Mommie Dearest: 40th Anniversary Edition

By: Christina Crawford

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

The 40th anniversary edition of the “shocking” number one New York Times best seller with an exclusive new introduction by the author (Los Angeles Times).

When Christina Crawford’s harrowing chronicle of child abuse was first published in 1978, it brought global attention to the previously closeted subject. It also shed light on the guarded world of Hollywood and stripped away the façade of Christina’s relentless, alcoholic abuser: her adoptive mother, movie star Joan Crawford.

Christina was a young girl shown off to the world as a fortunate little princess. But at home, her lonely, controlling, even ruthless mother made her life a nightmare. A fierce battle of wills, their relationship could be characterized as an ultimately successful, for Christina, struggle for independence. She endured and survived, becoming the voice of so many other victims who suffered in silence, and giving them the courage to forge a productive life out of chaos.

This edition features an exclusive new introduction by the author, plus rare photographs from her personal collection revealing material not found in the original manuscript.

©1978, 1998, 2017 1998, 2017 by Christina Crawford (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

This was my childhood

I was 13 years old when I saw the movie Mommie Dearest. I recall watching the scenes of Joan punishing Christina and having the epiphany “I am not alone in this.”
I bought this Audible edition and listened to it over Mother’s Day week, to remind me that it wasn’t about me. I was collateral damage in my mother’s anger toward herself, that her childhood wasn’t the best, and because she saw herself in me, somehow she needed to take that out on me.
The narration of this recording is excellent, and the book reveals there was so much more the movie never showed.
Thank you, Christina, for making me feel I wasn’t alone.

What a book!

I am a huge fan of the camp classic movie so I decided to listen to the original book...thankfully only available on Audible. What a book...what an incredible story. So much more in-depth and detailed than the movie naturally. Christina wrote the original tell-all in the 1970s and it still serves as the blueprint for this genre today. A great book filled with incredible stories...the dynamic between Joan and Christina is intricate.

A painful capture of one child’s experience with abuse.

Wow, what a sad story. Christina’s account of the pain & suffering she experienced at the hand of her own mother is absolutely heart breaking. I was completely in awe of this girl’s strength throughout her young life & into adulthood. Beautifully written & the narrator’s performance was perfect.

True Survivor

This was my first audiobook and it did not disappoint. This book was very interesting. I enjoyed it and I highly recommend for listening

Interesting

Wow - I have always been wary of this book/topic because who knows what is true or not. I have seen the movie countless times and the movie is LIGHT compared to the book. This book is brutal with how her children were treated. Proceed with caution if this topic is upsetting to you. It's really unfortunate and hard to believe.
That being said, the book was very well written and the performance of the narrator was great. It's a quick listen and it gets right into the nitty gritty. Recommended!