Tremendous

Joey Diaz tells his own life story in this memoir. Today he acts in hit movies, plays sold-out tours, hosts the podcast Uncle Joey's Joint, and is a devoted father, but the road to that point was far rougher than his current success suggests. He credits his rise to the hard-working, never-quit outlook his mother passed down to him as an immigrant, a survival skill many outsiders rely on.

As a boy, Diaz helped his tough, no-nonsense mother run her bar. By six, he was handling a gun for the first time. As a young man he sold drugs and went to prison. Through all of it he was a comedian at heart, though it took him a long time to recognize that and turn it into a career.

The book does not shy away from its darker stretches, including finding his mother's body, dangerous criminal episodes, addiction, and depression. Diaz recounts these events with blunt honesty and humor, in the same conversational voice he uses on stage or over a drink with friends. The memoir will appeal to immigrants, readers who enjoy stories of celebrity life, and comedy fans, and it offers a message to anyone who has felt like an outsider: circumstances that seem hopeless can change in ways no one predicts.