My Mama, Cass: A Memoir

Being off from work, I was able to read this lovely book in one sitting. Owen does a terrific job in making her talented Mom come to life; you cannot help but feel tremendous sadness that Cass died SO young. And, yes, she does talk about her biological father. What struck me was how much and how hard her Mom worked, all the traveling she had to do. So the time they spent together was precious. Well worth reading if you are a fan but also so very sad.

This is such a tender, down to earth account of a daughter about her mom. Along with her very vivid memories and piecing together accounts from her mom's friends, Owen has written a book to memorialize and help us get to know her mother as we never have before.

So like another reviewer, this is a 3.5 rounded up to 4 star review. However, I have my reasons.First and foremost, this is a memoir. This is not meant to be a historical account of the particulars of Cass’ career, either with a group or solo. In examining her mother’s career, Owen does a good job giving important touch points and pointing to other sources for those that want to know more of the nitty-gritty. Owen wasn’t in the recording studio and doesn’t presume to know a lot of what went on within the group or the machinations behind her mother’s solo career. This is a daughter’s attempt to look at a mother’s career and see how it lead her from one point in her life to another.The raw material, in the way of Owen’s narrative, is wonderful. There are SO many great points she raises and it really makes one think. However, the main problem is this: whoever edited the book. As an author and music historian, I know how a strong editor can help take good raw material and make it great. There are some threads in here- such as Cass’ health issues leading to her death- that are just dropped. Owen speculates about the health issues, for example, but a satisfying conclusion from her isn’t really presented. A strong editor would have drawn a bit more on this. Instead, it sort of just dangles there. There are other bits that could have been combined, as they repeat (sometimes in the course of a chapter). Again, these aren’t big and don’t detract from the overall memoir, but I feel the publisher and editor should be aware they could have done this book much better justice than they did. I wanted to know more about Owen’s solo career. Where are the completed tracks she cut for her solo album now? Did the record company ever give them back? Can we get an EP out of them?Additionally, I wanted to know more about Cass’ recordings since the advent of the compact disc. How has Owen been involved about remastering them? Are there outtakes or other materials that can be drawn upon? How did losing the master recordings of her mother in the 2008 Universal fire impact her not only as a daughter, but custodian of the estate? Again, a good editor could have prompted a bit more and the end result would have felt more full.Overall- any fan of Cass needs to read this book. It’s a solid memoir and I can see it being used in future works on Cass. It just could have been taken to the next level by a more caring and careful editor and publisher.

I loved this book … and I was disappointed in this book. Touted as a reflections and insights into Cass Elliot, the book is actually a bio of Cass and a memoir of her daughter. Fewer than half of the chapters are actually about Cass with nuggets of her life sprinkled through the second half. Her daughter has led an interesting life and she provides so much insight. The problem is that I purchased a bio of Cass, not her daughter. This book should have been half the length.That said, the first half of the book is wonderful and provides great insight into the life of a musical treasure.

Having recently read "All the Leaves Are Brown", by Scott G. Shea, which goes into great detail about the rise and fall of the Mamas and Papas, I hesitated to read this one, I must admit. I mean, how much more could it possible tell me? Oh, I'm so glad I didn't heed my hesitation..Whereas Shea's book focuses on the dynamics and lives of all the group members, the focus here is on not just Cass Elliott but how her life and death impacted her daughter, Owen, who was only seven when Cass died. Much to her credit, Owen, who never even knew who her biological father was until a decade plus past Cass's death, neither ignores nor elevates the '60s lifestyle her mother lead. She draws on friends and family members to flesh out the woman she was only beginning to know before Cass died in London during a solo tour. You'll recognize many of those names, I'm sure. There are some very personal memories, too, such as acknowledging that she still has the ABC blanket with animals on it that was one of her last physical connections to her mother or remembering how the jangle of the bracelets Cass wore reminded her of wind chimes. In other words, this is a book written from love.I won't detail Cass's life other than say she learned early to hide her hurt with humor, something that allowed her to carry on despite cruel jokes at the expense of her weight. Owen does clarify that the rumor of what caused her mother's death, that dang sandwich, were false. Raised by her aunt and grandmother, Owen's life wasn't an easy one. Nothing like one my think life of a superstar's child might be. The book doesn't point fingers, nothing salacious about anyone, but doesn't hide the fact that Owen had to have therapy as a child and struggled in school. She did seem to inherit her mother's creativity and love of music, however, and even came close to being a part of.....nope, not telling. You'll recognize the group name, however.Owen never hesitates to reveal her feelings of vulnerability, whether as a struggling youth or trying to connect with her biological father. I came away from the book admiring her greatly. She's taken an unflinching look but endearing look at her mother, writing with love, and has a smooth, easy writing style. If you have any interest in the 1960's lifestyle/music scene, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. So many what ifs, too, from "What if Cass had lived?" to "What if Owen had grown up not only with her mother's love but surrounded by the music scene?" or even "What if she'd known her father as a child?" In other words, this book makes you think while sharing a very personal story. Thanks #NetGalley and #HatchetteBooks for allowing me to read it early. I've always marveled at that remarkable voice of Cass Elliott, so I thoroughly enjoyed this far more-personal-than-most peek into her life and am delighted to see her daughter's voice emerge as a writer.

Amazing read!