The heartwarming memoir of beloved television actress Valerie Harper, best known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and on Rhoda. Valerie Harper was an unknown actress when she won the groundbreaking role of Rhoda Morgenstern, Mary Tyler Moore’s lovable and self-deprecating on-screen best friend. Bold and hilarious, the native New Yorker and struggling working girl was unlucky in love and insecure about her weight—in other words, every woman’s best friend. Harper represented a self-reliant new identity for women of the 1970s. She fought for equal rights alongside feminists Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug; and her incredible showbiz journey, which began on Broadway with Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason, led her to four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. Harper is upbeat and funny, and her inspiring life story is laced with triumphs and transformative obstacles. This beloved actress’s incredible pluck, indomitable spirit, and warm and generous heart have touched our lives and kept us entertained for decades.

A fiction collection, including two new stories, from the award-winning author: “Rhoda is a fully realized creation. And not one to be dismissed lightly.”—Entertainment Weekly From Ellen Gilchrist, a National Book Award winner and “national treasure” (The Washington Post), this volume includes twenty-three stories starring Rhoda Manning—“the shining manifestation of Gilchrist’s wry, intelligent, and passionate writing” (Kirkus Review). Follow Rhoda from age eight to age sixty, as she grows from a hot-tempered, impetuous child to a complex, confident adult. Even at a young age, Rhoda loves to get her way, boasting a unique spark that only shines brighter in an adulthood full of sex and excitement. From diet pills to multiple marriages to far-reaching travels and a writing career, Rhoda’s relentless hunger for adventure will delight all who accompany her on her journeys. “A winner…Rhoda is as real as anyone who has ever ‘lived’ in a book.”—Library Journal “Rhoda loves to shop, swear and get her own way; she has always been a vivid and indelible character.”—Publishers Weekly “One of the most engaging and surprisingly lovable characters in modern fiction.”—Robert Olen Butler

The behind-the-scenes story of the making of the classic television series offers insight into how the influential show reflected changing American perspectives and was a first situation comedy to employ numerous women as writers and producers.

In the spirit of Anne Lamott and Nora Ephron comes Janze's hilarious and moving memoir about a woman who returns home to her close-knit Mennonite family after a personal crisis.

Do you know someone who is hard to please? Rhoda's mother is never satisfied with her young daughter's decisions. Finding a job in Chicago after Rhoda graduated was one of those decisions. When Rhoda was lured into locating a missing friend, she was forced to make consequential decisions that turned up conflicting evidence and trusting relationships. Will she be able to unravel the clues in time or admit she is not able to live in the fast-paced life disavowed by her mother?