Maureen McCormick

More interesting than what I thought it would be. The beginning was a little slow but it does speed up, pun intended! Apparently. Maureen was/is very different than Marcia. The book details her journey to separate the two and the issues that comes up with that. Mental illness and drug addiction plays a part. Of course, there is a lot of celebrity name dropping but they are part of her story.

As a fan of all things Brady Bunch, I was looking forward to Maureen ("Marcia Brady") McCormick's autobiography if, for no other reason, than to hear (hopefully) a little more behind-the-scenes dirt on what really happened during the filming of the Bunch. Yes, I read Barry Williams' Growing Up Brady back in the early 90s, but I figured Ms. McCormick could tell us more.

Upon hearing early reviews that McCormick admitted to being a cocaine addict and suffering from depression and fears of show more going insane, I really considered giving this book a pass. Honestly, I didn't want to destroy the warm fuzzy image of the impossibly perfect Bradys. Yet, temptation got me and I gave this book a read.

I was not able to read it in one sitting, primarily because the material was so raw, so honest that it was almost painfully overwhelming. Ms. McCormick could have left a great deal of material out, to protect herself, and she did not. She was brutally honest - - she came from a very fractured family (a mother suffering from mental illness, a father who cheated and found God, one older brother who was a classic overachiever, one older brother who fell into drugs and led a groundless life and an older brother who suffered from mental disabilities), she suffered personally and professionally from Marcia Brady's perfectionism and she was addicted to cocaine for years. Her cocaine addiction was so bad, in fact, that she broke off one relationship because she loved the drug more than the man, she dated one man because he could get her drugs and she lost countless opportunities because of coke. (An interview with Steven Spielberg, where she showed up high, as well as a first date with Steve Martin that went nowhere because she was stoned). She also admits allowing a man to videotape her so that she might get drugs. Most definitely not very Brady-esque.

However, throughout the book, McCormick is exceedingly likable. Even at her rock bottom worst, you want her to get better because she's so damn nice. She makes no excuses for her behavior and her road was not an easy one. She didn't recover overnight; in fact, it took years for her to reach a good place. Years during which her career stalled, her marriage got rocky, she became a mother and her birth family imploded. For anyone who might believe that McCormick wrote this book purely for money, I would suggest you read it first. I hardly think money was the driving force, if any motivation, here. I think McCormick wrote it now because she was finally able to put her demons at rest - - nearly 40 years after appearing as Marcia Brady.
And I say good for her and much continued success.

Frankly, my only complaint about this book is not enough information on the original Brady Bunch - - not surprising though when you read about what McCormick was going through in her personal life. And what a pleasant surprise to know that not only did her Brady Brides husband Jerry "Wally Logan" Houser become a good friend to her but eventually helped to start her on the right path.

Most definitely a thumbs up and a "must read".

http://psychoticstate.blogspot.com/2008/11/psychotic-review-heres-story-survivin... show less

I found this book to be quite engrossing. Who knew Marcia Brady was a cocaine addict. Yes, the book was also very sad. I think Maureen McCormick is probably still pretty messed up, even though she tried to tie the book up in a happy ending. I am not so sure I buy it. I did however like that she really barred all this memoir. I really found it fascinating. The only complaint I had was that chronologically she jumped around a lot. I had a hard time keeping track of what year it was. She would show more tell a story about something that happened in the 1984 and then a few paragraphs later would talk about something that happened either earlier or later and then come back to 1984. Other than that, I was actually impressed with her writing. Every easy to read, yet again, very engrossing. For anyone who likes the Brady Bunch or is even interested in the 1970’s or who just likes a good memoir, I would recommend this. show less

Not a tell-all book, McCormick reveals her work as a child star and harder times out of the limelight. From her parents who were married in the Catholic Church, she finds her own religious stability in Vineyard ministries (after an encounter with God physically lifting her up). McCormick describes her insecurities and her dangerous methods of coping and personal mismanagement. Her family turmoil is not unlike other families. Overall the expression of her life is meant to contrast with the show more fictional Marcia Brady. I'm glad McCormick repeats how often people would come up to her to tell her how much her beloved TV character was part of their own childhoods. Entertainment personalities have privileged lives but also lives weighted by enormous avoidance of seeming failure. I appreciated her struggle, over decades, to realistically accept her human frailty. I was not expecting to find such an introspective book about the complex depths of substance abuse and the addictive personality. show less