★ 03/01/2020
Kalb (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) channels the voice of her recently deceased grandmother Bobby Bell to share the multigenerational story of women in her family. Narrated from Bobby's perspective, this "representation of a life" begins with Bobby's mother's immigration from Russia to America and concludes with Kalb's writing of the book. Kalb deftly captures her grandmother's fierce, loving, and particular personality with the aid of saved voicemails, family photos, and stories of the strong-minded women in their family. Bobby explained that she treated Kalb as an equal so that they'd be friends, and the relationship between the two was admirably strong. Especially charming is Bobby's advice, often unsolicited and always honest, about Kalb's well-being. As Bobby's death inevitably arrives, Kalb's grief is gracefully expressed through imagined conversations and observations. VERDICT Striking a perfect balance between levity and poignancy, this is a standout debut. Readers looking for memoirs featuring strong family relationships with much love and laughter will be highly satisfied.—Anitra Gates, Erie Cty. P.L., PA
12/16/2019
Jimmy Kimmel Live! writer Kalb honors her late grandmother, Bobby Bell, in an amusing debut memoir written in the grandmother’s sassy voice. The book, framed as a love letter to Kalb and featuring excerpts from grandma’s funny voice mails and phone calls, contains intriguing family stories about Kalb’s great-grandmother, who, at 12, emigrated to New York from Belarus, alone, to escape Jewish persecution; about Bobby’s marriage to Kalb’s grandfather, a scrappy businessman who got rich building houses; and about Bobby’s contentious relationship with Kalb’s fiercely independent mother. Kalb does a great job of capturing the voice of an opinionated, chronically concerned grandmother who’s convinced that she knows best. Bobby shares her thoughts on everything from Kalb’s choice of pets (“we are not cat people”) to her decision to live in San Francisco (“San Francisco is for people who wear polar fleece to restaurants and try to convince each other to go camping”). The book spans Bobby’s life and beyond (there are cheeky sections written from beyond the grave) and offers both wisdom and unsolicited advice (“you’d be gorgeous if you went a little blonder”). This is a fun, touching tribute to family, and the perfect book for anyone who treasures their domineering, spirited grandmother. (Mar.)
"A funny, touching and timely reminder of the solace to be found in kindred spirits." —People
“I delighted in Bobby’s joy. I cried twice.” —Miranda Popkey, The New York Times Book Review
"A poignant and funny look at four generations of women." —Stephanie Merry, The Washington Post
"A unique take on a close daughter-grandmother relationship; a beautiful tribute to Kalb's grandmother, Bobby. Told in her hilarious grandmother’s voice, Bess’s memoir chronicles her family’s story and the love story between these two fabulous women." —Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
"Reliably funny...poignant on the aftermath of loss. Written from the sometimes acerbic, sometimes sweet and always laser-sharp perspective of [Kalb's grandmother,] Bobby Bell ... in between are loving recollections of their relationship, including snippets of conversations and voicemails and a steady supply of life advice."—Chris Barton, Los Angeles Times
“I have never read anything that feels truer to my experience of having a Jewish grandmother than Nobody Will Tell You This But Me. Bess Kalb’s memoir is told from the perspective of her grandmother, Bobby, and Bess captures her voice beautifully. Funny, heartwarming, deeply moving.”
—Emily Burack, Hey Alma
"A love story that resonates across generations . . . Grandma Bobby's personality radiates from the page. Like a set of nesting dolls, those stories begin as Grandma Bobby recalls the life story of her own mother, [whose] profound vulnerability—and genius at survival—marks the matrilineal line. With determination, creative thinking and practical planning, Bobby helps lift herself and her family out of their gritty working-class roots and into a comfortable lifestyle she eagerly shares with her granddaughter, Bess. The two were instant soulmates . . . The way Kalb honors her grandmother is a testament to their connection. Original, moving, and funny." —Alison Buckholtz, The Florida Times-Union
“Funny, tender and incredibly moving . . . Both a family history and a celebration of the bond between grandmother and granddaughter—a book that gives you a solid cathartic weep and a renewed sense of joy in family ties.” —Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post
“I have not been as profoundly moved by a book in years. If you have a mother or grandmother, or ARE a mother or a grandmother, this is required reading. Bess Kalb's fictional-factual tribute to the relationship she had with her grandmother—the way her history was passed to her by blood, along with bright memories and Jewish guilt and fierce, fierce love—could have been my own story. When I stop crying, I'm calling my mother immediately and making her read it.” —Jodi Picoult
“Tender, funny, fresh, and unconventional, Nobody Will Tell You This But Me manages to make something new and wonderful out of a family memoir. Kalb has a light, lovely touch and a big heart, which combine to make this book irresistible.” —Susan Orlean
“I am in love with the all-consuming, hilarious, primal relationship between Bess Kalb and her late grandmother, Bobby Bell. This memoir made my heart swell, my eyes alight in amazement and joy. Bobby regales her granddaughter with her infinite wisdom, which is almost always over the top and a little bit critical but delivered with love's exuberance.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Book Review
“Lively and fascinating, funny yet poignant. There are laughs galore throughout the book . . . [yet] Kalb processes her own grief as she writes, sharing how she reacted in the days following her grandmother’s death. Kalb pulls off [a] daring approach brilliantly—in a bold stroke of literary bravura, she has turned the formula for writing memoirs inside out, bringing her grandmother’s distinctive voice back to life and sharing it with a legion of lucky readers . . . Enthralling.” —Alice Cary, BookPage [starred review]
“Nobody Will Tell You This But Me is precisely that—a book no one other than Bess Kalb would think to create. It’s an invented form that has bursts of comic lines as good as in any movie, and pathos as deep as in any novel. I love this book.” —Mike Birbiglia, author of Sleepwalk with Me and The New One
“We are the stories we leave behind, and so we must depend on the storytellers who carry forward our memories. 'Grandma Bobby' gave Bess Kalb gifts of love and language (and lunches at the Plaza!), and in this deeply moving and powerful book, Bess repays her in full with a magnificent act of conjuring. Bobby, and the line of stubborn women of which she was the keystone, lives on in this act of love. This book made me miss my own grandmother, who didn’t have Bobby’s style, but was just as fierce. I wish I had listened to her as carefully as Bess did to Bobby.” —Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!
"Thank you Bess Kalb for giving us Bobby. She is hilarious and honest and heartbreaking and completely alive in these pages—and I love her." —Gary Janetti, author of Do You Mind If I Cancel?
“An endearing, bittersweet, entertainingly fresh take on the family memoir. Kalb employs an unconventional yet highly effective and charming narrative, channeling the voice and personality of her grandmother, Bobby Bell, who snares readers' attention right from the first, [as] Kalb sharply reimagines her inner thoughts and remembers her fiercely nurturing criticism. The narrative skillfully captures Bobby's wit, worldly advice, well-intentioned meddling, and enduring love for her granddaughter. Readers familiar with the Bobby in their own families will appreciate the stoic overprotectiveness and exasperation that come with being a parent and grandparent. As the book progresses, the story becomes both sad and poignant—the photos and the imagined conversations make for sometimes heartbreaking reading, honoring a beloved grandmother’s legacy.” —Kirkus [starred review]
Listeners will hear the admiration in television writer Bess Kalb's voice as she expresses the determined spirit of her beloved grandmother, Bobby Bell, with whom she shared a special bond. As Kalb recounts their many conversations, listeners will come to share in her pride in her grandmother's wise counsel. Kalb's narration flows from one anecdote to another, allowing listeners to piece together Bobby's history, and that of Bobby's mother, father, and other relatives, who emigrated to America from Russia. While Kalb does not attempt to imitate the voices of her relations, she creates vivid characterizations with slight shifts in intonation and pitch. Bobby's remembrances do not shy away from the enormous difficulties of those times, which will bring comfort to listeners facing today's struggles. M.J. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Listeners will hear the admiration in television writer Bess Kalb's voice as she expresses the determined spirit of her beloved grandmother, Bobby Bell, with whom she shared a special bond. As Kalb recounts their many conversations, listeners will come to share in her pride in her grandmother's wise counsel. Kalb's narration flows from one anecdote to another, allowing listeners to piece together Bobby's history, and that of Bobby's mother, father, and other relatives, who emigrated to America from Russia. While Kalb does not attempt to imitate the voices of her relations, she creates vivid characterizations with slight shifts in intonation and pitch. Bobby's remembrances do not shy away from the enormous difficulties of those times, which will bring comfort to listeners facing today's struggles. M.J. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
★ 2019-12-03
A Jewish "matrilineal love story" uniquely narrated by a voice from beyond the grave.
TV writer Kalb employs an unconventional yet highly effective and charming narrative device, channeling the voice and personality of her now-deceased grandmother Bobby Bell. Outspoken and persnickety, Bobby snares readers' attention right from her first comments about how "degrading" and boring being dead actually is and how "the worst part was the dirt." Drawn from both a generous selection of family images and a text very much grounded in the family's Jewish heritage, the narrative skillfully captures Bobby's wit, worldly advice, well-intentioned meddling, and enduring love for her granddaughter. Bobby describes her mother as an "enormous Russian immigrant in a falling-down house" who arrived in Brooklyn speaking no English. Bobby also comments on her near-fatal bout with meningitis, her marriage to the author's grandfather, and her lifelong friendship with Estelle, her sorority sister and fellow Jewish Brooklynite. Kalb sharply reimagines her grandmother's inner thoughts and feelings as she regales readers with anecdotes about her life and remembers her biting yet fiercely nurturing criticism of the author's choices in men ("is he Jewish?"), her appearance ("you'd be gorgeous if you went a little blonder"), and her relocation to the West Coast ("no serious person moves to San Francisco"). The true heart and soul of their relationship is reflected in the frequent phone exchanges between grandmother and granddaughter, most of which are hysterical. Readers familiar with the Bobby in their own families will appreciate how well Kalb embodies the classic stereotypes of stoic overprotectiveness and frequent exasperation that come with being a parent and grandparent. As the book progresses, the story becomes both sad and poignant as age and illness catch up to Bobby, and though she pokes fun at her situation, the photos and the imagined conversations make for sometimes-heartbreaking reading. Through interviews with her mother and grandfather, voicemails, and nostalgic memorabilia, Kalb commemorates her beloved grandmother, honoring her legacy and inimitable character.
An endearing, bittersweet, and entertainingly fresh take on the family memoir.