Reviews
"A memoir with a premise so out of this world it's hard to believe it's not fiction."-- Hello Giggles (New Books You Need to Read This Summer) " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is 'unputdownable' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "What's a new mom to do when her family is in barely functioning order and she's got a new human on her hands? Work her way through it -- and this laugh-out-loud memoir tells us how she did it."-- Refinery29 (Perfect Books for your Summer Vacay) "Described as a 'real-life Arrested Development '...[This Is Not My Beautiful Life] manages to be both poignant and funny."-- Bustle (Nonfiction Books to Read This Summer) "Fedden's book charts a refreshing path through family dysfunction and personal redemption. Entertaining and unexpectedly wise."-- Kirkus Reviews "This is a family which, as do many popular reality-television show clans, excels at outrageous behavior...Fedden's true story of crime, comeuppance, and toughing it out will appeal to all devotees of scandalous endeavors."-- Booklist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second-chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction.Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is "unputdownable" a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, "A memoir with a premise so out of this world it's hard to believe it's not fiction."-- Hello Giggles (New Books You Need to Read This Summer) " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is 'unputdownable' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "What's a new mom to do when her family is in barely functioning order and she's got a new human on her hands? Work her way through it -- and this laugh-out-loud memoir tells us how she did it."-- Refinery29 (Perfect Books for your Summer Vacay) "Fans of Arrested Development will enjoy Victoria Fedden's This Is Not My Beautiful Life ...Fedden brings humor to her writing, making a miserable time a highly readable memoir."-- Bustle (Must-Read Nonfiction Books) "Fedden's book charts a refreshing path through family dysfunction and personal redemption. Entertaining and unexpectedly wise."-- Kirkus Reviews "This is a family which, as do many popular reality-television show clans, excels at outrageous behavior...Fedden's true story of crime, comeuppance, and toughing it out will appeal to all devotees of scandalous endeavors."-- Booklist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second-chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, "A scandalously funny memoir about starting a new family while taking care of the felonious one you''ve already got."-- O, The Oprah Magazine "Hilarious...Honest, unexpected, and gut-wrenchingly funny, Fedden''s memoir of family and fraud is a must-read."-- Harper''s Bazaar (#TheList) "A memoir with a premise so out of this world it''s hard to believe it''s not fiction."-- Hello Giggles (New Books You Need to Read This Summer) "In Fedden''s hilarious new memoir, This Is Not My Beautiful Life, we get a clear picture of what it''s like to grow up in a dysfunctional family living at the edge of the law. It would all make for a really great T.V. sitcom...if It weren''t real...This quirky memoir is definitely one to add to your reading list."-- Parents magazine "This book is the very definition of summer reading."-- The Rumpus " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is ''unputdownable'' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden''s life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "A scandalously funny memoir about starting a new family while taking care of the felonious one you''ve already got."-- The Huffington Post "What''s a new mom to do when her family is in barely functioning order and she''s got a new human on her hands? Work her way through it -- and this laugh-out-loud memoir tells us how she did it."-- Refinery29 (Perfect Books for your Summer Vacay) "Fans of Arrested Development will enjoy Victoria Fedden''s This Is Not My Beautiful Life ...Fedden brings humor to her writing, making a miserable time a highly readable memoir."-- Bustle (Must-Read Nonfiction Books) "Fedden''s book charts a refreshing path through family dysfunction and personal redemption. Entertaining and unexpectedly wise."-- Kirkus Reviews "This is a family which, as do many popular reality-television show clans, excels at outrageous behavior...Fedden''s true story of crime, comeuppance, and toughing it out will appeal to all devotees of scandalous endeavors."-- Booklist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you''ll suspect it''s fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden''s memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like ''Mom was out on bond by the time I got home'' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second-chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction.Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is "unputdownable" a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, "A scandalously funny memoir about starting a new family while taking care of the felonious one you've already got."-- O, The Oprah Magazine "Hilarious...Honest, unexpected, and gut-wrenchingly funny, Fedden's memoir of family and fraud is a must-read."-- Harper's Bazaar (#TheList) "A memoir with a premise so out of this world it's hard to believe it's not fiction."-- Hello Giggles (New Books You Need to Read This Summer) "In Fedden's hilarious new memoir, This Is Not My Beautiful Life, we get a clear picture of what it's like to grow up in a dysfunctional family living at the edge of the law. It would all make for a really great T.V. sitcom...if It weren't real...This quirky memoir is definitely one to add to your reading list."-- Parents magazine "This book is the very definition of summer reading."-- The Rumpus " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is 'unputdownable' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "What's a new mom to do when her family is in barely functioning order and she's got a new human on her hands? Work her way through it -- and this laugh-out-loud memoir tells us how she did it."-- Refinery29 (Perfect Books for your Summer Vacay) "Fans of Arrested Development will enjoy Victoria Fedden's This Is Not My Beautiful Life ...Fedden brings humor to her writing, making a miserable time a highly readable memoir."-- Bustle (Must-Read Nonfiction Books) "Fedden's book charts a refreshing path through family dysfunction and personal redemption. Entertaining and unexpectedly wise."-- Kirkus Reviews "This is a family which, as do many popular reality-television show clans, excels at outrageous behavior...Fedden's true story of crime, comeuppance, and toughing it out will appeal to all devotees of scandalous endeavors."-- Booklist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second-chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is 'unputdownable' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "Fedden's book charts a refreshing path through family dysfunction and personal redemption. Entertaining and unexpectedly wise."-- Kirkus Reviews "This is a family which, as do many popular reality-television show clans, excels at outrageous behavior...Fedden's true story of crime, comeuppance, and toughing it out will appeal to all devotees of scandalous endeavors."-- Booklist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second-chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, "A scandalously funny memoir about starting a new family while taking care of the felonious one you've already got."-- O, The Oprah Magazine "Hilarious...Honest, unexpected, and gut-wrenchingly funny, Fedden's memoir of family and fraud is a must-read."-- Harper's Bazaar (#TheList) "A memoir with a premise so out of this world it's hard to believe it's not fiction."-- Hello Giggles (New Books You Need to Read This Summer) " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is 'unputdownable' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "What's a new mom to do when her family is in barely functioning order and she's got a new human on her hands? Work her way through it -- and this laugh-out-loud memoir tells us how she did it."-- Refinery29 (Perfect Books for your Summer Vacay) "Fans of Arrested Development will enjoy Victoria Fedden's This Is Not My Beautiful Life ...Fedden brings humor to her writing, making a miserable time a highly readable memoir."-- Bustle (Must-Read Nonfiction Books) "Fedden's book charts a refreshing path through family dysfunction and personal redemption. Entertaining and unexpectedly wise."-- Kirkus Reviews "This is a family which, as do many popular reality-television show clans, excels at outrageous behavior...Fedden's true story of crime, comeuppance, and toughing it out will appeal to all devotees of scandalous endeavors."-- Booklist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second-chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, "A scandalously funny memoir about starting a new family while taking care of the felonious one you've already got."-- O, The Oprah Magazine "Hilarious...Honest, unexpected, and gut-wrenchingly funny, Fedden's memoir of family and fraud is a must-read."-- Harper's Bazaar (#TheList) "A memoir with a premise so out of this world it's hard to believe it's not fiction."-- Hello Giggles (New Books You Need to Read This Summer) "In Fedden's hilarious new memoir, This Is Not My Beautiful Life, we get a clear picture of what it's like to grow up in a dysfunctional family living at the edge of the law. It would all make for a really great T.V. sitcom...if It weren't real...This quirky memoir is definitely one to add to your reading list."-- Parents magazine " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is 'unputdownable' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "What's a new mom to do when her family is in barely functioning order and she's got a new human on her hands? Work her way through it -- and this laugh-out-loud memoir tells us how she did it."-- Refinery29 (Perfect Books for your Summer Vacay) "Fans of Arrested Development will enjoy Victoria Fedden's This Is Not My Beautiful Life ...Fedden brings humor to her writing, making a miserable time a highly readable memoir."-- Bustle (Must-Read Nonfiction Books) "Fedden's book charts a refreshing path through family dysfunction and personal redemption. Entertaining and unexpectedly wise."-- Kirkus Reviews "This is a family which, as do many popular reality-television show clans, excels at outrageous behavior...Fedden's true story of crime, comeuppance, and toughing it out will appeal to all devotees of scandalous endeavors."-- Booklist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second-chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies, " This Is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden is a roller-coaster of a story that proves that sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction. Cancel all your plans today, because you will get nothing else accomplished once you start this book. Is 'unputdownable' a word? Well, it is now. This book is unputdownable!"--Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges "It may not be beautiful, but Victoria Fedden's life is never dull. Her hugely entertaining memoir of growing up with big-hearted criminals for parents is a compelling, fun, illuminating look into how family ties can strangle us just a little."--Celia Rivenbark, New York Times bestselling author and syndicated humor columnist "Fedden, whose places a high priority on caring for her troubled family, details with unfailing honesty and humor [their] joys and meltdowns...[Her mother and stepfather] are straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel: AARP-age criminals who take pride in having a couch that was used in a porn film, shop at Costco, and are friends with gigolos, Russian mobsters, and singer Michael Bolton, among others."-- Publishers Weekly " This Is Not My Beautiful Life is as absurd as it is grounded. Filled with characters so over the top you'll suspect it's fiction, you will end up convinced no one could make this stuff up. Victoria Fedden has managed to bring startling reality and touching humanity to a story that feels larger than life."--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe In Another Life "Victoria Fedden's memoir is a hilarious mash-up of Married to the Mob, Parenthood, and Co-dependent No More. Any writer who can deadpan a sentence like 'Mom was out on bond by the time I got home' gets my vote. This is a big-hearted book for screw-ups, late-bloomers, and second chancers."--Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies
