Book ~ "Brassy Bit of Aging Crumpet: A Memoir in Pieces" (2026) Mary Walsh

From Goodreads ~ In this sharply observed and wryly funny collection of essays on identity, family, and belonging, Mary Walsh takes readers on a rollicking—and sometimes difficult, but never boring—journey through her life. Her subjects range from the heartbreak of growing up next door to her family, to Newfoundland’s vibrant and not altogether happy entry into the Canadian confederation, to the behind-the-scenes of her wildly popular CBC shows, including This Hour Has 22 Minutes, to her complicated relationship with her complicated mother, and to her struggles with alcohol, self-doubt, and what it means to connect with those around her. 

The result is a collection of essays that are deftly comical, vividly rendered, heartachingly vulnerable and, above all, hopeful. In the end, Mary learns the trials and hurdles (some self-inflicted) that she endured in her younger years only make the process of aging all the sweeter. The message she now has is a powerful her older years are her best ones yet, because she’s finally learned to accept who she is.

This memoir is a series of personal essays. It explores key moments from Walsh’s life, including her childhood in Newfoundland, her family relationships, her experiences in Canadian entertainment and her personal struggles with alcohol and self-doubt. 

With the essays, Walsh reflects on themes of identity, belonging, family, aging and personal growth. She tells of memories of growing up, examines her relationship with her mother, and discusses Newfoundland’s history and place within Canada. The memoir also includes behind-the-scenes accounts of her work on CBC productions, including "This Hour Has 22 Minutes". 

The essays combine personal stories with reflections on the challenges and experiences that shaped her life. She traces her journey from childhood and early adulthood to later life, focusing on the events, relationships and experiences that influenced her understanding of herself and the world around her.

I like reading memoirs and bio/autobio and I like Mary Walsh, a Canadian actress, comedian and writer. I figured she would tell an interesting story and she did. I knew nothing about her childhood and most of the events that happened must have been traumatising. I'm glad she's been able to find peace and living life as she wants. Though it's written in essay format, not a style I usually enjoy, I liked the writing style and this book. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Crying for the Moon: A Novel" (2017) Mary Walsh

From Goodreads ~ Raised on tough love in St. John’s, Maureen is the second-youngest daughter of a bitter and angry mother and a beaten-down father who tells the best stories (but only when he’s drunk). If life at home is difficult, then school is torture, with the nuns watching every move she makes. But Maureen wants a bigger life. She wants to go to sexy, exciting Montreal and be part of Expo 67, even if it means faking her way into the school choir.

Finally achieving her goal of reaching Montreal, Maureen escapes the vigilant eye of Sister Imobilis and sneaks away, and over the course of a few hours, one humiliating encounter with a young Leonard Cohen and a series of breathtakingly bad decisions change the course of her life forever.

It's July 1967 and Maureen is a teenager living in St. John's, Newfoundland.  Expo '67 was held in Montreal and in the July of that year, Maureen manages to weasel her way onto the local choir because they were heading to Montreal to perform.  In Montreal, she and her friend, Carleen, are able to escape the nuns and party.  Carleen decides to stay in Montreal with a sleazebag she'd just met and Maureen heads back to Newfoundland.  Once home, she discovers she is pregnant, a situation her dominating mother (aka Sarge) takes care of.

Shortly thereafter Maureen is living with Bo.  Bo is abusive and is always viciously beating her up, whether they are sober or drunk.  He is eventually found dead and the police, knowing Bo and Maureen's history, look at her as the suspect.

I had high hopes when I started this book but it just kept getting more and more dreary and boring as it went on.  The writing could have been tighter so therefore the story shorter.  I felt there was a lot of information, details and rambling that wasn't needed.  I gave up when I got about three-quarters of the way in and skimmed to the end.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.  I'm originally from Nova Scotia so it was fun to read the lingo that I haven't heard in years.

I didn't find any of the characters likable.  I couldn't find any sympathy for Maureen and the predicaments she had gotten herself into.  Growing up, her home life wasn't the best but she didn't do anything to better herself and rise above it when she got to be an adult.  She continued to wallow in it and let her upbringing beat her down.  I found it ridiculous that Maureen, who wasn't overly bright or motivated, would put herself in danger trying to find out who was responsible for Bo's death.  Her parents were awful and it was sad and unnecessary that a "retarded" older sister who her mother abused was part of the story.