Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own


I'm glad I was chosen to review this wonderful biography. I've always loved comedy and grew up watching Lucille Ball, Carol Brunet and Vicky Lawrence thanks to my dad. I however never thought of female comedians doing stand up until Mrs.Masil. After reading this book I want to learn more and dig for rare clips or sound bites.

Great, although at times slow, read.

A welcome first step in unearthing the legacy of Jean Carroll, even if the narrative gets bogged down in academese from time to time. My full review can be found on Open Letters Review.

When you think of women comedians of the past, you may consider a wealth of those who appeared on television in the 1950s and 1960s, and those who starred in their own television shows. Before many of them, there was Jean Carroll, a female Jewish standup comedian who broke ground for so many other women.

If you have watched the show <i>The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel</i>, you can't help but make an instant comparison between Carroll and Rachel Brosnahan's title character. And while not actually based on Carroll's career, it can easily lead readers into wanting to know more about Carroll's life and career well before the likes of Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, and Phyllis Diller.

Like many biographies that address older performers, there aren't many opportunities to check out what the book is talking about, but there are a few clips online that you can see, and a couple of routines are available to listen to on Spotify for reference. It can be hard to get yourself into the place and time, knowing that not only was Carroll's gender sometimes setting her back, but with certain audiences her Jewish identity could also detract from the comedy that she delivered so well. For anyone that wants to see how she played a role in many facets of early comedy, this is a book you should check out.

The subtitle calls comedian Jean Carroll's story a "forgotten" one, and I can see why -- I grew up watching all the comedians on Ed Sullivan in the 1960s -- Joan Rivers, Jerry Stiller and Ann Meara, Totie Fields, Phyllis Diller, Moms Mabley, etc, but I don't remember Jean Carroll. Which is remarkable given that she appeared on the show 29 times. Author Grace Kessler Overbeke takes us through Jean Carroll's career from vaudeville to radio to early TV sitcoms and variety shows. Overbeke details how being a woman in the comedy business had advantages and disadvantages (mostly disadvantages, no surprise), and how she chose to emphasize or de-emphasize being Jewish. This was not a straight path, she took different approaches over time, and one of the most illuminating parts of the book is where Overbeke analyzes one of Carroll's popular routines as she refined and altered it over the years and for different audiences. Really fascinating study and an entertaining read. (Thanks to NetGalley and NYU Press for a digital review copy.)

Grace Kessler Overbeke does a fantastic job of bringing the story of Jean Carroll to life. When people think of famous stand up comedians, Jean Carroll is likely not the first name to come to mind. However, her accomplishments stand for themselves. From her roots as a daughter in a struggling immigrant family trying her best to win talent prizes to bring money to her family, to her multiple appearances on the Ed Sullivan show. She was groundbreaking. At the time, most comedians were male. Jean Carroll managed to break into the industry, remain true to herself, and usher in a new form of comedy which involved her discussing herself. This book was a wonderful read with a lot of information I didn't know about a truly remarkable woman.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.