Born with Teeth

Beautiful Memoir

Given that I have never watched Star Trek and that I just began watching Orange is the New Black, I hate to admit that I did not recognize who Kate Mulgrew was. When I read the synopsis of the memoir, I was intrigued however. Even though I did not have much of an idea of who she was, her life seemed fascinating. I was not disappointed.

She had a colorful life - that she could only narrate. Her voice is beautiful and listening to her read her own words was like drinking honey. It was very soothing. At times, she did seem to overperform the narration but it made me appreciate her talent. Her narration solidified the fact that she is indeed an actress (as if her accolades don't already prove that).

Mulgrew's memoir comes with an authenticity that others seem to miss. She doesn't hesitate to discuss her failed romantic relationships and the strained relationship that she had with her sons as they were growing up. Surprisingly, she even discusses an event in her life that hardly anyone knew about until now (my, how the times have changed!). Without a doubt, this was a fascinating listen!

115 of 116 people found this review helpful

Wow, a magnificent life.

I dont read books and I have barely gotten through the 3 audio books I have. when I started this book I listened all day. I have started it over again just to get the tidbits I may have missed. I found the last chapter leaving me wanting for more.

75 of 77 people found this review helpful

Captivaing story delivered with verisimilitude

Usually I only listen to audio books on long car rides, but when my ride was over—I could not stop. I burned my car battery listening to her on Bluetooth. I burned out my iPhone listening to her on my bedroom’s sound bar. I laughed at times, and I cried as she described her anticipation talking to her daughter for the first time. It is a captivating story presented with verisimilitude. Now I want to go back and watch everything she has ever acted in. I respect her.

44 of 45 people found this review helpful

Just right

Loved this memoir! Filled with wit, humor, honesty, and heart. The narration by author made me feel as if I knew her.

40 of 41 people found this review helpful

Fabulous Kate

I dithered for some time over listening to this book, but I have always admired Kate Mulgrew, so I finally gave in. She did not disappoint in the slightest. I found her to be warm and loving and funny and strong. All the best things an Irish girl can be. I am absolutely overwhelmed at the beauty of her writing. She has a powerfully evocative, and fearless writers voice. She has said she will continue to write, and I look forward to reading whatever comes next.

32 of 33 people found this review helpful

I can taste the words and they are delicious.

The story is compelling and her life very interesting, and what really makes this book is her reading of it. Never before have I had the experience of feeling like I could taste the words in her mouth as she read them. I know that sounds strange, but she is so intense and so real and so exact in every choice of every word. It's like mindfulness writing and reading. Five stars all around!

29 of 30 people found this review helpful

A life well lived!

What a fascinating woman! I hated that it ended, and look forward to a sequel. Keeping leading the way, strong beautiful Kate!

26 of 27 people found this review helpful

What a amazing audiobook.

Kate mulgrew book really was hard to stop listening to it. Everything flowed and kept me wanting more. I was upset when the book was over plus I am always a sucker for a happy ending. It touched on relatable life events such as adoption to boyfriends. Hope she keeps writing fiction or nonfiction.

24 of 25 people found this review helpful

exceptional

Best biography I've ever read. Her writing style is more like fiction than real life but I loved that and was engrossed from the beginning.

24 of 25 people found this review helpful

I love Kate Mulgrew the actress, but....

Any additional comments?

Warning: Spoiler alerts, if such can be said of a memoir.

I have always admired the work of Kate Mulgrew the actress, but I found Kate Mulgrew the human being so lacking in self-reflection that I can't even begin to fathom why she wrote a memoir. I'm sorry to say, this was the most irritating memoir I have ever read. I understand that memoirists are not detailing their birth-to-now story and are picking and choosing from the important elements of their lives so you can better understand their choice points and decisions.

But Mulgrew the author repeatedly introduces us to difficult life experiences which she describes in detail without ever coming to terms with how the events affected her life's choices and decisions. It's simply an emotional catalog of her life's hardships: Giving up her daughter, being violently raped, meeting and losing the love of her life, taking on the role of the first female captain of the Star Trek franchise, realizing her mother's behavior was getting very odd and unpredictable, being reunited with her daughter, and concluding with the cliff-hanger of reconnecting with the love of her life.


At no point in this narration of events did she provide any of the inner workings of her mind, or any acknowledgment of hard lessons learned going forward. Yes, we are treated to her emotional reactions in the moment, dissected into infinity as if her entire life is just about being an actress acting out her own life. As much as I like the actress and the roles she portrays I admit to being first disappointed and then annoyed at her histrionic retelling of minutia while skipping over the real meat of her story. In her telling she rarely if ever stopped to consider how her actions are actually affecting the people closest to her. I have never said this about a memoir, but I found this one shallow, egotistical and strikingly unaware. If you enjoy reading a portrait of how a narcissistic actress deals with her life then this book is for you.

74 of 84 people found this review helpful