What would it be like to share your mom with the rest of the world? Then have her taken away much too soon? Owen Elliot-Kugell describes all the feelings a daughter would have in My Mama, Cass. This memoir briefly gives the overview of Cass Elliot's life, her career with the seminal singing group the Mamas and the Papas, and her untimely death. Then, Owen takes over to make others understand how it felt to be the daughter and have this fact looming over her, more like a guardian angel than a shadow.

This heartfelt book aims to correct the circumstances of Mama Cass's death. Rumors began almost as soon as Cass died that she choked on a ham sandwich. Owen wanted to set the record straight that this was a creation to trigger news stories, and she felt it took away from the immense talent that Cass possessed. You can tell how it hurt her as much as the endless jabs at Cass's weight. As someone's child yourself, you can perfectly empathize with Owen, especially when you learn about how much she loved her mom and the reciprocal affection she always received from her loving mom.

Personally, the fact that Owen was only seven when her mom died resonated with me. You never truly get over the pain and estrangement you feel if one of your parents dies early. I could relate having lost my dad when I was eight years old. Upon the death of her mom, Owen really tries to put the puzzle pieces together to learn who her mom was. Her father's identity was a secret although she finds out who he is. She tries to uphold her legacy while somehow trying to resolve the issues left over from Cass's unresolved and indebted estate.

Throughout the book, you witness how Owen made her own path, sometimes with the stars shining upon her as Cass sang in "Dream a Little Dream of Me." Many cameos of famous rock stars and Hollywood glitterati make their appearances. In fact, some of Owen's best friends have famous parents, such as Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Chynna Phillips, and Moon Zappa, among others. They all understood each other and the legacies that they were forced to reckon with, whether they decided to pursue similar paths or not.

While the beginning of the book focuses on her mom's life, the rest deals with Owen. Even though Owen isn't a star like Cass was, she's a kind and spunky person who didn't care that she may have to work for a living. While she attempted a singing career, and you learn she was almost part of a somewhat famous singing group, she was content with her life and continued to dispel any notions about her mom. She's extremely humble and just as star-struck as any other person. I found her refreshing. She's grateful for the life she's led thus far.

If you're not a fan of the Mamas and the Papas, you may not be that interested in this book. It definitely is for fans only, especially when the story turns to focus on Owen and her reconciliation of her mom's fame and legacy. Some reviewers I noticed took issue with that, but I felt like to story rolled along without a hitch.

A book Mama Cass would have loved, the spirit of her daughter doesn't overreach - she can't tell her mother's story, so she tells the story she can. She tells of her life as a little one left behind, and of those generous souls who stepped in to fill the void left by her only parent. I found the story wrapped with a certain wistfulness that didn't diminish the hope with which she has moved into the life her mother left her. She has picked up some of her mother's interests and talents, and she has reached out in the ones that are hers alone.

Just like all of us do when that parting comes. It is never easy, but it is inevitable. A loving tribute from daughter to mother.

*A sincere thank you to Owen Elliot-Kugell, Hachette Books and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

After having a Mamas and Papas renaissance last year I became so obsessed with Cass Eliot, So much that she was in my top artists of the year on my Spotify. I felt so lucky to be able to read this and learn about her from her daughter. I think this is extremely well written and I learned a great deal.

I think everyone should read this and become obsessed with Cass like I am!!

I wasn’t born in the 60s so I don’t know much about the Mama’s and The Papa’s except a few songs.

I learned a lot of things about their career. The first part of the book is Mama Cass’ life and then the author, her daughter goes on to explain her life, growing up without her mother, which she lost at 7 years old.

I am very glad I read it and It even made me check for pictures and songs.

Who knew Owen Elliot-Kugess was almost part of Wilson Philip’s?

At times, I even forgot it was told by her daughter and not Mama Cass herself when I got confused about her grandmother! She makes you feel like it is her autobiography!

I recommend to all music fans!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I expected the book to be a sweet tribute to a mom Owen barely knew, and from the start, I could see that was Owen’s intention. Then as we progress we see that Owen researched her mother’s life in-depth and shares as many of Cass’s experiences with us that she can. She has tracked down and talked to Cass’s friends/co-workers and other family to put together this puzzle. Owen also gives us a look at her life, first as a little girl who suddenly lost her mom and then through her life. I enjoyed reading about the love Owen has for her mom. Thanks, Owen for writing this one.

A well written biography of Mama Cass Elliott by her daughter and only child. Since Ms Elliott passed away at a young age, not much was really known of her life and musical talents separate from the band who made her famous (the Mama’s and The Papa’s). Many rumors about Elliott’s death abounded for years until her daughter was able to clarify the reality of her death and life.
The book was obviously written with love and care by a daughter who still loves and misses her talented mother.
Thank you publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read and critique this book. I found it to be a good read and one to be enjoyed by all ages and not just those who grew up in the 60’s music scene.

Magnificent book and well written, too - an glorious view of an incredible artist from the viewpoint of her child. Anyone who loves music from this era and especially fans of The Mamas and The Papas should prioritize reading this book. Thank you, Owen, for writing this wonderful book.

Who doesn't remember Cass Elliot back in the '60s and '70s? I have about 20 Mamas and Papas songs on my Sony MP3 player, as well as CDs and records stashed away. My mother, back in the 1960s, bought some pop albums that weren't Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. The three I remember most are Meet the Beatles, Here Are the Honeycombs, and If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears by The Mamas & the Papas. While reading this book, I was surprised to learn the group only were together for a few years. It seemed like they were around for years and years, but I guess that was only their songs.

In addition, who doesn't remember that Cass Elliot died after choking on a ham sandwich? Alas, according to her daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell that was not true. Instead of waiting for the autopsy report, Cass Elliot's manager created that choking story so no one would speculate the singer died of a drug overdose. Huh? Her manager did not realize all the jokes that would be made about that since Ms. Elliot was obese? Her weight was often joked about on talk shows and variety shows when she was living. Her death by a ham sandwich allowed the jokes to be made for all of eternity!

Cass Elliot did not die from a ham sandwich or a drug overdose. Her heart gave out. There were no drugs in her system; yet drugs very well may have contributed to her death; and the author is very casual in tone about her mother's drug usage. She readily admits to it, but acts like it was no big deal. Dieting, too, may have contibuted to a fatal heart condition, since Cass Elliot went on some extreme diets in her lifetime. Who is to blame her for doing so when so many individuals around her, as well as in the media, saw her weight as a gross sin?

This book covers Cass Elliot's life from her childhood to her death, with not enough information about her childhood, in my opinion. Couldn't there have been more stories about what she was like as a child and a teenager? The music years were interesting enough, but I often eventually find myself becoming bored with memoirs about musicians and their music making; even though I would have died without music as a child, and can't imagine living without it as an adult. Maybe it's like watching documentaries of how movies were made. I don't want to know how they were made, don't want to imagine how the cameras were set up for scenes and all.

What happened to Cass Elliot's daughter after her mother died? A lot, but fortunately this is not a story about a devastated child who became a devastated adult. The author was raised by her mother's sister and her husband, and came from a line of strong women, as she repeatedly tells the reader. The women in her family knew how to deal with adversity and apparently held no grudges. As least Ms. Elliot -Kugell doesn't. She was the one who brought together Carnie and Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips to form a singing group with the four of them. After getting everyone together, she had to go on a short trip. When she returned, she discovered she had been kicked out of the group, because her singing was too loud!

Was she mad when they became a huge success? Yes, she admits to that, but she remained friends with them, especially Carnie Wilson. (I have no Wilson Phillips songs on my Sony player. Blah.) Nevertheless, the author went on to have a singing career of her own. She, too, would have to hear nasty comments about her weight; by creepy, degenerate Howard Stern; yet she holds no grudge. Like her mother, she has gone forward in life in an iron-will way defying the odds. Unlike her mother, she had to bury her mother at the tender age of seven . . . and forever wish she had returned from that trip to London . . . and her death was only a bad dream . . . .

What an amazing tribute to one of the best singers ever.

My parents were big fans of The Mamas and the Papas, and their music [along with so many others of that tkme, including the whole "California sound"] was a huge part of my life growing up [while listening to this book, the author would talk about the music being made and sung, I would be singing each one, and they would invoke their own memories in me of singing in the car, windows down, thinking that life was very good], and so, this book, while very sad in parts [I was so glad that author squashed that awful rumor once and for all; it must have been such a relief to her - IYKYK], as Cass really did struggle at times, it was mostly just a fantastic read, filled with stories, laughter, and a life, even as short as it was, well-lived.

Kudos to Owen Eliot-Kugell for writing something that is so straightforward and [seemingly] unsentimental, yet also filled with longing, searching, acceptance, and above all, love. Simply magnificent.

Thank you to NetGalley, Owen Eliot-Kugell, and Hachette Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I grew up in the 60s, and liked the Mamas & The Papas, but was never a big fan of them. That said. I liked this book a lot. The author is lucky to have so many sources of visions of her mom. I lost both of my parents by the time I was 14, and I only have a handful of photos, and no memory of their voices. Enjoyed reading about how Cass was, and felt I got to know her a bit better.

Well worth the read!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect considering Owen wasn’t able to spend much time with her mother. I haven’t read any other books about the Mamas and Papas or Cass Elliot so I found this to be very informative. I appreciate all of the research and time Owen spent to bring a story that shares a kind, passionate and truthful view of her mother’s life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for an early digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent recounting of a special time in music history. Cass Elliot knew the musicians from Greenwich Village to LA and was a friend to so many. The Mamas and The Papas were only together a short time, but their impact was great. I enjoyed their stories as well as those of the other singers…Sebastian, Stills, Mitchell, etc. I’m glad Cass’s daughter Owen was able to learn so much about her mother and share it with us. This is a fast read and enjoyable. (I can’t stop singing Creque Alley in my head now.)

I grew up listening to The Mamas and the Papas along with many other groups of that time period and really liked their music. I have also read many singers biographies where they mention the influence and friendship of Mama Cass Elliot and the openness of her home. Of course I was happy to have to chance to read this memoir by her daughter.

Description:
A long-awaited, myth-busting, and deeply affecting memoir by the daughter of legendary rock star “Mama Cass” Elliot To the rest of the world, Cass Elliot was a rock star; A charismatic, wisecracking singer from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted band, The Mamas & The Papas; A legend of Laurel Canyon, decked out in her custom-made Muumuus, glittering designer jewelry, blessed with a powerful, instantly identifiable singing voice which helped define the sound of the 1960s counterculture movement. But to Owen Elliot-Kugell, she was just Mom. In the nearly 50 years since Cass Elliot’s untimely death at the age of 32, rumors and myths have swirled about, shading nearly every aspect of her life. In her long-awaited memoir, Owen Elliot-Kugell shares the groundbreaking story of her mom as only a daughter can tell it. In My Mama, Cass, Owen pulls back the curtains of her mother’s life from the sold-out theaters and behind the closed doors of her infamous California abode. Born Ellen Naomi Cohen, the woman who was known to the world as Cass Elliot was decades ahead of her an independently minded, outspoken woman who broke through a male-dominated business, a forward-thinking feminist, and a single parent who embraced motherhood from the moment Owen entered the world. From the closely guarded secret of Owen’s paternity to Cass’s lifelong struggles with self-esteem and weight to rumors surrounding her mother’s death, Owen illuminates the complex truths of her mother’s life, sharing interviews with high-profile figures who orbited Cass, as well as never-before-heard tales of her mother and this legendary period of American history. Featuring intimate family and archival photos as well as interviews and memories from high-profile figures who loved and respected Cass, this book is both a love story and a mystery, a tale of self-discovery and a daughter’s devotion. At its core, My Mama, Cass is a beautifully crafted testament befitting of Cass Elliot’s enduring cultural impact and legacy, written by the person who knew and loved her best.

My Thoughts:
This is a heartfelt memoir filled with love, pride and admiration for Owen Elliot-Kugell's mother, the legendary "Mama Cass" Elliot. Even though her daughter had only seven years of memories of her mother, she had all the stories and history from her family and Cass's many friends that provide insight into the woman she was, where she came from, her successes and failures, and the legend she became. I was astounded at her ability to know whose voices would sound great together and her influence on Crosby, Stills & Nash. The book was about Mama Cass, but also about Owen Elliot-Kugell herself and the challenges she faced before and after her mother's death. I was glad to see the stupid story of the "ham sandwich" laid to rest. This memoir is well written and I felt the love emanating from the pages.

Thanks to Hachette Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I loved music from the 60's! Having older brothers and sisters gave me access to their music. The Mamas and Papas harmonies were awesome and one of my favorites. I didn't know of the issues Cass Eliot went through to get her music to the public. As well as the fat shaming she went through. Fat shaming is something still prevalent today. It was beautiful to show the relationship between her and her young daughter. Overall I enjoyed the book. My pet peeves were anytime the word God would appear it was G-d. It would have been nice to see photos of Cass.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was really happy the publisher accepted my request to read the pre-published book by Cass Elliot's daughter.
I am an eager consumer of a good memoir and this was a solid, worthwhile read. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the last half simply because I was more interested in ( Mama ) Cass Elliot's short life journey than I was her daughter's moving forward as an adult ( which is the main focus of the last portion of the book ).

I appreciated the author was able to speak directly with some of the people with whom her mother had direct contact and with whom Cass Elliot interfaced in her musical life.
I would recommend this book but I fear people younger than maybe 45 wouldn't pick it up because they don't know the individual member’s names of the group that comprised the Mamas and the Papas like older people would... like myself. Having said that, I do recommend it for all ages since everyone knows the hits of the Mamas and the Papas.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

As a huge fan of the Mamas and the Papas I had to have this galley. I was so so honored to be given the opportunity to read about Mama Cass from those who knew and loved her most. I cried, I laughed and I grew a deeper appreciation for the music and the raw talent that was Mama Cass.

This book is a must read for anyone who grew up loving the music of the generations before us. For the 80’s kids who would sit around in awe of our parents 8 tracks and records.

This book spans many generations and brings different groups of people together.

My greatest joy of this book is the end to the rumors of how she died. The fat phobia that followed her post mortem is no longer. May she rest in eternal peace and may her daughter hold her head high in knowing what an incredible artist her Mama truly was.

My Mama, Cass gave me waves of nostalgia and took me right back to my childhood and early teen years. Owen Elliot-Kugell has written the compelling story of her mother's career, and then poignantly shares the aftermath of her death and how it impacted her family and friends.

Cass Elliot comes across as musically savvy, funny and bold, politically knowledgeable, positive and upbeat, and gifted in bringing talented people together. I didn't know much about her and loved learning more about her very short life.

Owen's book is a wonderful tribute to her mother. Anyone with an interest in the music industry, the Sixties and early Seventies, or family dynamics would love My Mama, Cass.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for an early digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A nostalgic trip down music memory lane, spanning the life of Cass Elliot and her daughter Owen Elliot-Kugel. Having known not much about Cass, I loved seeing her wit and talent shine throughout and the legacy she left to the music world, her daughter and extended family. A must read for lovers of folk rock, historical memoirs and growing up in old Hollywood.

**Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

A beautifully told biography of Mama Cass (Cass Elliot), who was part of the Mamas and Papas as well as having a very successful solo career. I have read about her in other books about Laurel Canyon in the 1970's as well as books about the Mamas and the Papas. What sets this book apart is it is written by her daughter, who was only 7 years old when her mom died tragically while on a concert tour. Owen (the author) has vivid memories of her mother, including incredibly poignantly saying goodbye to her at the airport and receiving her last letter before she died. Absolutely heartbreaking. Owen also interviews many of the people in Cass's life so we get a really good sense of who she was as a person. By all accounts, she was an incredibly giving and generous person, who also was incredibly intuitive of connecting musicians together (such as Graham Nash, with Stephen Stills and David Crosby!). A really good read and I am happy to read about Owen's life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

In My Mama Cass, the author begins the book by tugging on our heartstrings, describing the last time she saw her mother before Cass went to London for her solo tour. It must have been cathartic for the writer, as it was for the reader to close the loop, so to speak, on their relationship.
But this book was so much more than just a heartfelt homage to a mother who died too young. I was impressed with the research the author did and the interviews she conducted to create such a compelling and detailed account of Mama Cass's life, not just as a mother but as a woman who struggled with weight issues from an early age. Her daughter's account busts some myths about her mother but also leaves a few mysteries about her life unsolved. That Cass went on to achieve the success she did was a tribute not just to her talent as a singer but also to her indomitable spirit, something she passed on to the author, no doubt.
I was a Mamas and Papas fan growing up, so I found the details of that partnership fascinating to read about. Again, the research brought that era to life in an engaging way. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoir in general, but especially to those who grew up with "California Dreaming." playing on their tape deck or car radio.