The Monkey on My Back by Debbi Morgan Available Now

I've been a Debbi Morgan fan the first time I saw her on an episode of What's Happening. Even though she only had a recurring role, she lit up the room. I remember saying to myself, "I want to be like her when I grow up." I mean, what child doesn't want to be like someone that they see on television? Years later, she was cast as Dr. Angela Baxter on All My Children...later becoming Dr. Angela Baxter Hubbard. Again, her presence lit up the room. I was happy when I found out she's a Tweeter(Twitter). But, I was beside myself the first time she responded to one of my tweets. I mean I think I had to regain my composure...guess you can say I'm groupie. 

Debbi has a new title to add to her resume...Author. When Debbi tweeted that her memoir, The Monkey on my Back would be released this summer, I immediately added the date to my calendar. I had to have it. Today is that day. The Monkey on my Back is available nationwide.

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Infinite Words-Simon & Schuster Imprint (June 23, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593096429
• ISBN-13: 978-1593096427
• Click here to purchase from Amazon
• Click here to purchase from Barnes and Noble

About the book: A deeply personal memoir spanning three generations of women, this is the intimate autobiography of Emmy Award–winning actress Debbi Morgan, best known as Angie Hubbard on the long-running soap opera All My Children.

Raised in the South Bronx and beloved for the diverse and captivating characters she’s played, Debbi Morgan enjoyed a thirty-year tenure on All My Children before joining the cast of The Young and the Restless and later appearing opposite Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson in several films. But this book is not about her career, and it’s not about Hollywood. It’s not even about her rise to stardom. Charting her family history as well as her own life from childhood to the present in this compelling memoir, Debbi reveals the fear, doubt, and insecurities she’s struggled with for much of her life—and how she escaped a vicious cycle of pain to find self-confidence, happiness, and success.

Early on in her family history, an ugly pattern of abuse developed into fear, insecurity, self-doubt, and emotional trauma, which passed down from one generation to the next. From her maternal grandmother, who was beaten by her husband as they struggled through the Great Depression, to Debbi’s mother, who became pregnant as a young teen and suffered the same abuse as her mother, down to Debbi, who internalized the physical abuse she watched her mother endure, a deep-rooted fear plagued all three generations of women. But through it all, Debbi endured, and with a good dose of humor and self-compassion, she emerged with the deepest love of herself—and her mojo quite intact!

Told with intense emotion, candor, and a barrage of belly laughs, Debbi shares a deeply moving, explosive, yet inspirational journey about what it took to break the cycle and emerge as a confident, fearless woman.

My review: Without a doubt, one of the best memoirs that I've read in a very long time. I applaud Debbi for her transparency. It takes a lot open up to the world and discuss personal issues that not only happened to you, but other family members. I could feel the "monkey" that Debbi spoke of as I turned each page. As I read the final page...the last sentence, I felt that I was able to exhale with Debbi. The "monkey" was gone. I recommend this book to everyone. It receives a five star review and a fist bump. 

**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**