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Performer Marie Osmond pens new book filled with funny and moving stories

Deseret News (Salt Lake City) April 14, 2009 | Emiley Morgan Deseret News A September house fire in 2005 left Marie Osmond watching as the portion of her home that housed her office — and years worth of journals — went up in smoke.

A few years later, at the urging of her friend and one-time co- author, Marcia Wilkie, Osmond decided to write down some of her favorite memories and important life lessons for her children to read later.

Wilkie sent the transcripts to Osmond’s agent, and the result is “Might as Well Laugh About It Now” (New American Library, 301 pages, $25), a new book composed of funny, interesting and moving stories, anecdotes and experiences.

The book is easy-to-read and is written in a conversational tone that makes the reader feel as though Osmond is a friend retelling stories from her life instead of a distant celebrity.

Taken from various points in her life, Osmond said that, while it was difficult to narrow down the experiences to include, she wanted to arrange the book like a collection of readable short stories.

“We’re all really busy women,” she said. “And, to me, a book has to be user-friendly. Whether you are taking the kids to the soccer game or getting the color in your hair or waiting before a meeting or sitting on an airplane, it’s just something you could pick up and read.” The book’s title came from one of Osmond’s life philosophies: “You’re going to laugh about it someday … might as well laugh about it now.” She said positive thinking and a sense of humor have always helped her. site marie osmond wedding

“As long as you’re learning and living and laughing, it’s OK,” Osmond said. “It’s about attitude. You have to be positive or life will get you down.” As for the book’s specific contents, Osmond said she chose more current stories, like one about “Dancing With the Stars” to more “tender” ones, like the experience she had filming with actress Shelley Winters.

“The Shelley Winters story was really poignant, and it hit me at a point in my life when I was moving into my career.” Osmond said. “I just thought that it was really life changing that she would have given it all back. She had everything that Hollywood could have given anybody, and she would have given everything back to have her daughter in her life.” That story taught Osmond about the importance of family, which is also a recurring theme throughout the book. Nearly all of the stories relate in some way to her parents, brothers and children.

“You look at the world today where families are torn apart … and family is the one constant in everyone’s life. Heartbreaking stories about girls from broken homes that became attached to my parents; these girls came in from Denmark and said: You saved us, your music saved us through the harder times, the closeness of your family, we want a close family.” She said that family is, in some ways, like a community, and that everyone is searching for community. She hopes to create and foster those connections in any way she can. marieosmondwedding.com marie osmond wedding

“People want to follow something,” Osmond said. “We belong to this great need, this place of wanting to belong to something and I do believe people feel that way. I think that’s why we like to do things like quilting or collecting dolls or listening to music. They want to belong to something that feels like community.” Much of what she has done, such as designing, she has done in an effort to unite people and build community.

“With my sewing, crafting and quilting, we’ve gotten younger girls because it’s so much fun, no pun intended,” Osmond said. “Not s-e-w ‘sew much fun’… but I love things that unite women and bring women of different generations together.” The Osmond family on the whole has built a strong community of fans. She said one of the stories in the book, discussing her mother’s long friendship with Elvis, explains why the Osmonds always strive to stay close to their fans. Even Osmond’s current show with her brother Donny at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, has a fan-centered element.

“We do a meet-and-greet after the shows and we don’t have to do them, and they can take 45 minutes after the show, but we want to because people come from all over the world.” She explained how those meet-and-greets usually go, bringing in a diverse mix of fans.

“These women say to Donny, ‘We’ve wanted to meet you for years’ and their husbands are like: ‘Go ahead and hug her, she’s loved you longer than she’s loved me.’ We get doll people, people who loved ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and we’re enjoying it.” Donny and Marie have so enjoyed their run in Las Vegas that they’ve extended and she said that her family has also loved the change.

“There’s a wonderful community here and the kids are so happy, as a single mom it’s great for your kids to have friends, sports and school. Something solid and consistent. And, as a mom it’s a great gig.” If you go What: Marie Osmond “Might As Well Laugh About It Now” book signing Where: Costco Wholesale, Orem, 468 E. 800 South When: April 16, 5 p.m.

Phone: 801-851-5003 Web: costco.com Web>Also …

What: Marie Osmond “Might As Well Laugh About It Now” book signing Where: Deseret Book, Midvale, 1110 E. Fort Union Blvd.

When: April 17, 6 p.m.

Phone: 801-561-8777 Web: deseretbook.com Emiley Morgan Deseret News