A Pocketful of Happiness: A Memoir by Grant, Richard E.
Richard E. Grant
Books

A Pocketful of Happiness: A Memoir -- Richard E. Grant, Hardcover


"One of the bravest, strongest, funniest memoirs I've ever read." --Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
"A moving and entertaining celebration of life and love." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Academy Award-nominated actor Richard E. Grant's memoir about finding happiness in even the darkest of days.

Richard E. Grant emigrated from Swaziland to London in 1982, with dreams of making it as an actor. Unexpectedly, he met and fell in love with a renowned dialect coach Joan Washington. Their relationship and marriage, navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, parenthood, and loss, lasted almost forty years. When Joan died in 2021, her final challenge to him was to find a "pocketful of happiness in every day."

This honest and frequently hilarious memoir is written in honor of that challenge--Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares raw detail of everything he has experienced: both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail and I to his thrilling Oscar Award nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Told with candor in Richard's utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny, and moving celebration of life's unexpected joys.

Author: Richard E. Grant
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 08/01/2023
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.14lbs
Size: 9.29h x 6.25w x 1.13d
ISBN: 9781668030691

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/24/2023
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2023
Booklist 06/01/2023 pg. 24
Library Journal 07/01/2023 pg. 70
Shelf Awareness 08/04/2023

About the Author
Richard E. Grant was launched to fame in 1987 cult classic Withnail and I. Since then, he has gone on to star in a wide variety of films, including his Oscar nominated performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? in 2018. An avid reader, in 2021 he hosted the BBC's literary travel series Write Around the World with Richard E. Grant. He married Joan Washington in 1986, and has a daughter, Olivia. You can find him on Twitter @RichardEGrant and Instagram at @richard.e.grant.