Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A true (as told to me) story
Bess Kalb, 2020
Knopf Doubleday Publishing
224 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780525654711
Summary
Bess Kalb, Emmy-nominated TV writer and New Yorker contributor, saved every voicemail her grandmother Bobby Bell ever left her. Bobby was a force—irrepressible, glamorous, unapologetically opinionated. Bobby doted on Bess; Bess adored Bobby.
Then, at ninety, Bobby died. But in this debut memoir, Bobby is speaking to Bess once more, in a voice as passionate as it ever was in life.
Recounting both family lore and family secrets, Bobby brings us four generations of indomitable women and the men who loved them. There's Bobby's mother, who traveled solo from Belarus to America in the 1880s to escape the pogroms, and Bess's mother, a 1970s rebel who always fought against convention.
Then there's Bess, who grew up in New York and entered the rough-and-tumble world of L.A. television. Her grandma Bobby was with her all the way—she was the light of Bess's childhood and her fiercest supporter, giving Bess unequivocal love, even if sometimes of the toughest kind.
In Nobody Will Tell You This But Me, Bobby reminds Bess of the experiences they shared, and she delivers—in phone calls, texts, and unforgettable heart-to-hearts brought vividly to the page—her signature wisdom:
If the earth is cracking behind you, you put one foot in front of the other.
Never. Buy. Fake. Anything.
I swear on your life every word of this is true.
With humor and poignancy, Bess Kalb gives us proof of the special bond that can skip a generation and endure beyond death. This book is a feat of extraordinary ventriloquism and imagination by a remarkably talented writer. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Bess Kalb is an Emmy-nominated writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live. Her writing for the show earned her a Writer's Guild Award in 2016. She has also written for the Oscars and the Emmys.
A regular contributor to The New Yorker's "Daily Shouts," her work has been published in The New Republic, Grantland, Salon.com, Wired, The Nation, and elsewhere. She lives in Los Angeles (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
If the second half of Kalb’s narrative is less affecting than the first, perhaps that is simply because everything after escape from a probable pogrom must be…. The author’s hints at her grandmother’s failings make Bobby more character and less caricature, but one longs for a still more fully rounded portrait. Some moments of neglect and even cruelty sit uneasily alongside Bobby’s quips and potted family histories.
New York Times Book Revew
Written from the sometimes acerbic, sometimes sweet and always laser-sharp perspective of Bell…. In between are Kalb’s loving recollections of their relationship, including snippets of conversations and voicemails and a steady supply of life advice…. In Kalb’s hands, the resulting stew is reliably funny and occasionally poignant on the aftermath of loss.
Los Angeles Times
[A] charming memoir to enjoy for a quick beach read, or lately, when quarantined at home.
New York Journal of Books
A funny, touching and timely reminder of the solace to be found in kindred spirits.
People
Kalb does a great job of capturing the voice of an opinionated, chronically concerned grandmother who’s convinced that she knows best.… This is a fun, touching tribute to family, and the perfect book for anyone who treasures their domineering, spirited grandmother.
Publishers Weekly
Kalb channels the voice of her recently deceased grandmother Bobby Bell… Striking a perfect balance between levity and poignancy, this is a standout debut. Readers looking for memoirs featuring strong family relationships with much love and laughter will be highly satisfied. —Anitra Gates, Erie Cty. P.L., PA
Library Journal
Bobby is the charming, hilarious, and ever-quotable star of her own one-woman show…. Mixing in day-to-day practicalities,… family tales, and oft-repeated lines, Kalb-as-Bobby crafts an uncanny rendering of two whole, wholly connected women and their unshakable bond.
Booklist
(Starred review) An endearing, bittersweet, entertainingly fresh take on the family memoir.… As the book progresses, the story becomes both sad and poignant… [making] for sometimes heartbreaking reading, honoring a beloved grandmother’s legacy.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
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