There are people in the world that others wish they could emulate. There are the big ones like Mother Teresa and Gandhi, but then there are also the little ones. For instance, when I was 10, I really wanted to be Marie Osmond. The woman had eight siblings, she was an actress and she could sing very well. When most kids were sleeping in until their parents insisted that they be awake for at least half of the natural daylight hours, I would set my alarm for 7:50 in the morning to watch the Donny and Marie Show every day in the summer. It may have been 1995 or 1996, but I dusted off my dad's old turntable and pulled out my mother's old vinyl records so that I could listen to "Paper Roses" over and over again until my parents threatened to use the record as a Frisbee for our dog.

The above is an excerpt from a nonfiction piece that I wrote on people that helped me sculpt myself into the person I wanted to be.  Marie was an influence in my life that helped me mold my life for a number of reasons.  Having this book in my hands was a long time coming.  I love Marie Osmond A LOT.  And after my thought provoking and deep experience reading Maureen McCormick's book, I needed a pick me up.  My number four pick in this journey was a no brainer!


Might As Well Laugh About It Now:
Marie Osmond has that squeaky Osmond image.  I think that although this book exposes some of those imperfect moments that Marie has experienced in her life, Marie still lives up to the "good-girl" image.  She is still a good and Godly person.  She maintains her faith and grounded in family throughout all of the crazy Osmond family fame.  All the other biographies are about the recovery from the character that the person is known for and the mistakes that they made.  I feel like Marie's book is different because she didn't totally play a character.  Her actual name was attached to the characters and work that she did. 

Her trademark sense of humor and light tone is evident in her writing.  She can take a serious situation and change the mood in a heartbeat.  This is clearly something that she does in her every day life.  Everyone who watches tv may remember that little moment on Dancing with the Stars when Marie fainted on live television--after which she recovered with a slight bow to the crowd!  It is this kind of action that makes Marie who she is.  If you want a nice story that ends with a good laugh, read the chapter titled "I'd rather play the toilet."  Haha... still make me laugh every time!

Interesting points in her story were recounts of some of the struggles.  Although a grounded Osmond, Marie was not immune to hardship.  Feeling less than perfect in the beauty department is something most girls experience at one time or another.  Being on a television show and hearing that you should lose some weight is one thing, but to overhear someone calling you the fat sister when you are quite young must be even more devastating.  Bouts with anorexia, bulimia and emotional eating are some of the most serious matters that Marie covers in her book.  It saddens me that beautiful young girls like Marie must face societies imperfections, but it is even worse that these young women only know dangerous ways to take matters into their own hands. 

One last thing, the way that Marie listens to the voice within her is truly gorgeous.  She may not always understand what the voice is asking her to do, but over and over again she sees that it pays off to listen.  Her children are safe from a fire and her integrity has not been compromised.  I would hope that more people would be able to do the same... but then again Marie has had a lifetime of learning how to hear the proper voice.  Others might need some "training" in what the voice within them sounds like.

Osmond and Marie Osmond fans will love this book... but I think that so many others will enjoy a somewhat light-hearted story of a beautful woman.  She has learned so much along the way and can now share that journey.  Plus the stories involving her mom, Olive Osmond, truly show the goodness that humans can share with one another.