Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and Her Amazing Life [Hardcover]

Lloyd Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2006

"Being Martha is a personal-at times a searingly personal-account of Martha's life from the inside, by a friend. It's fascinating-very anecdotal and very emotional. It won't be like anything else you've ever read about her."
-John Small, editor of SaveMartha.com

From Being Martha

"Martha has taught people to do many things and not in the way an ordinary teacher would, but in her own particular way. She taught people about the good things in life-the simple things."
-Martha Kostyra, Martha's mother

"My mother and I have always been close. We are not closer since the trial and prison-we've always been close. . . . Don't we all want a better life? No matter what they say about my mom, all she ever does is teach the world good things that will help them in life. So what if she shows you the perfect way to do it? Would you want your professor at school to do anything less in any other subject? Her fans know what she's all about."
-Alexis Stewart, Martha's daughter

"It was all about going and finding a piece of land and living off of it, learning how to get back to nature. Listening to banjos, listening to folk music, discovering Leadbelly and the Mamas and the Papas. We used to have the greatest evenings with a bunch of hospitable people. Martha would make pies and other things for the occasions."
-George Christiansen, Martha's brother, about the early years

"Martha raised the bar for me and made me think big. . . . We have an alley cat, Ricky, that lives next door at the deli, and he roams in and out of the neighborhood. Ricky has no tail, he's dirty, and he acts like a dog. One morning during the trial, Martha was in the salon wearing a three-thousand-dollar Jil Sander suit. She was sitting on one of the chairs in the back. Ricky came in and jumped on top of her and was all over her, licking her neck and putting paw marks all over her. Martha said, 'Oh my God, this cat is so dirty, this is such a dirty little cat!' But she let him crawl all over her. She just dusted the hair and dirt off. She really has a lot of kindness in her."
-Eva Scrivo, Martha's friend and hairdresser

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Get ready for the slew of books on Martha Stewart now that her prison term is completed--some obnoxiously pro-Martha, others tenuous (since, after all, she is one of the world's wealthiest women), and some straightforward, without bias. Former Connecticut neighbor Allen definitely falls in the first category--all Martha, all the way. There is little, in fact, to report on the negative front; Allen had ample access to family and friends to paint a flattering portrait. To be sure, her ego reads loud and clear, like her yearbook quote: "I do what I please and I do it with ease." Tracing her background back to the Kostyra household, he touches on her multitude of successes--in modeling, stock brokerage, catering, and book publishing and as CEO--along with the well-documented ImClone troubles. Occasionally, as a seeming sop to the critics, he'll add a few words of so-called objectivity--for instance, she had "trouble connecting with people on an intimate level." On the whole, nothing is probed in detail; it's fairly clear that this not-so-authorized bio has been blessed by the powers that be.

Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Inside Flap

When Martha's longtime friend and former neighbor Lloyd Allen heard those negative stories, he hardly recognized the generous, fun-loving, and down-to-earth woman he's known and loved for years, and after she was indicted, he told Martha he was going to write this book. With Being Martha, Allen introduces you to the flesh-and-blood woman behind the glamorous public image. Drawing on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews with Martha; her family, including her mother, her daughter, Alexis, her sister Laura, and her brother George; and many of her closest friends and colleagues over the years, the author at last shows us the real Martha: an enormously talented, passionate, determined, and hard-working woman who has achieved phenomenal success by inspiring and enriching the lives of millions.

Lloyd Allen weaves together fascinating, never-before-told stories and details from Martha's early years as a model, stockbroker, and caterer, telling the true story of how an always-busy Connecticut homemaker broke through big-time to become the world's most successful businesswoman at the helm of the company that bears her name, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. You'll meet Martha the mentoring teacher and benefactor through the eyes of the many people who view their time with her as the turning point in their careers, even their lives. You'll see Martha's carefree and wild side as she enjoys the simplest things with the excitement and wonder of a kid encountering them for the first time. Allen also describes what Martha really went through during her trial and prison term and how these experiences changed her—making her stronger, more grounded, and more determined than ever to help people learn to enjoy the good things in life.

As Martha Stewart begins the next phase of her life, with multiple television shows and new venture after new venture in the works, Being Martha is a must-read for her legion of fans—and for anyone who wants to understand the real Martha Kostyra Stewart.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471771015
• ISBN-13: 978-0471771012
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #756,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( S ) > Stewart, Martha

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Biography of a friend, February 4, 2006

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and Her Amazing Life (Hardcover)

Lloyd Allen is honest with us from the very beginning when he tells us that (a) he's not a writer, and (b) he's a friend and neighbor to Martha Stewart. Right away we can understand his point of view, and he doesn't disappoint us. By taking his own observations and adding those told by Martha's mother, daughter, siblings, and former and current employees, Allen provides a casual, chronological look at Martha Stewart's life. It's not a lurid tell-all. So much the better.

Martha Kostyra Stewart emerges as one of those folks whose background and life course have directed and prepared her for exactly who she is today. As a child, her early family life was one including gardening, cooking, and creating. With her father's culture of perfectionism added to the mix, it's easy to see how the young girl acquired her skills and work ethic. She later brought these to the forefront as a young married woman when she and husband Andy Stewart settled into a farmhouse called Turkey Hill in Westport, Connecticut. That's where she began her home-based catering business, encouraging and empowering other women to work with her, turning traditional "women's work" into a successful business venture. The vignettes told of that time reflect grueling work and long hours, to be sure, but also include times of fun and laughter. Her personality affects the people she meets in such a way that they want to get close to her, they want to work with her. And eating in restaurants with her must be a hoot.

Told in first person by Allen, "Being Martha" covers those business beginnings and informally follows the steady rise of her career, including her 1987 divorce, 2004-05 stint in jail and even stronger emergence afterward. 16 pages of personal and unique photos, many in color, supplement the story. As for the writing style: yes, we can find a few clumsy sentences, misplaced modifiers, and unusual turns of phrase in the text. But generally speaking, "Being Martha" is an interesting read and is the nifty little tribute it was intended to be. It is made of good ingredients, and fans should eat it up.

Allen seems to have released this book just in the nick of time. In early 2006, Martha Stewart announced that she was selling the Turkey Hill property and leaving Westport. That means that she and Allen will no longer be neighbors. Based on what we read here, we may be assured that their friendship will continue.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Observing Martha, January 24, 2006

By 

J. Kelly (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and Her Amazing Life (Hardcover)

Being Martha effectively counters most of the outrageously over-the-top personal accusations against Martha Stewart that permeated the media during the past several years. Using personal observations from the author, her daughter Alexis, brother George, sister Laura and numerous friends, co-workers and former employees many negative Martha legends are successfully challenged if not put to rest. For example, after reading in Being Martha that Martha Stewart and her former husband helped raise her youngest brother and sister, educated them and then employed them, it becomes necessary to question the previous portraits of Martha that depict her as callous to the needs of those close to her or worse that she lacks maternal feelings altogether. While Being Martha is at best a light and fast read, ultimately, it may be the most fair portrayal of Martha Stewart yet. I mean, how can you trust the honesty, motivations or research skills of other Martha "experts" who claimed to have the inside details of Martha Stewart's life but failed to mention that she had two extra kids practically living with her?

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, The real Martha, February 7, 2006

By 

James Hatsis "AHR" (Greensboro, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and Her Amazing Life (Hardcover)

I didn't know what to expect, but I can say I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I found out that the Martha we see in the press is nothing like the real person. I found out that Martha is a kind caring person who wants success for others around her as much as for herself. She has helped and inspired countless people both personally and professionally. I was inspired by this book. A great read. I would buy it again.