My Review
Growing up, Friday night was my favorite TV night, with a lineup that included The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family. I was the same age as the youngest Brady kids, so of course I found that show particularly interesting. The Brady Bunch was an elementary school water cooler show -- we liked Jan and Marcia's groovy outfits, and debated whether Peter or Greg was cuter.
I love retro nostalgia, and have enjoyed reading previous Brady biographies by Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick, so of course I looked forward to Eve Plumb's book too.
This is a wonderful biography - a bit quieter and more introspective, but so thoughtful and well written. I particularly enjoyed reading Eve's memories of The Brady Bunch. They included passages like:
"In season 3 we were granted the go-ahead to increase the miles between the Stage 5 set and a remote location. The show was going to the Grand Canyon as the Brady family vacation. We were thrilled at the chance for a real adventure! It was my first time at the Grand Canyon. We arrived the evening before the first day of filming, and the dark abyss of the canyon at night, and the splay of brilliant stars like a dome from horizon to horizon, was both scary and breathtaking." (ebook location 1383).
Eve has a lifelong close friendship with Christopher Knight ("Peter"), the other Brady middle child. She shares sweet memories of Florence Henderson (kind, bubbly, warm), Ann B. Davis (a consummate professional), and Robert Reed (who was like a second father to the Brady kids - even taking them all on a trip to London).
I didn't know much about Eve's personal background and found the stories about her parents interesting - especially her father's work in the music industry. (He signed The Monkees as a recording act!)
There is no nightmare descent in this celebrity bio -- except for some typical teenage rebellion, Eve seems centered and happy ... especially focusing on her art.
I enjoyed Happiness Included and recommend this book to other readers who grew up with The Brady Bunch. There were no photos included in the advanced reading copy, but I am assuming there must be pictures in the finished print/Kindle editions.
