I love this book and was really looking forward to the audiobook. Christine Baransky is genius and is the perfect person to read this. My only note is that after having read the book, I liked Mary’s voice in my head better, no fault of anyone’s of course.

Fascinating, frank, and, indeed, outspoken; Mary Rodgers's memoirs, annotated and prodded along by the dry presence of Jesse Green in the footnotes, are the messy, forthright, cheeky reminiscences of a woman who, as the daughter of a one formidable talent and mother of another, always seemed well-aware of where that left her. Wryly and wittily told, in an occasionally rambling, always conversational style that feels like you've happened to catch Rodgers at a party when she's in a chatty mood, it's a book that will obviously appeal to theatre aficionados. But I'd recommend it also to those with little or no knowledge of musical theatre, but with an interest instead in the candidly related life of a woman who never settled for what she was given, but grabbed for anything fate brought her way; an "eager, big-hearted, big-mouthed" woman with a front row seat to decades of theatrical history and more than a hand in making some of it herself.

As for the audio version of this book, there is, quite simply, no one I can imagine better suited for reading Rodgers's words (except, or possibly including, Rodgers herself) than Christine Baranski. A definite treat to listen to.

Thank you to OrangeSky Audio for the advance review copy!

The recently published, Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers, by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green and narrated by Christine Baranski and Jesse Green, is a delightful listening experience. Christine Baranski's delivery fits what I imagine Mary Rogers would sound like. Jesse Green's clarification notes are just what the listener needs at the right time. At first, I was skeptical about the arrangement of the narration, but quickly became quite comfortable with the style, and the interspersed facts about people and setting helped immensely.

Mary's life was fascinating. Her father, being as famous and successful as he was, set Mary on an uphill climb to prove herself, and while she didn't always think so, she achieved an extraordinary life. You have encountered Mary. Whether through her colleagues or her social circle, you will find something familiar about her. Whether it's the work she produced (more than I realized), her family-- father and son are both well-known composers or her friends and colleagues, you will hear stories about names, places, and events, that you know, at least a little bit.

This book is not just a good read, it is a fantastic and well-written sharing of a woman who earns her place in the history of theater and performance. She accomplished so much in her lifetime, and shares lessons for herself about love and disappointment and struggle and triumph.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by OrangeSky Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audio book for an honest review.

If I could give this audiobook 1000 stars, I would. I have never, and I mean NEVER, been so satisfied with an audiobook experience in my entire life. I actually have had the hard copy of this book at home for months, but it wasn't until I saw that the great Christine Baranski would be narrating the audiobook that I was truly inspired to start on this one.

I am a theatre professional, so I was already fascinated by the idea of this book. But even people who don't know a lot about theatre and musicals will love this, because it's a story of a daughter and a mother and a wife and a woman making her way through a man's world. It's so inspiring to hear how Mary Rodgers survived unthinkable heartaches and tragedies.

And I can't even begin to gush over the narration. Perfection, perfection, perfection. Truly takes what is already a fascinating memoir and turns it into an incredibly juicy and moving experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Spiegel & Grau by OrangeSky Audio for an ARC of this audiobook.

From right out of the gate,this book just takes off. In the first few minutes you understand what type if book this will be. Mary Rodgers lays all her card on the table and then some. She talks about her family, friends, lovers, and everyone in-between. When I read this book, I wad reminded of the old quote 'If you haven't anything nice to say about anyone, come sit by me". It seems as if Mary lived her life this way, and it makes for an amazing book.

I listed to this as an audiobook. And it was great. Christine Baranski does the Narraton for Mary, and the co-author does his own narration as well.

I highly reccomend this book, and can't wait to read it again!

Mary Rodgers memoir Shy is, as the subtitle proclaims, alarmingly outspoken. Told in a 'hair let down' almost rambling fashion, the story of this daughter of Richard and Dorothy Rodgers, and a lesser songwriter in her own right (especially Once Upon a Mattress), Shy is a spellbinding forthright tale of more than 50 years of the Broadway biz. Mary, whose narration is voiced brilliantly by Christine Baranski, with 'end notes' voiced by coauthor Jesse Green, managed to know, collaborate with, and be intimate with more prominent people in the musical theater industry than the totality of the people I've known in my now not-young lifetime. For readers/listeners who love good gossip and/or who want to know many details about this era bounded at the start by such luminaries as Rodgers and his collaborators, especially Hart and Hammerstein, and at the end by Bernstein and Sondheim, Shy provides all they can want and more. Being raised by Dick and Dorothy Rodgers, who, to paraphrase, were lousy parents but good people was difficult. Mary persevered as did Jesse Green who made this book happen and we are as grateful to them as we are to all the people who have made beautiful musical storytelling come to life in the theater.

Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green have done something truly amazing with Shy. It is an excellent memoir that is fun and interesting through all the stories Mary tells. It is dishy and gossipy in the best ways possible and is a must read for anyone even vaguely interested in musical theatre. Mary has strong opinions on the theatre, and her discussion of them is quite enlightening.
Having known Once Upon a Mattress since I was a small child and hearing many stories about how it came to be, hearing it all together like this and getting Mary’s take on the process was fascinating. However, there is so much more here than the creation of Once Upon a Mattress and it is all funny, fun, and sometimes heartbreaking to read about.
Christine Baranski was delightful in her narration of Mary’s voice. The audiobook was fun to listen to and she brought even more life to a book that was already unputdownable as far as I’m concerned. I also loved Jesse Green reading his own footnote interjections and landing his jokes exactly where they should be. This was a very well done production.
Thank you to OrangeSky audio and NetGalley for my ARC of this audiobook!

I'm so grateful for the audiobook (thank you NetGalley for the ARC!) because although surprisingly candid and funny, this memoir/biography is quite long-winded and I got bogged down when trying to read the book. There are also a ton of people mentioned and I never knew when it was someone I should keep track of and remember.

Christine Baranski’s narration is fantastic and captures Mary Rodgers's personality perfectly; albeit at times overly histrionically. It was strange when she’d laugh after a joke–I couldn’t tell if she was laughing at Rodgers’s wittiness or laughing in character as Rodgers.

Overall an entertaining, cheeky memoir. An essential read (or listen) to diehard fans of Rodgers/Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, and obviously Mary Rodgers.