Mara Wilson

I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging Where am I now? is - not because I had any doubts about Mara Wilson's writing (I loved her story on The Toast in March 2015), but because I don't usually like memoirs or collections of stories.

This isn't a chronological narrative of Wilson's life or even a specific thread of her history. It's a collection of essays or stories on different (sometimes fairly broad) topics that meander a bit but always ultimately present a touching and funny picture of show more how Wilson came to be who she is, often with insight about the world around us.

Topics include feminism, sex, God, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Mean Girls, family, grief, performing on stage, and others - including, of course, those reasons most of the public will know of her: Hollywood and the movies she made.

Of course, these are all stories about herself, her own history, so many things appear many times, from different angles. Her mother's death when she was 8, or her relationship with acting, or how her anxiety disorder affected her choices, to name a few.

I vaguely knew from Wilson's essay on The Toast and the retweets I'd see of her on Twitter that our views and experiences overlap a little, but it was a little strange to read these stories and realize how closely what she knew or did as a kid/teenager matched up with my own nerd and performing arts circles. Plus the mental health difficulties dogging her since she was small (anxiety, depression). It's weird to see myself in the page, but that certainly helped my enjoyment of the stories: oh, yes, i relate so much to that, I kept thinking. (Except when I couldn't. The sex stories were a little uncomfortable for me, as a result of the identifying, because of my own asexuality. Ha ha? But even her stories of working on the set of Matilda or doing promo for Miracle on 34th Street were based on nuggets of truth about childhood.)

Anyway, I liked this a lot. I'm glad I took a chance on it, read the first few pages out of curiosity and kept going. I'm looking forward to reading more of Mara Wilson's stories someday. show less

I've always been interested in child stars who grow up and out of Hollywood, usually because they have issues finding further work when they get older. I've met Alex Vincent, the little boy Andy from Child's Play, several times over the years at a Florida convention. He has the same issue - he was not able to find work when he grew out of the cute phase, and ultimately moved on to other pursuits. Most of us have seen articles online titled, "Where are they now?"

Mara Wilson's memoir tells show more compelling stories, but the real reason for the five star rating is the poignant, raw honesty.

She spends a great deal of time talking about not wanting to be seen as merely cute but as a person playing a real role, not just a car·i·ca·ture ala Shirley Temple. She speaks of being offered roles too young for her when she hit preteen because that was how Hollywood showed her typecast, not feeling that she had that special older beauty to land teenager roles, and of course the dilemma of playing roles for children when you're growing breasts and starting to change over from that awkward middle school stage. This created some self esteem problems throughout life.

Beyond this, she discusses general real life issues that all children and people face, but throwing in the sideline of being a childhood star in Hollywood. Dating jerky guys breaking up with you in creative ways, her mother's death, her sister's bond, and her OCD. A huge portion of this book is about her OCD because it shaped her life so fully. I know what being obsessive compulsive means, but after this memoir I take to heart how deep the struggles are when it's severe.

The memoir was fascinating and touching. There's some stories of the movies of course, especially a chapter devoted to Matilda. Danny Devito and his wife come across truly sweet in this story. Her comments on Miracle on 34th St. and disappointments on how directors viewed children was eye-opening. One of the final chapters discusses Mrs. Doubtfire and Robin Williams, a chapter devoted to the joy of the man and all the hearts he touched. I realized when reading about him that I have now read three celebrity autobiographies that praise the actor: Christopher Reeve's "Still Me", where he was roommates with Robin in college and they stayed close friends; Fran Drescher's short story about him being apologetic over his excessive sweating during a lovemaking scene; and now this book, where the author said in life he was shy and had trouble meeting peoples eyes when he talked to them.

Besides being informative, these stories dish out nuggets of wisdom - mean girls who try to tear others down, dealing with a mother's death, behind the scenes Hollywood drama, awkward dates, trying to find yourself in therapy, and ultimately learning how to grow through severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Mara Wilson's writing style is colorful and easy - I read this one quickly. It was hard to put down and, even when dealing with the heavy stuff, a joy to read. Probably the most honest memoir I've had the pleasure of reading.

I received this from Penguin publishing in exchange for an honest review. show less

This is the type of book that can be easily devoured in a single sitting if you're so inclined. Mara Wilson discusses her life and career in a series of essays: the pressure of being a child actor and growing up in the public eye, the trauma of losing her mother to breast cancer when Matilda was in post-production, her struggle with obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders, and her work toward finding a niche for herself as a writer. She writes candidly, with warmth and amusement, and with show more firmness as well. The standout essay for many will be the letter she writes to Matilda, in which she talks about being so closely identified with the character and finding a place for herself rather than being in Matilda's shadow, while recognizing the inspiration of the character to a generation of girls and women. Recommended for those who enjoy essay collections and memoirs. show less

Where Am I Now? True Stories Of Girlhood And Accidental Fame is a collection of autobiographical essays on a variety of topics, such as grief, mental health, and the transition from childhood fame to adult semi-obscurity. Mara Wilson's voice is warm and sharp, and her writing is candid without being cringeworthy or overly confessional. Worth the read even if you didn't grow up with Matilda or Mrs Doubtfire.