“I come from a long line….of medicated women”

... And so begins these 380 hilarious and heartwarming pages, as Sally documents and celebrates the insanity of the ordinary and the angst of the extraordinary.

From her early beginnings on Chicago’s Southside, to her years as a solo artist, and a founding and touring member of that marvelous musical comedy theatre troupe, THE FOUR BITCHIN’ BABES, Sally chronicles her comical, goof-and flaw-filled life—as a musician, mother, step mother, M&M-addicted mother of three, and care-giving-designated, daughter of a Jewish Manic Depressive mother (trifecta!)

Yet, with love and compassion, Sally honors those medicated Matriarchs, whose legacy included great boobs, big thighs, wack-a-doodle DNA, but most importantly, devotion and concern for family. This is their story.

You’ll find forty essays & stories, family (secret!) recipes, and thirty-three song lyrics, as each song lyric follows the story that motivated its’ creation.

Stories such as …

• “Greetings From the Land of Lime Jello and Really Bad Sanka”
• “What Married Women Want To Hear”
• “My Medicated Women”
• “J-Date and the Internet Dating Pool”
• “What’s Up With Jewish Composers and Christmas Hits?” & more, read samples.

Of course, Sally includes a few twisted family recipes like:

• “Bubbe Chicken your Grandmother Wishes She Could Make”
• “Naomi Garfinkel’s Mandel Bread, So Good You’ll Get Invited to Every Party, They’ll Want You Should Bring It.”
• “Naomi Garfinkel’s Sweet Dairy Kugle, So Good You’ll Get Invited to Every Party, They’ll Want You Should Bring It.”

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REVIEWS FROM AMAZON:

thanks to this funny and authentic book

"You know that glow you feel after spending an afternoon chatting with a girlfriend over a cup of tea (or a glass of wine)? You've laughed out loud, you've discussed foibles and heartaches, you've bragged a little about your kids, compared notes on the state of your marriage? And you come away refreshed and somehow newly insightful about your life and your world - replenished and ready to begin anew? That's what reading the Mental Yentl gives you! Sally Fingerett has a gift for focusing on the details of her life and her experience and somehow transforming those experiences into a more universal view of the cycles of a woman's life - as a daughter, a mother, a wife, a worker, a friend. We should all be lucky enough to spend an afternoon with Fingerett. Wait...thanks to this funny and authentic book, we can! Lucky us!!" – Donna Verified Purchase

funny, poignant

"Clever, funny, poignant, and well written. A very enjoyable journey. Highly recommend!" – PiCo Verified Purchase

Great book

"Great book! Sally has a wonderful way with words and attention to the hilarious, as well as the poignant, moments that our lives are so full of. One minute I was laughing and the next I was crying... it was like a good therapy session! A great book for the in between moments when you need a lift." – Joy Verified Purchase

Wanna laugh out loud and then cry and then laugh again!?

"As I read these stories, I cried and then laughed out loud, and cried again and laughed again. Ms. Fingerett has a way of creating images that drew me in and I became an observer standing the sidewalk watching Grandpa Sam, sitting at the Passover table and noticing the china, and sitting in the audience of a great musician, wanting her to be my friend. The matched songs on the CD have a wonderful spirit unto themselves. They create the colorful texture in-between the writings. This book is a great read in pieces or out of order or with the accompanying music -- It won't matter how or where you read it -- it WILL, however, matter if you don't." – rc Verified Purchase

Take Erma Bombeck & David Sedaris, Joni Mitchell & Aretha Franklin, Jackie Mason & Billy Joel, toss them into a Nutri-Bullit, microwave on high to realign the molecular structure, sprinkle in a curious notion of the world and its craziness, add a fixed Jewish nose, throw in a guitar and piano, and you’ve got one Mental Yentl^®!

Whether it's a full blown concert of songs and stories, or an evening of readings and discussions, Sally celebrates the humorous wackadoodle in our daily lives.

Some of the following videos are live performances from Sally's Mental Yentl Show, and live Four Bitchin' Babe shows. Then there are the Deirdre Flint Babe produced videos of Sally songs, (Boy on Wheels, Chocolate, The Dreidel Do Over) and the hysterical very true to life animated peek at "Babes backstage!"

Working with the best editor ever, Katherine Matthews is a beloved and brilliant instructor at the (James) Thurber House Literary Center.  Known for its prestigious Thurber Prize for American Humor, where past winners and finalists include David Sedaris, Jon Stewart, Andy Borowitz, Trevor Noah, and David Letterman (just to name a few!), Katherine teaches and produces tremendous programming for writers of all genres.  When it came to finding my village, I chose wisely!!  And and like me, Katherine knows good candy!!!  

Oh to be among the other writers on this poster! I felt so chi-chi-tre'-tre'-boom-boom. I'd arrived!!!!

Look how pretty my purple book shows up!!

My mother would have been so proud. As I stood before this lovely community of "readers" as we shared and laughed at our cultural mishigas (go look it up!), I froze as they all threw their books in the air for this photo! A total PLOTZ!  (You'll find plotz not far from where you found mishegas)

A very marvelous and intimate evening, celebrating with a Florida chapter of Lions of Judah an altruistic and lovely philanthropic organization. As strange as it was to read from a book, rather than sing with an instrument, I experienced the same interaction and laughter, and it was great fun to see how people reacted to our similarities. I felt so normal and regular. I was not alone, aaahhhhhhh!

Here, at lunch, celebrating the closing of the outstanding "Author Event" hosted by these dedicated organizers and caring donors in Naples Florida!  This event from start to finish set the bar and spoiled me rotten!