Hello, Molly!: A Memoir

Shirley J.     Adult Non-Fiction  Memoir        The sky rocket ride of Molly Shannon's life  & career

Hello, Molly!: A Memoir by Molly Shannon   352 pages    

Such a fun read.   Molly Shannon has gone through some tough times in her life, her mother, aunt and baby sister were killed in a car wreck (Molly was also in the car) when Molly was 3 years old.   Her father was the alcoholic son of an alcoholic.  But given that horrific start, Molly grew up finding most things in life interesting even the time she got mugged during her first trip to New York after her audition for Saturday Night Live with Loren Michaels.    She has a unique view of life and the circumstances it brings.   An admitted shop lifter during her teen years, she shares the good, the bad, the unexpected and the hilarious about her life and career.   She held a few waitressing and bakery clerk jobs and met a number of one day big celebrities while serving them coffee,  Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell among them before she had the chance to actually work with them on Saturday Night Live.   She tells the background of how her famous "characters" developed, especially beloved, Mary Katherine Gallagher and how MKG became her alter ego and no matter what Molly said, MKG was a force of nature to be dealt with completely separate.   She had an onstage angel who would check the props, walls, etc. in the scenes where MKG would be appearing so that Molly never got hurt severely during any launches onto folding chairs, etc. during MKG scenes.   A delightful, sweet insider's view into the life a great comedienne.   I recommend this book to middle schoolers on up, especially to Molly and/or SNL or MKG fans.     It is a book full of smiles just like the person that is Molly Shannon.