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Sign up todayBits and Pieces
My Mother, My Brother, and Me
Narrator
Whoopi Goldberg
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Length
6 hours 43 minutes
Language
English
An instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller!
From multi-award winner Whoopi Goldberg comes a new and unique memoir of her family and their influence on her early life.
If it weren’t for Emma Johnson, Caryn Johnson would have never become Whoopi Goldberg. Emma gave her children the loving care and wisdom they needed to succeed in life, always encouraging them to be true to themselves. When Whoopi lost her mother in 2010—and then her older brother, Clyde, five years later—she felt deeply alone; the only people who truly knew her were gone.
Emma raised her children not just to survive, but to thrive. In this intimate and heartfelt memoir, Whoopi shares many of the deeply personal stories of their lives together for the first time. Growing up in the projects in New York City, there were trips to Coney Island, the Ice Capades, and museums, and every Christmas was a magical experience. To this day, she doesn’t know how her mother was able to give them such an enriching childhood, despite the struggles they faced—and it wasn’t until she was well into adulthood that Whoopi learned just how traumatic some of those struggles were.
Fans of personal memoirs such as Finding Me by Viola Davis and In Pieces by Sally Field will be touched by Bits and Pieces: a moving tribute from a daughter to her mother, and a beautiful portrait of three people who loved each other deeply. Whoopi writes, “Not everybody gets to walk this earth with folks who let you be exactly who you are and who give you the confidence to become exactly who you want to be. So, I thought I’d share mine with you.”
Whoopi Goldberg is one of an elite group of artists who have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) and is the bestselling author of the Sugar Plum Ballerina series, Book, and Is It Just Me? While performing in the Bay Area she created the characters that became The Spook Show and evolved into her hit Broadway show, Grammy Award–winning album, and the HBO special that helped launch her career. Spanning decades, Whoopi’s credits include roles in the well-known films The Color Purple, Ghosts of Mississippi, Sister Act, and Ghost. She produced the documentary Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley, and she appeared in and was one of the producers of the critically acclaimed 2022 feature film Till. She loves VW Bugs, working casinos, and comfortable clothing; is a passionate supporter of the audio arts and dedicated collector of audiobooks; and heads the Whoopfam Group, makers of Emma & Clyde, Whoopi & Maya, and other recreational and medicinal marijuana products.
Whoopi Goldberg is one of an elite group of artists who have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) and is the bestselling author of the Sugar Plum Ballerina series, Book, and Is It Just Me? While performing in the Bay Area she created the characters that became The Spook Show and evolved into her hit Broadway show, Grammy Award–winning album, and the HBO special that helped launch her career. Spanning decades, Whoopi’s credits include roles in the well-known films The Color Purple, Ghosts of Mississippi, Sister Act, and Ghost. She produced the documentary Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley, and she appeared in and was one of the producers of the critically acclaimed 2022 feature film Till. She loves VW Bugs, working casinos, and comfortable clothing; is a passionate supporter of the audio arts and dedicated collector of audiobooks; and heads the Whoopfam Group, makers of Emma & Clyde, Whoopi & Maya, and other recreational and medicinal marijuana products.
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Reviews
“A poignant, enjoyable, and moving read…Readers will want to call their parents after finishing this behind-the-scenes look at the life of a major entertainer.”
“While many of us may think we know Whoopi Goldberg well, the actress and TV host shared a whole new side of herself in her memoir, Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me.”
“A beautiful, exquisite, and heartfelt memoir…I cried on every page.”
“This is the most amazing love letter.”
“The pages are filled with fun and laughter, grief and sadness, and offer a rich tribute to the unbreakable love between mother and daughter.”
“Her book is remarkable…If you think you know [Whoopi], there’s a lot you can learn about her that’s extraordinary in this book—and her amazing mom, Emma, who sounds a lot like my mom.”
“It’s a knockout…What a journey you took us on, Whoopi.”
“A memoir full of simple life lessons that become vibrantly alive on audio.”
“A masterful storyteller…Throughout this memoir, be prepared to laugh out loud and maybe shed some tears of joy and amazement.”
“Goldberg relays the untold stories of her early years, starting with the projects in New York City. This sentimental story about family, identity, and determination was written after the loss of both her mother and brother. Much of the story describes the incredible guidance and opportunity her mother provided her, despite the trials and tribulations they experienced.”
“A rare gem among many ho-hum celebrity memoirs.”
“Whoopi Goldberg is getting ready to give folks an intimate look at her life…When fans learned the Sister Act alum would be publishing another book, they immediately rushed to the comments to congratulate her.”
“Anyone reading Whoopi’s book Bits and Pieces will come away, as Whoopi puts it, ‘knowing how to share the earth with other people’ better than they had before. Thanks, Whoopi.”
“This is no dishy Hollywood tell-all—it’s a salve for wounded souls.”
“Bits and Pieces shows the rise of a beloved performer, and is a tribute to the loved ones who supported her along the way.”
“Whoopi Goldberg is looking back on a traumatic moment in her life when she decided to choose a better path for her future.”
“A fine addition to biography collections.”
“[Whoopi’s] new memoir is an emotional and uplifting exploration as, with her unique voice and trademark wit, she reflects on the people, places, and experiences that have made her the multi-award-winning icon she is today…Goldberg’s fan base will be avid for the mix of memoir and guidance.”
“Entertainer Whoopi Goldberg’s raspy timbre and amused tone make her the only person appropriate to narrate her memoir…The story of Goldberg’s career is skillfully woven into anecdotes featuring her exceptional mother, Emma Johnson, and her unique older brother, Clyde…Her performance is entirely professional, loving and varied, serious one moment and funny the next, with a sprinkling of four-letter words throughout. Mom, Brother, and Caryn/Whoopi will remain in listeners’ thoughts after hearing this singular memoir and performance.”
“From witnessing her mother’s mental breakdown when she was a child to growing up in the New York City projects, Goldberg looks back on the experiences that impacted her in this moving tribute to family.”
“Readers will be surprised at how full their hearts are by the time they reach the last page of Bits and Pieces. It’s a beautiful look at not just Whoopi’s soul, but the endearing moments she shared with her family, her ancestry, and ultimately with all of us along the way.”
“From the boardwalks of Coney Island to the lights of Broadway, Bits and Pieces is a tribute to the New York City of Goldberg’s adolescence.”
“Her most personal undertaking thus far.”
“Filled with anecdotes that are intensely personal and yet read like the stuff of Hollywood legends…Goldberg’s memorialization of herself and her late loved ones is emotional and so very informative.”
“Whoopi Goldberg has lived hundreds of lives.”
“Whoopi Goldberg’s trailblazing journey has been one of reinvention, determination…She says she was well-equipped starting with those lessons from her mom in that two-bedroom apartment in New York. It makes her perch here all that more impressive.”
“A memoir about love, grief, and coping with losing those you love.”
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