After seeing the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford at Brett Kavanaugh's 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearings mocked, disregarded and silenced, Lauren Blitzer, Kristin Chenoweth, Kathy Najimy, Linda Perry and Chely Wright began gathering stories from women. They asked: "What was the moment in your life when you realized you were ready to fight for yourself?" The remarkable My Moment--moving, empowering and impossible to put down--collects those inspiring responses. Each of the more than 100 entries from a diverse group of women is paired with a striking black-and-white photograph of its author.
Rosie O'Donnell recounts how, a month after her mother died, she took over the caretaker role to her four siblings: "i left my childhood behind--/ to take my place in the world of adults/ where eleven-year-olds don't belong." Actress and musician Zosia Mamet discusses the turning point in her 24-year battle with anorexia. Ricki Lake's moment was going public about her significant hair loss, which she'd kept hidden for 25 years. Kristin Chenoweth relates being injured severely on the set of the TV show The Good Wife and keeping mum for fear the entertainment industry would perceive her as weak. Rosanna Arquette writes about being blacklisted in the 1990s after resisting Harvey Weinstein's advances, and her decision to go public in 2017. Chely Wright lived on the brink of suicide after wrestling for years with her place in country music as a closeted lesbian, and Brandi Carlile remembers a Baptist pastor who publicly refused to baptize her as a teenager. MJ Rodriguez was seven years old when she realized: "You're not the one catching up with the world, the world needs to catch up with you."
This stirring tribute to strength and perseverance will resonate with everyone, regardless of gender. --Kevin Howell, independent reviewer and marketing consultant