You may remember Mara Wilson as the little girl with the lisp in Mrs. Doubtfire or Matilda, the precocious little girl with the expressive face. But that was years ago and Mara Wilson has grown up and has published a book of essays, giving up a glimpse into her life.
Where Am I Now? is a delightful read and Mara Wilson is a wonderful storyteller. I’m amazed at the level of detail so many of her stories have, considering that they take place from when she was a young girl, to now. Her essays span the length of her life so far and range from working as a child actor, to her high school experiences, and to college and beyond.
I found her stories to be so different than what I was expecting. She writes about not fitting in at school and dealing with OCD and anxiety. She discusses the pitfalls of not only growing up as a child actor, but growing up and not being the cute little girl anymore, something she found out when she realized a role she was auditioning for was the “fat” girl.
There’s not a lot of humor in her stories. This is an honest look into Mara Wilson’s life, more of a coming-of-age memoir. At times she can seem a bit harsh and you may not like everything she has to say. But I think that just shows how human she is.
I had the opportunity to see Mara Wilson in person when she gave a reading at Seattle Town Hall last month. She was completely changed and so grown up from her Matilda and Miracle on 34th Street days. For someone who had grown up in the spotlight, she was very posed and down to earth. I greatly enjoyed listening to her talk and reading her essays.
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