The Good Stripper

A Soccer Mom's Memoir of Loss, Lies, and Lapdances

By: Marci Warhaft

Narrated by: Marci Warhaft

“Gentlemen! Put your hands together and welcome Cassidy to the stage!”

It wasn't the life Marci Warhaft envisioned for herself. A good student who had been accepted into a prestigious theatre school, a doting mother with two young sons, and there she was taking it all off in front of paying customers to Bootylicious by Destiny's Child.

The Good Stripper is an eye-popping journey: Warhaft reveals the punishing circumstances and self-destructive behaviors that shaped her early adulthood, including a bank-robbing stepfather, the loss of her beloved brother, eating disorders, and sexual misadventures during a dysfunctional marriage.

She describes, in honest, raw, and intimate detail, her struggles to recognize what was happening to her, and her sometimes misguided fight to regain control of her destiny. Above all, it is the story of how one woman, after years of living a double life, packing school lunches by day and giving lap dances by night, finally became the inspirational leader she was always meant to be.

©2020 Marci Warhaft (P)2021 Marci Warhaft

Critic reviews

"Wow! From the first line to the last, I was hooked. A mesmerizing, often shocking memoir for everyone out there who might be afraid to share their own struggles. A powerful and candid read!" (Rebecca Eckler, author of Knocked Up: Confessions of a Hip Mother-to-Be)

Inspirational!

The Good Stripper is a page-turner that's difficult to put down. If you want an honest, raw, and personal glimpse of the life of a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and stripper, Marci Warhaft invites you on a journey from her days as a student in Montreal to becoming an exotic dancer. Finally, you watch her transform into the inspirational, brutally honest (with finesse), and fearless human being she always was, but perhaps forgot about for a little while in her life.

Marci captivates you from the beginning and keeps you hooked until the end of the book. She describes her early life, family dynamics, anxiety, eating disorders, time as an exotic dancer, marital 'sexcapades', and the challenges that came with it all. Marci's writing style is casual and approachable; She makes you feel you're having a conversation with your best friend or sister.

I was rooting for Marci all the way through The Good Stripper. Marci had so many challenges to overcome, but she managed to not only find herself and keep going but also to thrive and inspire others.

Powerful and vulnerable

I've been reading Marci Warhaft's work on fitness, body image, and the mythology and disinformation in the "fitness" industry for years. I had no idea of the levels of personal struggle that built her expertise.

In "The Good Stripper", Marci takes her decades of pain, trauma, and abuse - abuse from others, and from herself - and sets it out for us to see. Most importantly, she doesn't take the oh-so-common narrative path of "I did it, so what's your excuse" (which is a key point in the book), or continue down the path of abuse. Instead, the book is about learning to love herself, every single part of herself, and to recognize that the scars she bears can help her guide others.

I first read the Kindle version of this book, which was extremely moving. When I found out that Marci had done her own narration for the audiobook, I picked it up right away. Hearing her tell her story in her own voice brought it even more vividly to life.

This is NOT a comfortable book to listen to, but the level of vulnerability she shows makes it immensely powerful.

A life story we all can need to hear !!

Thank you, Marci, for this incredible audio journey we all should hear in our life!

Wow

"The Good Stripper" offers a gripping and raw portrayal of Marci's journey. Through her candid narrative, she delves into the turbulent circumstances that led her down an unexpected path, including a tumultuous family background, personal loss and battles with self-destructive behaviors. With honesty and intimacy, she recounts her struggles to recognize her situation and reclaim control over her life. Despite the challenges, Warhaft's story ultimately evolves into one of resilience and inspiration as she emerges from her double life to become a leader. This eye-opening memoir sheds light on the complexities of personal growth and the power of perseverance.

Incredible story of courage and resilience

Marci did a great job narrating her story. I highly recommend this audible. The story truly touched my heart. It takes a lot of courage to lay your life out there and share it. She was able to overcame her tragedies and life challenges. I’m so happy to know she’s become such an inspirational influencer. If you enjoy true stories…this is a must.

Misleading title

I purchased this book hoping to read a memoir of a real stripper, like myself. This chick barely danced at one club and the whole book is about her personal struggle with self image. While I listened to it all, it was not anything close to the title. And I feel that the author put the word stripper in the title to be more shocking, capitalized in the lifestyle so to speak. I would not recommend this book for that reason.

It's not "Angela's Ashes"....

Not a memorable read nor a literary classic. Might be of some mild interest to those interested in weight and body image. The characters do not come alive, they are all shadowy, and there are many flaws with the production of this audiobook.