The Book of Joan

June 29, 2015
Melissa Rivers offers a humorous and tender retrospective on the life and character of her mother, the late comedian Joan Rivers (1933–2014). Melissa recollects her mother’s hilarious and outlandish behavior, her persistence to overcome her personal demons, her larger-than-life presence as a celebrity, mother, and grandmother, and their final moments together. Melissa portrays her mother as intelligent and sensitive, with a strong sense of traditional values about life and family. Her impact on her daughter’s life is clear from the stories Melissa shares, but also in Melissa’s narration. Melissa’s speech patterns and the slight rasp in her voice are reminiscent of her mother. Moreover, she conjures Joan’s spirit in a pitch-perfect imitation of her mother. While much of the memoir achieves its goal to make people laugh, it also succeeds in defining Joan Rivers beyond her outrageous sense of humor. A Crown Archetype hardcover.