Tasteful, enlightening view on the most interesting era

So much is explained here, while listening, eyes-closed, I really felt like I was there at the Log Cabin, Woodrow Wilson Drive etc. See an intimate sober look at Zappa, and the characters who surrounded him during what was one of his most formative years. Pauline Butcher is so charming with her politeness starkly contrasting her surroundings. Really an incredible perspective and retelling of the Zappa mythology. We are very fortunate to have this, historically very significant and artistically insightful

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love this book, you will too

As an avid fan of classic rock of the 60's and 70's I loved this book, actually I listen to it on Audible..
Pauline's close working relationship with Mr. Zappa was a very interesting and at times strange journey
as she lived in his house among all his friends, family, band members, groupies and a never ending cast
of characters who came and went from day to day.
Zappa came to rely, count on and trust Pauline's professional work ethic and her calm togetherness
amongst all the madness and busy non stop action that was Frank Zappa's life.
This book takes you right along for the ride as if you were right there with her!
I strongly recommend this book to any Zappa fan or a fan of the 60's music scene.
You will not be disappointed....!

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The writer’s self-contradictions

It is an interesting story. However, the author talks about how admirable zapper was, except when it came to his womanizing. She doesn’t really seem to address how horribly he treated the mothers when he fired them all with no warning and no severance. The book also has factual errors in it. And there’s also one edit that is just wrong, in other words, something is missing. There was a non sequitur between two sentences. 

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for people who are interested in a good story

great story, rare to find information like this from an insider of the Zappa crew. very well written I've enjoyed it a lot.

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Excellent story

I have been a fan of him for fifty eight years and she tells a great story!

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excellent story..

more information than expected. great insight to the genius of frank Zappa. a gift to any fan

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It’s was a good story

The author wrote a great insight to one of the greatest song writers of the 60s and 70s.
Frank was so Misunderstood by so many at first but then hit his stride with his composition of music and seeing music where others couldn’t
He was well read, highly intelligent and driven and his wife and family were his backbones. He was eccentric and outspoken but that was his draw and she captured it in a was few others could.
The only draw backs were she finished the story too abruptly and never went into where she went after leaving California and back to college.
She invested so much about her life up to that and just leaving hanging was extremely disappointing
A great listen none the less

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A Thoroughly Charming Read

I came upon this book in search of an introduction to the mind of Frank Zappa, a nebulous figure wrought with seeming contradiction against the backdrop of the American counterculture, contradiction that I wished to contextualize and better understand. While this book served as anything but a Zappa biography, Butcher's grounded yet sympathetic perspective made for a delightfully nuanced read. Culture clash at it's very best. Butcher's later feminist pursuits magnify her ability to look warmly and with humanity onto a flawed figure such as Zappa. I'm in constant pursuit of relating fringe perspectives of the past to social issues of today, and while Frank held some intriguing and relevant perspectives, such as those surrounding law enforcement, his complete distrust of the establishment most likely led to a fragmented and at times misinformed world view. I do not at this time feel the need to dive any further into Zappa history, for Butcher did a great job of framing Zappa in a modern perspective, while also fleshing out her own personal story without ever veering too far into the weeds.

I have only two primary criticisms. The first surrounds Butcher's conflicting pursuit of independence vs Zappa association. It seems both ongoing outcomes are fluidly positive or negative due to often indistinct context. The second criticism surrounds the resolution. As someone who is relatively unaware of the full Zappa story, a fleshed out epilogue wrapping up the stories of the many important characters presented throughout would've been especially satisfying. We jump from the 1973 ear infection recovery to her 1988 interview with Frank, to a wrap up of her own scholarly pursuits, without any further word regarding anyone else. This came as a surprise, given how incredibly thorough the rest of the book was. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and vocal performance, making for a very exciting yet satisfying read.

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love the inside stories of Frank

Frank was a genius and anyone's perspective who lived it will always be an interesting read.

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Great Book

I have just become a Frank Zappa fan over the last 5 years or so, so it was great to get an up close and inside look at Frank’s life through Pauline”s eyesI I thought she did a wonderful and tasteful description of her experiences working with Frank. I highly recommend the book.

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