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Here's the Story
Here's the Story
Here's the Story
Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

Here's the Story

Written by Maureen McCormick

Narrated by Maureen McCormick

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

The New York Times bestseller Here’s the Story is the poignant memoir of Maureen McCormick, who starred as the beloved Marcia Brady on the hit series The Brady Bunch. Maureen tells her shocking and inspirational true story, taking readers behind the scenes of one of America’s favorite television families, and to the dark side, where she was caught up in a fast-paced, drug-fueled, star-studded Hollywood existence that ultimately led to the biggest battle of her life.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateOct 14, 2008
ISBN9780061713422
Here's the Story
Author

Maureen McCormick

Born in 1956, Maureen McCormick began her career at the age of six after winning the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley beauty pageant. She appeared in numerous commercials for brands such as Mattel and Kool-Aid, and performed in early episodes of Bewitched and My Three Sons before landing the starring role as Marcia Brady in the groundbreaking sitcom The Brady Bunch, which aired in prime time from 1969 to 1974. McCormick is also a singer and voice-over actor who has made a number of appearances in television and movie roles during her long career. She recently returned to television as a cast member of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club and won! She lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter.

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Reviews for Here's the Story

Rating: 4.261363636363637 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

88 ratings24 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed it even though it was a lot sad. But always been a fan and always will be. Maureen is very strong and a survivor. Gods Blessings on her always.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Brady Bunch was a show that I discovered only in reruns as I was a little young when it first aired. By the time I did watch it, I was in my teens and thought the whole show was a bit of a joke and could not understand its cult following - however, over the years, it somehow kept resurfacing and despite myself, I got to know a little bit about each of the Brady kids. When I saw that Maureen McCormick was publishing her memoirs, I thought it would be interesting to read as I always thought she was the most interesting character on the show - and always felt that there was alot lurking behind the "good girl, hair of gold Brady".As soon as I started reading, I absolutely fell in love with the pace, the tone and the overall story being told. The first thing I noticed (and was eternally grateful for) was that although Maureen does touch on her childhood, she does not go on and on about it for half the book. She basically gives us the highlights (which includes some surprising facts about her siblings and her parents) and then moves on to her early career. Yes, she does spend some time on her "Brady days" but tends to gloss over some of the key elements that I believe would have been fun to read. She does go into quite alot of detail about the "crushes/kissing/fondling" that happened among the Brady kids, but I would have liked to hear more about the dynamics behind the scene - that did not necessarily relate to the teenage lust that seemed to be rampant. I would have like to find out more about the chemistry of the actors, some funny onset stories would have been nice. There is a minimal amount of this type of thing - it seems as though the Brady kids were all about "teenage lust" which is okay - but I felt there could have been a little bit more substance here. Besides which, somebody is going to have to explain to me why every girl (including Maureen) had a thing for Greg? I mean, the guy is really average looking in my opinion!!!However, what comes after the Brady years is really where you find the heart and soul of Maureen McCormick. Its going to be hard for me to write this review without giving away any of the spoilers, but I had NO IDEA just how far down she fell before she found the strength to pick herself up. To her credit, she exposes every raw nerve in this memoir and makes a point of saying that SHE alone is responsible for the situation(s) she got herself into. I have to say that she must have had a fairy godmother looking over her - because she really got herself into some horrible situations.The writing here is exceptional and we get a very clear picture of just how screwed up Maureen was. When she talks about her meeting with her future husband, you can actually feel the tone of the writing change - there is hope and love in the writing.Maureen McCormick needs to be commended for writing an honest, raw memoir. She could easily have gone the other way and written some bubblegum account of her life. Writing memoirs are always tricky because you can't or won't divulge other people's involvement in your life and Maureen has done an excellent job of keeping the focus on her and not on the "other" celebrities that she talks about in her book.I read alot of these types of books and I can't encourage you enough to run to the bookstore for this one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I gave this a 3 star rating rather than the 2.5 it probably deserved because - well - I really enjoy reading Brady related stuff. So, for me it gets a .5 handicap.I am not a Brady-o-phile but I like so many other people my age grew up with them in syndication and they were a large part of my childhood memories. I have a fondness for all of them and a curiosity about how they all turned out. I read the book by Greg that came out years ago and thought this would be a fun read. Marcia was never my favorite - but in my head she seemed like on and off-screen she was always the most together. This book but that misapprehension to rest. Turns out Maureen had some truly horrendous years following the end of the series and turned to hard drugs. It was surprising and saddening to hear how much she went through.The book reads like a therapeutic project. She spills out all this bad stuff she has been hiding for reason of pride, career and family. There is not a lot of finesse to how her story is told .I feel pretty certain she didn't use a ghost writer because the writing for the most part is really amateurish. Almost every chapter ends with a silly cliff hanger-y line like..."He had to see it all - and boy, did he ever...""Neither of us knew it, but I was going to need more than I'd ever imagined."It is a book only someone who has an curiosity about Maureen McCormick should seek out. It doesn't stand on its own in any other way. But with that caveat given - it is totally fine - take it to the beach or pool with you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was a good look at the highs and lows of one of the most famous young actresses of her day. She does not hold back in telli g her story and how she has bounced back.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia." Oh how this line has plagued Maureen McCormick for years. Inside this book Maureen shares her life in shocking detail. To outsiders she was perfect. Cute, smart and stylish with the talent to match. To outsiders she was Marcia Brady. But few people were privy to the real person with real fears who spent a lot of time literally hiding in closets to escape her demons. From her humble beginnings as the voice of the Chatty Cathy Doll to her impressive win on Celebrity Fit Club, Maureen's life is chronicled with nothing held back. "Haunted by the perfection of her television alter ego, Maureen landed on the dark side, caught up in a fast-paced, drug-fueled, star-studded Hollywood existence that ultimately led to the biggest battle of her life."I'm amazed at how open Maureen was in this book. As she learned later in life, being open and sharing was the solution to bringing her the peace she never had growing up and even into adulthood. Her story of triumph over the demons that tore her live apart for so many years is encouraging in so many different ways. I highly recommend reading this book especially if you were a Marcia Brady fan or even just casually knowing the character as I did.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    If you want your memories of The Brady Bunch ruined, this book is for you. Sure this is about Maureen and not Marcia and she even talks about that, but she doesn't warn you she was a drug addict prostitute who wanted to sleep with every guy she saw and she did!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the prologue, Maureen McCormick starts with when she came out of the woodwork to appear in the reality show Celebrity Fit Club. Then she begins a chronological story of her life as a child appearing in many commercials, especially for Mattel, on to the Brady Bunch years, her unsuccessful attempts to achieve acting status beyond Marcia Brady, her eventual success on Broadway and her life now. She gets into the nitty-gritty describing her early introduction to drugs and sex, her eventual addiction to cocaine throughout the seventies and eighties and then her life current life as a born-again Christian. She talks of her struggles with her dysfunctional family and her love for her mentally challenged brother. Maureen names names but keeps a respectful tone by concentrating on her own troubles and not dwelling on others. In once instance she uses a pseudonym for a famous person she was involved with in the drug/sex scene.I found Maureen's tone and narrative extremely readable. Her story of her childhood is written with a child-like wonderment as she entered the life of show business and became a cultural icon. Her voice becomes more mature as she herself matures and she presents herself as someone who can take the blame for her own actions. Not often do I find biographies page-turners. I love entertainment memoirs but non-fiction doesn't often grip me to that extent. But this book was one I couldn't put down, I kept picking it up in favour over the fiction book I was co-currently reading. While the book only partially concerns the Brady years, (which I wish there was more of) any fan of the show is bound to enjoy this look at the behind the scenes aspects, to find out what the real Marcia Brady was like, and whatever happened to her.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Maureen McCormick has gone through a lot in her life, and seems to now be in a good place, with a loving husband and daughter. Her road to this point, however, was a long and complicated one, full of insecurity, bulimia, drug addiction, and neuroses. While I empathize with the struggles that she faced, it is somewhat difficult to be completely supportive of her success with the opportunities she was given. I found by the end of the book that I was no longer rooting for McCormick, because she turned into a self-righteous god-fearing woman who was somehow less interesting and less empathetic. I am sure she is very nice in person, but I don't need to read about her.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I related to a lot of the mental health issues , and the shame coming from a toxic family environment. Lightbulb moments for me in this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Was a great read for me. The issues with family hit home. Thanks Steve
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    From the outside Maureen McCormick seemed to be perfect because she was in the perfect family; The Brady Bunch. But that was just the magic of television and she shares the behind the scenes struggles she faced that were the reality.

    In the beginning of the book I felt the timeline she was offering wasn’t clear but as the book continued she really seemed to follow her life and wonderfully brings the listener/reader along.

    Now well over a decade after the book’s release it’s so nice to see Maureen connecting again with the Brady kids for the original Brady house reconstruction. They, and of course Maureen, are a part of the American experience and she deserves good times for the good moments she brought to millions.

    This was an easy book to listen to and dive into over just a couple of days.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Holy crap! I would have never expected Marcia Brady to have gone through so much in her life. This is a good book to give to a preteen because she speaks a lot on growing up. It's more of a cautionary tale than a tell all. I would never want to try drugs after learning how much it ruined a huge chunk of her life.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The first few chapters were interesting and upbeat. She detailed her first modelling jobs as a little girl, and her time on The Brady Bunch. Hearing about her mother's health problems was heart-wrenching. But as the telling of her life unfolded, I just found my interest waning. By the time she found God and an equally religious fiance it was over and out for me.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I had high hopes for this book, after reading a great book by Alison Armigon (Nellie Oleson on Little House), but ugh. It felt like 600 pages of "I did cocaine with this person, then cocaine with this person, stole cocaine from that person, did cocaine in that room, did cocaine in this room, had sex with this person for cocaine .... " We get it. You were addicted to cocaine, yous lept around. All that, and yet very little talk about actually being on the set of Brady Bunch and acting and her interactions with her coworkers, what it was like to be a child actor, etc. And the book feels like it just tailed off into randomness and then was cut off due to lack of paper somehow. Very awkward.

    Definitely not a "read before sleep" book, it will give you nightmare about cocaine and elder abuse.

    I just can't recommend this book. It needed a LOT more editing and a great ghostwriter.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was loaned to me by an enthusiastic friend who told me that Maureen's story was very similar to the one I wrote in Sleep Before Evening. I found the book, which I read in a few days, pretty cheesy, cliche ridden, and superficial (she should have gotten a better ghostwriter), but despite all that, it was engrossing enough to distract me away from Salman Rushdie for a while, and there's a kind of open sincerity in Maureen's prose that is engaging enough.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Maureen McCormick is my favorite Brady Bunch member and I applaud her telling her story in such a candid way. But OMG, what a depressing story! I know she's found her way and is hopeful but I struggled through the book. I agree with other reviewers: she doesn't say much about her Brady Bunch experience or go into much detail about other acting experiences, but focuses instead on her struggles with addiction and mental health. The book is well written; I'm sure she speaks for many child stars.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's hard to believe that Maureen McCormick only played "Marcia Brady" on The Brady Bunch for five years. The Brady Bunch has become such a part of pop culture that it seems as if the series ran for much longer (syndication will do that, I guess).

    Although each of the child actors and actresses who portrayed the Brady kids became closely identified with his or her character, America (and a good deal of Hollywood) seems to find it most difficult to separate Maureen McCormick from Marcia Brady. Hence the rationale for writing this book. Life in the Brady household was picture-perfect ... and whatever problems or crises erupted were easily solved within the episode. And nobody was more perfect and more idolized than Marcia.

    Here's the Story gives a backstage look at McCormick's life before, during, and especially after starring on The Brady Bunch. Much of the publicity surrounding the book's release centered on the juicy tidbits she reveals within: the confirmation of her romance with Barry Williams, who played big brother Greg; the wild parties at the Playboy Mansion; the dates with Steve Martin and Michael Jackson. While I initially picked up this book because of these nuggets, that's not what the book is about.

    Judging people on what we perceive them to be is a recurrent theme throughout the book. As a young girl, McCormick's father lectures his offspring around the kitchen table about judging others - a bitter irony in so many respects, particularly in regards to McCormick's parents' relationship, her own relationship with her mother, her view of herself, and of course, America's view of how life must be for Marcia/Maureen. She writes poignantly about her brother Denny, who is intellectually handicapped, and the harsh judgement that is inflicted on him by her friends who weren't allowed to stay overnight (for fears that Denny could be get violent) or when he hears people calling him a "retard" and asks his sister what that means. On a personal level, I would have liked to have read more of her experience and thoughts on having a sibling with special needs, but that's not what the book is about.

    Ultimately, this is a book about the process of accepting yourself for who you truly are - not who or what society dictates that you are, even if you are Marcia Brady. Here's the Story is a fast read, made such because a good deal of the writing tends to stray into cliches and banality with frequent uses of "cool" and "hot." At times it seems as if Marcia herself is writing this memoir, especially when reading such passages as this, when discussing her romance with co-star Barry Williams.

    "There was so much electricity between us that I felt the hair on my arms stand up every time we got close to each other on the set. I thought about Barry even when I had scenes with other guys. I used to ask myself how I could ever look in eyes other than his liquid blues and feel such love.

    Gag me with a spoon, for sure.

    The most gripping parts of this book comes in the last several chapters. The reader feels McCormick's pain as she discusses her mother's death and the family dynamics playing out in the aftermath. Unlike on a sit-com, there's no easy resolution to these messy and emotionally painful issues.

    I liked this book more than I thought I would, and give it 3.5 stars (out of 5). Would recommend reading if you're a Brady Bunch fan, but moreso as an interesting read about the struggle for self-acceptance on all levels.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really enjoyed this audiobook, Maureen has a lovely voice and reads it in a very relaxed way so it's very easy to listen to! Plus, what an interesting life story and one with ups and downs many of people will relate to.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Interesting book--I really didn't know much about any of the actual characters of the show so it was interesting to read in-depth details about a challenging life that has seemed to end on a positive role.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I grew up watching Brady Bunch re-runs, so I was excited to read this book. I had no idea that Maureen went through so many hardships. I guess I was naive, but I thought she was more Marcia-ish. This story shows that she had a completely different life outside of what was seen on the screen.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I thought that it showed great courage to write this book. Really enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I found this book to be quite engrossing. Who knew Marcia Brady was a cocaine addict. Yes, the book was also very sad. I think Maureen McCormick is probably still pretty messed up, even though she tried to tie the book up in a happy ending. I am not so sure I buy it. I did however like that she really barred all this memoir. I really found it fascinating. The only complaint I had was that chronologically she jumped around a lot. I had a hard time keeping track of what year it was. She would tell a story about something that happened in the 1984 and then a few paragraphs later would talk about something that happened either earlier or later and then come back to 1984. Other than that, I was actually impressed with her writing. Every easy to read, yet again, very engrossing. For anyone who likes the Brady Bunch or is even interested in the 1970’s or who just likes a good memoir, I would recommend this.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    She opens up about her flaws and strengths. I loved it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Maureen McCormick isn't Marcia Brady.