Bits and Pieces, Whoopi Goldberg
Bits and Pieces, Whoopi Goldberg
3 Rating(s)
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

Bits and Pieces
My Mother, My Brother, and Me

Bestseller

Author: Whoopi Goldberg

Narrator: Whoopi Goldberg

Unabridged: 6 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/07/2024


Synopsis

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.”

About Whoopi Goldberg

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. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Edgar on October 07, 2021

An outstanding book, very recommended.......more


Quotes

“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.”

Kirkus Reviews (featured review)

“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.”

SheKnows

“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.”

Seth Doane, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent

“A memoir about love, grief, and coping with losing those you love.”

Ayesha Rascoe, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday

“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.”

People (online) 

“The pages are filled with fun and laughter, grief and sadness, and offer a rich tribute to the unbreakable love between mother and daughter.”

Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper

“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.”

Anderson Cooper

“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.” 

Bookstr

“It’s a knockout…What a journey you took us on, Whoopi.”

Gayle King

“A beautiful, exquisite, and heartfelt memoir…I cried on every page.”

Nicolle Wallace, MSNBC news anchor, former White House communications director


Awards

  • Publishers Lunch
  • AARP Magazine Editors’ Pick
  • BookBub Editors' Pick
  • Library Journal Pick
  • Entertainment Tonight
  • The Root
  • Barnes & Noble Bestseller
  • Apple Books Pick
  • Barnes & Noble Favorite Indie Book
  • Audible.com Bestseller
  • A USA Today bestseller
  • Amazon.com Bestseller
  • Apple Books
  • New York Times bestseller
  • Vulture.com Pick
  • NPR Pick
  • Libby Life
  • She Knows
  • A Hasty Book List Pick
  • Barnes & Noble Pick
  • Audible Editors Top Pick
  • Midwest Indie Bestseller
  • Mocha Girl Read
  • First Coast Senior Living Pick
  • FiveBooks.com Pick
  • Audible Best Audiobook of the Year
  • AudioFile Best Audiobook of the Year
  • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work
  • Town & Country Magazine Pick
  • Booklist Editors’ Choice
  • BookBub
  • Audie Award
  • BuzzFeed Books Pick
  • Biography.com Pick
  • Us Weekly Pick
  • Audible Pick
  • Kirkus Reviews Pick