Behind the Laughter by Anthony Griffith and Brigitte Travis-Griffin

Synopsis: Personal testimonies from an American Comedian... and his wife.

Writing Style: Straightforward. Passionate. Warm.

Pacing: Fast.

Personal Highlights: For starters... the clean humor, and Anthony and Brigitte's take on life (marriage and morality vs. getting paid humor) was refreshing to read. The sneakers (gym shoes) jokes really landed. Too funny. I liked the Lexus joke and was tickled by the way Anthony's grandmother remembered things, and of course laughed about his mother showing up at an event where she didn't want much fuss made of her, but then dressed the way she had. Simply put, the humor is delightful, like his description of his first appearance on the Tonight Show. Truly engaging.

But of course, as the title implies, there is much more to Anthony and Brigitte's story. Aside from the racial profiling and stereotypes, there is a much tougher narrative behind the laughter. In tag team fashion husband and wife share what it was like being married, while Anthony managed a demanding career and Brigitte handled the day-to-day caring for their daughter born with serious health challenges. So touching, and yet redeeming, thus overall inspiring. Highly Recommended. Read the hardback copyright 2019 edition.