Cack-Handed: A Memoir

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Yashere's story is one that I am so glad has been told. She grew up in the poorer parts of London, raised with her siblings by a single mother who emigrated from Nigeria. Throughout the book, Gina recounts her experiences as part of the "lost generation" of Nigerian children born abroad, her educational journey that took her to a career in engineering that then swerved into her flourishing comedy career, with hints about her coming out story along the way as well. But despite all the discrimination she faces throughout her life due to her race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, Yashere never defines herself by her struggles.

Editorial Director Joel Simons says: ‘Gina Yashere is a trailblazer and comedy legend, and I’m delighted to be publishing her at HarperNonFiction. Her story is moving, inspiring and very, very funny – and all told with wonderful charm and honesty.’I wasn’t disappointed in the least. I chose to listen to the book for once rather than read it and it was a good choice. Hearing the accents and Gina’s boisterous intonations brought her story to life in a fun way. It ended up being rather anticlimactic and I thought it was interesting. I immediately wondered if her controlling and conservative mother (who wouldn’t even let her go to friends’ parties in the neighborhood or take swimming lessons at school) would have been so passive, if Gina wasn’t the successful international comedian she was. From birth, Gina carried a similar birthmark – a sign that she was her grandmother’s chosen heir, and would fulfil Patience’s dreams. Gina would learn to speak perfect English, live unfettered by men or children, work a man’s job, and travel the world with a free spirit. Is she the reincarnation of her grandmother? Maybe.

Going to Church Doesn't Make You a Holy Person Any More Than Going to a Garage Makes You a Mechanic 59 The author shares how she navigated her relationship with her mother and how her mother's moods and parenting affected her life. We also learn that she turned to comedy as a way to mitigate some of the racialized violence she experienced and how writing this book helped her understand her mother and her history in a brand-new way. It's always great learning about somebody else's experience. That's how we all grow as people, is something not similar to our lives,There is no man, woman or child funnier than Gina Yashere. They may be as funny but definitely not funnier. If you don't believe me, read this funny ass book." Chris Spencer Not me thinking I spaced out in the later half , only to relisten to this again to find out I didn't space out and it was infact how the book ended. 😂

The British comedian of Nigerian heritage and co-executive producer and writer of the CBS hit series Bob Hearts Abishola chronicles her odyssey to get to America and break into Hollywood in this lively and humorous memoir.The memoir is about the history of the author's life and what it was like growing up as the daughter of two Nigerian immigrants in the U.K. during the 80s. We see the first twenty-five years of the author's life growing up in London, England, where racism was at the forefront of everything. She became the first woman engineer at Otis elevators in over one-hundred-year history. This is a very humorous memoir, but it also covers some pretty dark subjects. It’s her well-evoked earliest years which pull you into her story, though, built loosely around a family legend that considers her the resurrection of her murdered Nigerian grandmother, Patience, destined to fulfil a prophecy that she would ‘speak perfect English, live unfettered by men or children, work a man’a job and travel the world as a free spirit’. I was a bit disappointed when I came to the end, because I was expecting more about her life in America, but maybe it's going to be written about in another memoir? The British comedian of Nigerian heritage and co-executive producer and writer of the CBS hit series Bob Hearts Abisholachronicles her odyssey to get to America and break into Hollywood in this lively and humorous memoir. At the heart of her story is her work ethic and sense of humor. Yashere is all about that hustle. She consistently works harder and is funnier than the (mostly white, male) other people in the room, and that's why she has succeeded.