I have in common with stay-at-home moms: We are all just doing our best. YES I've felt an increasing amount of jealousy and resentment from certain white male comics... I hear that line a lot: 'Me, I'm just another white guy.' Here's a solution: Try being a funnier white guy. YES It broke my heart. I said, 'This is torture. I can't handle this anymore. ' YES The most important part of parenting, relationships, pretty much anything - is just actually being there. YES
A friend and I worried because in the intro Ali tries to set our expectations low about her writing. But while her prose isn't exquisite in that way where you can rhapsodize over gloriously minute details, it is weighted with truth which far exceeded my expectations. 5 stars.
P.S. I have a secret hope that Ali and I are meant to be good friends, for her sister is also named Mimi and her best friend has half my name Miya. But wait would that make me superfluous? I am not too proud to be a 3rd Mimi.
*My honest review was made possible by an Advanced Reader Copy thanks to Random House.*...more
Loading...
