From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir

by Nancy Aniston

Book Overview

Engagingly written as a journal of fond memories, life experiences, lessons learned, and tragedies overcome, this is the story of the family that gave the world actress Jennifer Aniston. Written by her mother, Nancy Aniston, this tender, poetic, and charming memoir represents a healing exercise, and most importantly serves as an example of how to cope with and understand estrangement between parent and child.During the meteoric rise of Jennifer's popularity on the hit television comedy Friends, Nancy and her daughter had a misunderstanding imposed on them by a tabloid TV report. In the three years since they last spoke, Nancy learned that separation from grown children is a national epidemic and that scores of parents suffer the same feelings of pain, guilt, and shame. This knowledge inspired Nancy Aniston to record family memories in this compelling volume, "and in the process of detailed retrospection a miraculous healing took place."Nancy chronicles her own childhood of poverty, abandonment, failed marriages, and the difficult early years as a single mother. She recalls Jennifer's early love for the theater, the therapists, career managers, and hangers-on who endangered family bonds as she guided her daughter through the exciting, sometimes disappointing, stages of an acting career that came to realize phenomenal success.While refusing the lure of celebrity gossip, Nancy Aniston strives to secure her story's inherent dignity, hoping it will be helpful to those trying to overcome their own childhood trauma, fallout from divorce, single-parenting issues, and the "dark hole of child/parent estrangement."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573927724
• ISBN13: 9781573927727
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir

Nancy Aniston is a very bitter woman. Her memoir is written with such condescension about her family and friends that one wonders if her psycho bable camaflages her self centered personality. It is clear she is jealous of her daughter's celebrity status and wants the world to know how responsible she was for Jennifers talent, only to be rejecterd by Jennifer in favor of hangers on and Jonnie come- late-lies. (lies?, that's interesting how that spilled out.)) The memoir is revenge against Jenifer, and is ugly and in bad taste.

Absolutely absorbing Autobiography

This is the most fascinating book I have read in the last years. It is written in such an amiable way that I just couldn't stop reading. It tells the story of a lovely woman who has to cope with a lot of obstacles and frustrations in her life, but is always strong enough to overcome them and never loses vitality. You learn a lot of intressting issues on Jennifer Anistons childhood and adolesence, which makes Jennifer even more simpatico than she already is. Unlike another reviewer said here before, I would in no way accuse Nancy of writing this book only to make money. First of all I think she just needed to rectify all the things that were written about her relationship to Jennifer in the press and secondly there are enough hints in the book that she is not out for money at all. Of course there is no guaranty that everything in this book is true, but through the way Nancy Aniston critises her own doings, she seems to be an honest person, and what comes out throughout the whole story, is that she deeply loves her daughter, whatever she may have said on TV to disappoint her. I started to read the book as I wanted to get to know as much about Jennifer as I could, because she is such a wonderful artist, but now I'm a fan of her mothers as well. I hope for both of them that they found or will find a way to reconvene.

A Psychotherapist's Recommendation

Nancy Aniston's book is an intimate look at the process of surviving the loss of a family member the hard way. Losing a child through death is very painful, but there is extra pain when a child rejects you. As a psychotherapist, I recommend this book for anyone dealing with the loss of a friend or family member after a misunderstanding. As in loss through death, you have to stop playing it over and over again in your mind, and Nancy shares her success

A Book Every Woman Should Read!

From Mother and Daughter to Friends is a book full of Wisdom, Love, Peace and understanding. I could not put it down. It is the story of a woman who has overcome many overwhelming disappointments, hurts and significant losses, only to emerge as a voice of hope, encouragement and strength for others like me, who have experienced similar trials. I think it was very courageous of Nancy to share so much of her life; I found it inspiring and uplifting. I think she is a wonderful writer, and that her children ought to be proud that their mother's life story will be an inspiration for others. I both cried and laughed as I read of challenges that would have easily embittered others. It was fascinating to discover how she met and resolved them with graceful strength and insight. She is an heroic example for all of us. I keep wondering if Nancy has written any other books. I hope she plans to write many more.