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Biography & Autobiography. Cooking & Food. Nonfiction. HTML: Beloved actress, Food Network personality, and New York Times bestselling author Valerie Bertinelli reflects on life at sixty and beyond. Behind the curtain of her happy on-screen persona, Valerie Bertinelli's life has been no easy ride, especially when it comes to her own self-image and self-worth. She waged a war against herself for years, learning to equate her value to her appearance as a child star on One Day at a Time and punishing herself in order to fit into the unachievable Hollywood mold. She struggled to make her marriage to Eddie Van Halen �?? the true love of her life �?? work, despite all the rifts the rock-star lifestyle created between them. She then watched her son follow in his father's footsteps, right up onto the stage of Van Halen concerts, and begin his own music career. And like so many women, she cared for her parents as their health declined and saw the roles of parent and child reverse. Through mourning the loss of her parents, discovering more about her family's past, and realizing how short life really is when she and her son lost Eddie, Valerie finally said, "Enough already!" to a lifelong battle with the scale and found a new path forward to joy and connection. Despite hardships and the pressures of the media industry to be something she's not, Valerie is, at last, accepting herself: she knows who she is, has discovered her self-worth, and has learned how to prioritize her health and happiness over her weight. With an intimate look into her insecurities, heartbreaks, losses, triumphs, and revelations, Enough Already is the story of Valerie's sometimes humorous, sometimes raw, but always honest journey to love herself and find joy in the everyday, in family, and in the food and memories we share. "This thoughtful, bighearted book is sure to be a hit with Bertinelli fans and those with an appetite for stories of hard-won self-acceptance. A warmly intimate memoir." �?? Kirkus Reviews "In a series of brutally frank essays, Bertinelli looks back on the emotional struggles and triumphs of her life. By turns raw and inspiring, this contains a little bit of wisdom for everyone." �?? Publishers Weekly… (more)
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When I first saw this book, I presumed it was a memoir, but upon further inspection, I noticed it was also labeled as a foodie/recipe book… even more intriguing...
Because I like biographies/memoirs and cookbooks- I just
I also noticed that the book was placed in the ‘self-help’ category, which always gets a firm ‘no’ from me, especially if it is written by a celebrity.
Despite that, the memoir/ recipe combo, plus all the rave reviews, overrode my reservations and I decided to see how this would play out.
So, did the presentation work? Well...
It was a mixed bag...
Let’s start with the areas I struggled with, first. I was not really looking for a book about Valerie's memories of her ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen. I liked Eddie Van Halen- maybe not to the degree others did- but, to be blunt, this book seemed like some sort of tribute to her life with him, because she really couldn’t seem stay on other topics for very long before she was back to talking about Ed again.
The recipe box, mentioned in the blurb, didn’t surface until deep into the book- though that might have been by design. Valerie did spend some time speaking about her background, though, her relationship with her mother, and shared some shocking revelations about her parents, and family- but I didn’t get that 'strong woman' inspirational vibe I was hoping for.
I also wondered if maybe sticking with a good, licensed therapist would be better than woo-woo advice from a psychic, when it comes to mental health questions- but that’s just me...
What I did like…
I liked the way the recipes are tied to specific memories, events, occasions… and they are recipes that are down to earth and sound, not only delicious, but comforting, as well. I do wish we had some recipe photos, though.
I am glad Valerie came to realize that she had allowed her weight obsession to suck the joy out of living her life with gusto. She’s been incredibly hard on herself over the years, and it was so unnecessary. She seems to have finally accepted that now, seems more comfortable in her own skin, and I like the way she is embracing this stage in her life, even though, admittedly, times have been hard- and she’s going through a divorce as this book concludes.
It was also lovely to discover that Valerie is a cat person. I like the way she is with her son, too, and I’m glad they have a good relationship. I have always enjoyed Valerie’s acting performances, but I will confess, I have not seen her cooking show yet- partly because I haven’t had ‘cable’ in years and didn't have access to the Food Network. That said, we recently got YTTV for my parent’s sake- so I’ll just have to try and catch her show someday.
Can I say Valerie’s journey towards self-love inspired me in any way personally? Sure- I think some of her advice to herself is solid. All of us should practice self-care, but there was nothing in that way I have not heard before. Still, there's a good list of things to do that are worth being reminded of- but we all have to do the work ourselves.
Frankly, I'm comfortable in my own skin- and have been for a long time now. I don’t analyze myself in terms of how others see me physically. I’m more concerned with just being healthier, not just for myself for others in my life, as well. I never stand on the scales, or angst over gray hairs or wrinkles- but of course, I’m not on TV, nor am I under the social media spotlight being scrutinized by trolls everyday… so there’s that.
Still, despite my not finding the 'self-help' sections deeply motivating for me, personally, the book is an interesting and revealing peek into Valerie’s life, as it is now.
I’m sorry she’s lost her parents, and the love of her life, but I am happy to see she’s in a better place mentally when it comes to her relationship with food, and her body and self-image. I hope her journey will inspire others who are struggling with these issues, to say 'Enough, Already', too!
3.5 stars