
Ma Speaks Up
And a First-Generation Daughter Talks Back
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy for $13.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Marianne Leone
-
By:
-
Marianne Leone
The acclaimed actress and author of Jesse: A Mother's Story tells the "entertaining and moving" (Tom Perrotta) story of her outspoken, frequently outrageous Italian immigrant mother.
Marianne Leone's Ma is in many senses a larger-than-life character, one who might be capable, even from the afterlife, of shattering expectations. Born on a farm in Italy, Linda finds her way to the United States under dark circumstances, having escaped a forced marriage to a much older man, and marries a good Italian boy. She never has full command of English - especially when questioned by authorities - and when she is suddenly widowed with three young children, she has few options. To her daughter's horror and misery, she becomes the school lunch lady.
Ma Speaks Up is a record of growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, with the wrong family, in the wrong religion. Though Marianne's girlhood is flooded with shame, it's equally packed with adventure, love, great cooking, and, above all, humor. The extremely premature birth of Marianne's beloved son, Jesse, bonds mother and daughter in ways she couldn't have imagined. The stories she tells will speak to anyone who has struggled with outsider status in any form and, of course, to mothers and their blemished, cherished girls.
©2017 Marianne Leone (P)2017 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
Ma Speaks Up
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Also: Marianne’s Ma was *hilarious*.
Searingly Funny
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Would you consider the audio edition of Ma Speaks Up to be better than the print version?
Hearing the story read by Marianne Leone--an actress as well as an incredible writer--added to my experience.Who was your favorite character and why?
Ma! Hearing her expressions brought her to life.Which scene was your favorite?
When Ma comments on Marianne's appearance, complimenting her by saying she 'looks like a prostitute."Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The relationship between Ma and Marianne's son, Jesse, when she holds him.Author's reading is incredible!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Rich, beautiful, honest portrait of fierce mom
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What did you love best about Ma Speaks Up?
A well written, lovingly told story about the mother/daughter bond and rift, healing and humorous. All so familiar!What did you like best about this story?
A pitch perfect tale of the immigrant Italian experience and the tightness of family, community and the strenght of love.What about Marianne Leone’s performance did you like?
No one else could have told this better. She hits each note with perfection!Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It is hilarious, touching and true! I Loved it!!A fun, hilarious, raucous, read!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.