This hilarious and thoughtful memoir from comedy legend Anjelah Johnson-Reyes explores questions of identity, belonging, and her two dreams as a kid: to be an actress and to be a chola.
You may knowAnjelah Johnson-Reyes for her viral sketch Nail Salon (over 100 million views globally) orher beloved MadTV character Bon Qui Qui, but its her clean humor and hilarious storytelling that make her one of the most successful stand-up comedians and actresses today.
With her razor-sharp wit,Anjelah recounts funny stories from her journeyfrom growing up caught between two worlds (do chips and salsa go with potato salad?) to unexpectedly embracing faith (';I love Jesus, but I will punch a ';ho') to her many adventures in dating (she may or may not have accepted dates simply for the food). Through it all, Anjelah transforms from a suburban-adjacent kid with Aquanet-drenched hair into a devoted Christian who abstains from drinking and premarital sex, into a mall-famous Oakland Raiders cheerleader, and then an actually famous comedian traveling the world and meeting people from all-walks of life, including Oprah. No biggie. (Huge biggie.) As she travelsthe world, Anjelahhaseye-openingexperiences, and she morphsfrom square, rigid Anjelah into ';Funjelah,' and learns that shecan still ride with Jesus without squashing the other parts of herpersonality.
Anjelahs stories explore subjects such as navigatingyourracial identity,finding your place in the world, chasing your crazy dreams, embracing the messiness of an evolvingfaith, andsearching for belonging and meaning.Through her journey, Anjelahgets closer to discovering her true identity and encourages readersto havethe audacity to dreambig.
