For as long as Thomas can
remember, she’s lived with laughter. Born to comedy royalty—TV and
nightclub star Danny Thomas—she grew up among legendary funny men,
carved much of her career in comedy and, to this day, surrounds herself
with people who love and live to make others laugh. Thomas takes us on a
funny and heartwarming adventure, from her Beverly Hills childhood, to
her groundbreaking creation of That Girl and Free to Be . . . You and Me, to her marriage to talk-show king Phil Donahue.
Her youth was star-studded—Milton
Berle performed magic tricks (badly) at her backyard birthday parties.
George Burns, Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, Bob Newhart and other great comics
passed countless hours gathered around her family’s dinner table. And
behind it all was the rich laughter nurtured by a close and loving
family.
Growing Up Laughing
is not just the story of an iconic entertainer, but also the story of
comedy. In a voice that is curious, generous and often gleeful, Thomas
not only opens the doors on the funny in her own life, but in a series
of insightful and hilarious interviews also explores the comic roots of
today’s most celebrated comedians.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The interviews are hilarious, as is the recollections of her childhood and her becoming a force in the entertainment industry and the women's movement.
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