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Read The Third Gilmore Girl book review for behind-the-scenes stories and personal revelations by Kelly Bishop. Her candidness in telling her life story makes this one of the best memoirs for Gilmore Girls fans and beyond. You’ll learn top takeaways, pros, cons, and more. Let’s get literary!

Book review of the third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop.

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

  • My Rating: ★★★★☆

Memoir Details

  • Release Date: September 17, 2024
  • Publisher: Gallery Books
  • Pages: 255
  • Audiobook Narrator: Kelly Bishop
  • Foreward: Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of Gilmore Girls

Book Summary (Without Spoilers)

The Third Gilmore Girl is the memoir of the woman behind the famous role of Emily Gilmore. Actress Kelly Bishop reflects on her illustrious career, from winning a Tony Award in A Chorus Line to starring in Dirty Dancing and, of course, Gilmore Girls.

Through personal stories, she recounts her transition from dance to acting, her relationships, her advocacy for women’s rights, and so much more.


Top Ten Takeaways (With Spoilers)

Below are ten notes I took on some of the biggest revelations in The Third Gilmore Girl. While there are spoilers, I still tried to leave the details of these revelations for the reader who reads the book afterward.

Warning: If you don’t want any spoilers, then skip to the next section.

1 – Carole Bishop is Kelly Bishop’s real name. She changed it to get her SAG card, as a member already had her name. Kelly was an “alter ego,” made-up name that became a nickname.

2 – Amy Sherman-Palladino’s foreward reveals that, after struggling to cast her Emily Gilmore, she immediately knew she was “the one.”

3 – Kelly had dyslexic traits in school, but she believed everyone struggled with words the way she did.

4 – Kelly had a robust love life, particularly in her younger years, and she is candid in sharing the details.

5 – Kelly’s real-life stories partly inspired Broadway’s A Chorus Line, in which she starred and for which she won a Tony award.

6 – Kelly is very vulnerable in sharing her decision to have an abortion, the way it unfolded, and her activism for women’s rights.

7 – Kelly identifies as “a Rory.” She had a friend-like relationship with her mother. Her grandmother was her real-life version of Emily Gilmore.

8 – Kelly was mostly in the dark about Ed Hermann’s (Richard Gilmore’s) terminal brain cancer, but she was honored to be invited by his real-life wife to say goodbye to him in the hospital.

9 – Kelly is “Team Logan” and “Team Luke.”

10 – Kelly’s advice to others is to head in the direction of what you love.

Book Review (Without Spoilers)

PROS AND CONS


PROS

  • Short and easy to read
  • Candid revelations
  • Details her entire life

CONS

  • More details on A Chorus Line than Gilmore Girls

If you ask me, Kelly Bishop is the FIRST Gilmore Girl (more worthy of the title than even Gran), but I get why that may have seemed a presumptuous title and why she chose The Third Gilmore Girl instead.

Amy Sherman-Palladino best captured why Emily is my favorite Gilmore in her forward:

Emily Gilmore: the monied matriarch of the Gilmore clan. […] I see her swagger, her icy stare, her cutting humor, her elegance, her deep hurt and vulnerability — which she covers with sarcasm and Chanel suits.

While I lead The Rory Gilmore Book Club, I believe Kelly Bishop perfectly captures Emily’s blend of terrible and vulnerable, which is not easy! A villain you empathize with is a rarity. So, color me excited to devour this celebrity memoir in just a few hours.

Bishop’s status as a Hollywood icon shows in this forthright memoir of a long life in show business. She’s as headstrong as Emily but far more warm-hearted. She’s also more casual and driven by women’s rights and her love of animals.

She openly reveals deep secrets with confidence in her truths and shares all her greatest Gilmore Girls moments, from her favorite episode to her favorite Gilmore “guys.” She even tells the reader her final words to Ed Hermann.

You’ll find new appreciation for her role as Emily and so much more beyond that.

It was also fun to learn about her other career highlights and details of her personal life, most of which I hadn’t known. Bishop’s special love for her mother was a beautiful thread woven throughout, keeping their love alive. Her love for her second husband was also palpable.

All in all, this memoir was begging to be told, and I’m so glad she told it.

Reading Tip: The audiobook is very well narrated by Kelly Bishop herself, but the hardcover contains a section with full-color images. Choose wisely based on this information! I listened but skimmed through the photos at a bookstore.

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book with coffee mug on top of it.

remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules

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One Comment

  1. I totally agree with your “con” above; I really wish she had shared more details about her time on GG! Still thoroughly enjoyed the memoir.