Music to My Years: A Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up

Cristela Alonzo

Oct 2019 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

This memoir is “an emotional journey that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between” (Wanda Sykes) as it explores comedian, writer, and producer Cristela Alonzo’s childhood as a first-generation Mexican American in Texas and her dreams to pursue a career in comedy.

When Cristela Alonzo and her family lived as squatters in an abandoned diner, they only had two luxuries: a television and a radio. These became her pop cultural touchstones and a guiding light that ushered her forward.

In Music to My Years, Cristela shares her experiences and struggles of being a first-generation American, her dreams of becoming a comedian, and how it feels to be a creator in a world that often minimizes people of color and women. Her stories range from the ridiculous—like the time she made her own tap shoes out of bottle caps or how the theme song of The Golden Girls landed her in the principal’s office—to the sobering moments, like how she turned to stand-up comedy to grieve the heartbreaking loss of her mother and how, years later, she’s committed to giving back to the community.

Each significant moment of the book relates to a song, and the resulting playlist is deeply moving, resonant, and unforgettable. Music to My Years is “a timely reminder that regardless of economic status, race, or gender, love is the connection that ties together all humanity” (Booklist).

Ratings and reviews

Great book , the chapter about her mom had me bawling for the whole chapter. I have to confess that I didn't know much about the author, I know she had a TV show and that she was a stand-up comedian. However after reading this book , I have lots of respect for her. Hopefully she'll give it another try to do another tv show about her life. It was a pleasure and fast paced book to read.

About the author

Cristela Alonzo is a comedian, actor, and producer. She was the first Latina to create, produce, and star in her own network sitcom, Cristela. She became the first Latina lead in a Disney Pixar film, Cars 3. Alonzo’s stand-up special, Lower Classy, can be streamed on Netflix. Cristela is an advisory board member for the nonprofit media and culture organization, Define American, and a board member for La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. She lives in Los Angeles.