I’m Glad My Mom Died: #1 New York Times best-selling author Jennette McCurdy on heatbreaking and hilarious new memoir

WBUR CitySpace, Boston

Here & Now co-host Robin Young sits down with Jennette McCurdy to discuss her #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died" which explores her struggles as a former child actor (most notably for "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat")—including eating disorders, addiction and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother — and how she retook control of her life.

Each ticket includes admission for one and a signed copy of "I'm Glad My Mom Died" from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith.

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In "I’m Glad My Mom Died," Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called "iCarly," she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff "Sam & Cat" alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, "I’m Glad My Mom Died" is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.