The Cost of Being the Perfect Daughter: A Review of I’m Glad My Mom Died
The Cost of Being the Perfect Daughter: A Review of I’m Glad My Mom Died The title of Jennette McCurdy’s memoir is provocative by design, but it is neither a cruel joke nor a declaration of simple hatred. I’m Glad My Mom Died is about the complicated relief that can follow the death of an abusive parent—especially when that parent was also loved, idealized, feared, and obeyed. It is a memoir about grief without sentimentality, abuse disguised as devotion, and the painful process of developing an identity after spending a lifetime performing for someone else. McCurdy is best known for playing Sam Puckett on the Nickelodeon shows iCarly and Sam & Cat . From the outside, her childhood appeared extraordinary: she became a successful actor, achieved financial security, and gained millions of fans. Her memoir dismantles that image. Behind the professional success was a child who did not particularly want to act, a mother determined to make her famous, and an entertainment industr...