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A review by historyofjess
Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book totally captivated me such that I ended up finishing it in just two sittings. It contains everything that I love about Hannah Gadsby's comedy, which includes humor but also brutal honesty and vulnerability. Gadsby tells her life story, which includes her coming out journey, and her twin paths to being diagnosed with both ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, in addition to her history as a comedian and her young life in Tasmania. Her queer journey is told alongside the evolution of gay rights in Tasmania and Australia, where she grew up and serves as an important context for Gadsby's internalized homophobia and shame. It's an incredible experience to go with Hannah on a journey through her discovery of herself. It can be painful, as any fan of her knows she has had more than her share of trauma, but her unique voice and brand of introspection (and yes, humor) guides you through it all.
The piece of the book that has really left a huge impression on me is how Hannah discusses her family, in particular her mother. While Gadsby's often uses her mother in her comedy as a source of many punchlines, and does as well in this book, she is an anchor point in this memoir. "Mom," as she is always called, does not always make things easy for her daughter and her dry wit can come off as cold, but her appearance in this memoir is always threaded through with love and as I read through the final pages of the book I found myself very emotional in experiencing the intense love that Gadsby and her mother shared. Of course, Gadsby acknowledges how much she loves her mother in the introduction of this book, but it's one thing to be told that another to experience it through her stories. It's really quite beautiful.
The piece of the book that has really left a huge impression on me is how Hannah discusses her family, in particular her mother. While Gadsby's often uses her mother in her comedy as a source of many punchlines, and does as well in this book, she is an anchor point in this memoir. "Mom," as she is always called, does not always make things easy for her daughter and her dry wit can come off as cold, but her appearance in this memoir is always threaded through with love and as I read through the final pages of the book I found myself very emotional in experiencing the intense love that Gadsby and her mother shared. Of course, Gadsby acknowledges how much she loves her mother in the introduction of this book, but it's one thing to be told that another to experience it through her stories. It's really quite beautiful.