We often think that "the grass is greener on the other side", but Brigit Binns' memoir definitely shows us that this isn't always true.

The daughter of actor Edward Binns and his wife, Marcia, Brigit is referred to by her mother as "the rotten kid," and Brigit's life with her parents was troubling to say the least. She describes her mother as her "lifelong antagonist," which is a terribly sad description of the relationship between Brigit and her narcissistic mother.

I found the first part of this book to be a little disjointed as Brigit relates stories about her growing up years, but as she writes about her early adulthood and marriage, I felt that the writing was stronger and that Brigit as an author, and a survivor of a troubling childhood and marriage, really came into her own.

A well-written memoir about one woman's ability to overcome the obstacles put before her and come out stronger and more resilient. Thank you to #NetGalley and Sibylline Press for this electronic ARC of #Rottenkid.

While not the point of the book, the most interesting thing to me was how the author was able to keep reinventing herself. Because of her parents' instability, she had to move several times, living in wildly different locations. Once she graduated with her Chinese degree, Brigit found work that suited her interests and continued to move. She lived in England as a lady of the house and then when her husband lost his job in Spain, before moving back to California. She didn't always have resources before moving but she still went wholeheartedly. Those constant leaps of faith were amazing to me.
I also appreciated how she talked about dealing with neglectful, narcissistic parents. Hers were Hollywood, but I could relate to their interactions.
She talks about food throughout, and it was funny how bad she was at pastry when she was newer to cooking, deciding after a bad experience never to do it again. Now here she is, a successful cookbook writer who can make anything.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I really wanted to like Rottenkid and there were moments I found very compelling- Brigit Bennis’s childhood stories were particularly harrowing.

Unfortunately I found the book to be fairly uneven and disjointed. The decision to end nearly every paragraph with a present tense sentence was particularly jarring. The food descriptions towards the later half of the book were particularly lovely though they seemed somewhat out of place with the rest of the book.

This book is my first taste of culinary memoir. Despite not knowing who Brigit (or Edward) Binns is, I enjoyed this memoir/cookbook/travel log.

Brigit's early life is full of privilege, wealth and opportunities that few of us could understand, as the child of aHollywood actor. But writing is relatable and warm, and her story is told with such genuine humour that you cannot help but root for her. Brigit’s story is a reminder that money and status aren't a replacement for stability and parental care. Her descriptions of her difficult relationship with her parents are upsetting but tinged with dark humour. So it’s by no means a “sob story” but there are some parts when I felt quite heartbroken for her. You really will Brigit to make it through every obstacle she faces and she never disappoints. As a Brit, I adored her accounts of tackling the UK culture, its food and quirks. All of her kitchen tales made me feel extremely hungry and nostalgic for an era of food I never experienced. I also enjoyed her honest admissions of experiencing different cultures as an American white woman. Overall, it’s a book about resilience and finding contentment within yourself when it has never been modelled to you.

With thanks to NetGalley and Sibylline Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise for this book was very interesting, and it started well. I am sure Brigit Binns is a lovely person, and being an only kid to a narcissistic writer and a Hollywood/ Broadway actor in the '60s and '70s must have been very tough. She found maturity at a very young age, and no child should have to go through that.
But the book just didn't interest me. Her travels have a stereotypical 'Eat Pray Love' vibe, and she just goes on and on, name-dropping Hollywood stars and politicians so casually. There was no depth to how she discovered herself.
Being an immigrant POC, it didn't appeal to me. Maybe I'm not the target audience for this book.

Thank you for the ARC.

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where foodie nonfic and memoirs are popular.

really well done memoir about food, stage moms, intense families, and existence. thanks so much for teh arc.

I am not generally fond of memoirs. But this one, a poor-little-rich-girl variation, coming on the heels of Rob Henderson’s actual poor-boy memoir, Troubled, seemed too ideal of a bookend to that book for me to ignore. Binns had every possible privilege except that of loving and involved parents and it turns out, unsurprisingly, that no amount of privilege can really make up for that vital lack. Somewhat fluffy, but well written and interesting, with a happy ending and lots of name-dropping to add to the fun, Binns avoided the navel-gazing that makes me dislike memoirs so much.

Rottenkid by Brigit Binns

A story of BELONGING and wanting to fit in. This nonfiction, memoir is set in a privileged Hollywood setting in the 1960s and 1970s, where the rich and famous flaunt their prosperity, triumphs, and tantrums. The villains of the story are Brigit’s mother and her dysfunctional family.

There is dark humour, addiction, celebrity walk on parts, bad intentioned men and a unguessable twist in the tale.

Brigit is dragged across the pond to London after her parents’ divorce.

A true-life Hollywood experience. I have personally met enough bad tempered celebs to know the ring of truth and humour in this memoir.

Due to be published on 5 March 2024. This title will be released by Amazon.UK on April 18, 2024, pre ordered price £13.99.

This is my own honest review of an advance copy, compliments of Netgalley via Syballine Press, published in the USA.

Bridgit Binns is also an author of cookbooks, many available on Amazon.

The autobiography of a food guru born to actor parents and all that entails in neglected childhood trauma.
The book is sad, and funny, real and also so very representative of the era of rising stardom culture.
Narcissism, manipulative and borderline personalities damage the fibre of families and children so badly. It's good Brigit managed to pull herself out of a downward spiral, and look back with a bitter-sweet smile despite all the hurt.
I think many forget how brutal the 60s were.
Can't say I enjoyed this, probably hit too close to home, but it's good that it exists.

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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A memoir sauteed in Hollywood stories, world travel, and always, the need to belong
Prolific cookbook author Brigit Binns’ coming-of-age memoir—co-starring her alcoholic actor father Edward Binns and glamorous but viciously smart narcissistic mother—reveals how simultaneous privilege and profound neglect lead Brigit to seek comfort in the kitchen, eventually allowing her to find some sense of self-worth.

In the old Hollywood of her childhood, Brigit seems to live in an elite world. But when her parents eventually divorce—her father flees and her mother sends her off to boarding school so she can more easily conduct her decades-long romance with a married California governor—Brigit racks up seven schools and a host of bad decisions before the age of 16.

Marriage to an Englishman takes her across the pond and to professional cooking school. But when that life comes crashing down, she returns heartbroken and alone to Los Angeles eighteen years after vowing never to return. Here she thrives, cold pitching herself to top chefs as co-author for their cookbooks. Peppered with humour and seasoned with optimism, Brigit’s story is an entertaining tribute to female resilience.

Brigit has certainly lived an interesting life … and to be honest, I am amazed that she survived her parents. I thoroughly enjoyed her story and by looking her up I can see that I have read most of her cookbooks but never dreamt what her back story would be.

Utterly delicious book – highly recommended to lovers of food, biographies and resilient women.

#shortbutsweetreviews