Publishing Date: September 19, 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 224
Biography/Memoir
The Premise from the Publisher: "In this deeply personal collection of essays, creator of the The Conversation Amanda de Cadenet shares the hard-won advice and practical insights she’s gained through her experiences as businesswoman, friend, wife, and mother. Amanda is on a mission to facilitate conversations that allow all women to be seen, heard, and understood. Through her multimedia platform The Conversation, she interviews some of today’s most bad ass women—from Hillary Clinton to Lady Gaga—in no-holds-barred conversations that get to the heart of what means to be female. Now, in It’s Messy, Amanda offers readers an extension of that conversation, inviting them into her life and sharing her own story. From childhood fame to a high-profile marriage (and divorce) to teen motherhood to the sexism that threatened to end her career before it started, Amanda shares the good, the bad, and the messy of her life, synthesizing lessons she’s learned along the way. Through it all, she offers an original perspective as a feminist on the front lines of celebrity culture. Edgy, irreverent, poignant and provocative, It’s Messy addresses the issues, concerns, and experiences relevant to women today" (HC).
My overall thoughts and review: I have to admit that I didn't know of Amanda before reading this book. I had saw that one of my managers raved about the book and I quickly read the description and I was intrigued. I haven't read a non-fiction book in a while, and with everything in our political climate at the moment, I was in the mood for some feminist essays. I think it was a good thing that I dove into this book without knowing anything about the author. I always find I enjoy those books most because I don't build some preconceived expectation for the book and the author. Immediately, I want to say how readable this text was. Amanda writes in such a way that felt like she was sitting next to me the entire duration having a candid conversation. She is incredibly open and honest and tells things like it is. I really appreciated learning about her childhood, her upbringing, and the path of her career. She reminds us we are not stuck in one role/career forever and that we continuously change as individuals and she encourages these changes. I really loved hearing about how she spoke with some strong women such as Hillary Clinton, Adrianna Huffington, Jane Fonda, and more. She had meaningful conversations with these women and didn't focus on things like fashion or what they would like to eat. She got to know them as an individual and I really enjoyed learning small tidbits she shared with us. I think what I really enjoyed most about this book was hearing from Amanda, her experience of being a mother and how raising children in a Trump world works. I'm no where near ready to be a mother, but she has definitely inspired me to parent a certain way when the time comes for me. I loved seeing how she also spoke about body issues, PPD, and sense of self through the lens of motherhood. My favorite chapters were definitely "Diets That Don't Work but Do Give You a Bunch of Weird Health Problems (and Other Body Issues)" and "It's Never Okay." Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm totally now following Amanda on all social media outlets. I just really think this is a great book for many women because it highlights so many aspects of life. Amanda reaffirms your worries, reminds you that you are not alone, and most of all, empowers you.
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)
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