Hello, Molly! is a multi-faceted love story, a candid and touching memoir by Molly Shannon (Tilly the Trickster), Emmy-nominated actress and comedian. Shannon was a six-year cast member of Saturday Night Live, her inimitable humor steeped in paying close attention to the people in her life. Her psyche was imprinted at the age of four when a car crash claimed the lives of her mother, her younger sister and a cousin. The tragic accident was caused by her father, who was driving while tired and under the influence.
Shannon, adventurous from an early age, possessed an innately cheerful and positive disposition, which saved her. She drew upon humor to lighten her load--and also help dispel bouts of depression and guilt that plagued her usually colorful, open-minded father. The two served as cheerleaders, confidantes and touchstones for each other. This beautiful father-daughter story is woven throughout the memoir, which includes many funny anecdotes about Shannon's hard work, dedication, resilience and sacrifice on her road to stardom. She employed many laugh-out-loud, creative career strategies en route to SNL. Once there, she honed many memorable, quirky characters, including Catholic school misfit Mary Katherine Gallagher. Shannon's conversationally styled narrative reflects her wholly original brand of comedy.
Shannon expresses sincere gratitude for those who believed in and boosted her career. However, the story of her enduring love for her absent mother and sister--as well as the bond she shared with her bighearted father--casts Shannon in a new light, one that radiates with heartfelt sensitivity. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines