Bits and Pieces

My Mother, My Brother, and Me

By: Whoopi Goldberg

Narrated by: Whoopi Goldberg

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

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.”

©2024 Whoopi Goldberg (P)2024 Blackstone Publishing

Outstanding, funny heartfelt, and toughing. life lessons

@BlackstonePublishing
Whoopi Goldberg
Listened to "Bits and Pieces" today.
It was so wonderful, funny and touching.
I Have been sick for a week and listening to it has touched me to my core. You were blessed to have a Mom like your Momma. I was blessed for mine warts and all.
I hope my kids feel the same about me when I am gone.

Your stories about your childhood took me back to those times and reminded me of my upbringing . I am 69 and I remembered all the things you spoke of.
What a wonderful story highly recommend it.
The nursing story was just like mine I laughed so hard.

I’ve missed the funny…

I remember watching Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple, Ghost, and Jumping Jack Flash. Nowadays we see her on The View and most of the commentary she presents comes from a seriously place. So getting a chance to read this and share in her stories about her childhood with her mother and brother shed a lot of light on “who” she is and why she is so funny. I laughed so hard during certain moments in the book. I wholeheartedly agree with her regarding marriage but I didn’t have to do it to know that ain’t my thing.

I encourage everyone to read this book, there’s good advice, funny times and things I took and asked my mom about that I had never heard of…it’s a great read, time & adventure into Whoopi’s World.

Enjoyable

Enjoyable listen ..some great stories! Not exactly what I was expecting but I enjoyed it just the same.

Whoopi

I LOVED this book!!! I loved listening to Whoopi read it! It was the best. There were so many rings I could relate to especially the cartoons and Penny candy. I have been a fan since her one woman show and I have the old one and new one on DVD that I watch all the time. Seen all of her movies and I went to see her in Vegas once. I am just as excited about her book as I was for all of her other projects. I have downloaded another one I think it is called Run! This is so great except I think there may be pictures in the printed copy but not in this audible! Thank you Whoopi for the laughs and sharing such great memories! Your mom was an AWESOME woman and that for sharing her with the world!!!

Thank you!

Thanking you for sharing that family ties are made stringer by genuinely caring, loving, and accepting each other.

thank you

your book like you was a beautiful journey. I'm also a 60 some odd year old kid from the project of New York so your journey so memorable for me. like you and everybody else but I've been through a thing or two couple of marriages couple things worked out a couple of them didn't but to listen to your book your wisdom your story extremely meaningful for me and hopefully many many many many many others. I do now have always and still will in the future love you Miss Goldberg

authentic ity

loved this book. how lucky Whoopi was to have had such a wonderful connection and love with her mom and brother. wonderful story. very funny at times. highly recommend.

Wonderful Memoir

I absolutely loved this book. Whoopi told her story with such adoration for her Mother and Brother. I wish all families were so close. Her Mother was strict but did everything for her kids.

Memories

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Whoopi narrating it was chef’s kiss. Made me adore her on a different level. And her narrative of old NYC brought back so many childhood memories of my own with Mr Softee and the icee-man.

Alot of things mimic my own upbringing, had me laughing and smiling so much.

Whoppi's reading was so entertaining, loved her singing and change in voices. So good. Finished in one sitting