Life with My Sister Madonna

By Christopher Ciccone and Wendy Leigh

Christopher Ciccone's extraordinary memoir is based on his forty-seven years of growing up with, working with and understanding the most famous woman of our time who has intrigued, scandalized and entertained millions for half a century.

Through most of the iconic star's kaleidoscopic career, Christopher played an important role in her life: as her back-up dancer, her personal assistant, her dresser, her decorator, her art director, her tour director.

If you think you knew everything there is to know about Madonna, your are wrong. Only Christopher can tell the full-scale, riveting untold story behind Madonna's carefully constructed mythology, and the real woman behind the glittering façade.

From their shared Michigan childhood, which Madonna transcended, then whisked Christopher to Manhattan with her in the early eighties, where he slept on her roach-infested floor and danced with her in clubs all over town - Christopher was with her every step of the way, experiencing her first-hand in all her incarnations. The spoiled daddy's girl, the punk drummer, the raunchy Boy Toy, Material Girl, Mrs. Sean Penn, Warren Beatty's glamorous Hollywood paramour, loving mother, Mrs. Guy Ritchie, English grande dame - Christopher witnessed and understood all of them, as his own life was inexorably entwined with that of his chameleon sister.

He tangled with a cast of characters from artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, to Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Demi Moore and, of course, Guy Ritchie, whose advent in Madonna's life splintered the loving relationship Christopher once had with her.

The mirror image of his legendary sister, with his acid Ciccone tongue, Christopher pulls no punches as he tells his astonishing story.

Life with My Sister Madonnais the juicy, can't-put-it-down story you've always wanted to hear, as told by Madonna's younger brother.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Dec 9, 2008
• ISBN: 9781847375957

Christopher Ciccone

Christopher Ciccone began his professional career as a dancer with La Groupe de La Place Royal in Ottawa. He art directed Madonna's Blond Ambition tour and directed her The Girlie Show tour. He has directed music videos for Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett. He is an artist, interior decorator, and designer in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.

Reviews for Life with My Sister Madonna

[quondame · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Pretty much one continuous whine. A real object lesson in the pitfalls of having a massive celebrity in the family for both the celebrity and siblings who aren't able to create a strong identity independent of the star. Other than that, any truth is obscured by self-serving or fawning justification.

[desiree85_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought there would be a lot more scandal and insight into this iconic legend. It seemed more like whining - but was a guilty read nonetheless!

[cvosshans · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reading this book provides a glimpse into some aspects of Madonna's life that readers might otherwise not be aware of. I think when you read this you have to condsider that the author (her brother) may be biased. With that in mind, this book should be read with 'a grain of salt'. Otherwise, this memoir of Christopher's life as Madonna's brother is simply another person's perspective on past events and can be enjoyed as such. Reading this book doesn't change my views on Madonna; her life is far too removed from my own for me to have any strong opinions it. This book was a great travelling companion during the summer and a quick, easy read. The sometimes graphic details or adult situations make it more suitable for older teens and adults.

[indygo88 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Though many might disagree with me, I found this memoir surprisingly well-written, or at least very engaging, and I had trouble not reading it all in one sitting. Whether you like Madonna or not, her brother Christopher lays it all out & I think you'll come away with an altered perspective after reading this. Of course, there are always two sides to a story, and this one's bound to be biased, but I can't help but lose a little respect for Madonna after reading this. I've always had mixed feelings about Madonna -- I've respected her ability to become a success & she seems a very organized, structured individual, and overall I like her music, although I prefer the older stuff. But as a person, I've always questioned her morals & wonder what she's really trying to achieve. Her brother presents her as a selfish, attention-seeking person who cares little for the feelings of people around her, and I have no doubt that's an accurate description for the most part. Overall, I've lost more respect for her after reading this & I feel for Christopher and the way she's treated him, but at the same time I think he should have stood up for himself a long time ago. Essentially, they've both used each other through the years to get what they want, but obviously Christopher has ended up with the shorter straw. My hope is that Christopher Ciccone wrote this as a sincere therapeutic process as opposed to a money-making endeavor.

[cauterize · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this up because one of my favourite gossip websites, LaineyGossip.com, said it was a juicy read. And it is! The author is Madonna's brother, and by all accounts, was a close confidant and alter ego to Madonna from her rise as a popstar to Kabbalah earth mom. Apparently, they've had a somewhat recent fallout (he writes his side of that story), and whether you think it's repellent or not, he wrote this very dishy biography.For me, if someone is going to write a "tell-all" biography, it better have lots of dirty details. I hate it when you think you are going to get the inside scoop, but instead you get a few choice stories, but then a lot of factual dreck. I don't know what that says about me, but if I wanted a biography with a lot of quotes or facts, then I would have picked one of those up! However, this book really does give you the view of an insider, someone who is privy to the intimate details of a famous person's life. And it doesn't hold back.The only commentary I have about the content is that Ciccone does not talk about Madonna's process to create her music. No matter what else Madonna has done, she has always co-written her music and wants to be taken seriously as an artist. I'm not sure if this absence is because Ciccone has no clue how she makes her music or if music is of no interest to him. He goes on and on about the costumes, the dancing, the production of the shows - but this is where his job and interest lay.I'm not going to describe what Ciccone talks about in this book, because a reader isn't going to pick it up based on such a summary. I'll just say that this biography delivers on its promise, and if you're interested in inside details in Madonna's life, then it's a great guilty read.

[mcelhra · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

God, Christopher Ciccone is whiny. And catty. There is really no new information about Madonna in this book, it’s just Christopher whining about how she’s mistreated him all these years. Basically, every time he works for her, she rips him off (doesn’t pay him fairly, replaces him at the last minute, etc.) You know what – then quit working for her! Christopher can’t do that though because he has no formal training to do ANYTHING. Madonna lets him dance in her videos, design her houses, dress her for her tours, art direct her tours and gets her friends to give him gallery shows, even though he’s never formally trained do any of that. And all he does is bitch about how horrible it is to work for her. I’m not a huge Madonna fan; I just read this book because I like reading about the entertainment business and stars in general. But there was nothing new here - almost nothing about Madonna’s childhood, no insights into her personality. I really don’t think Madonna and Christopher were ever that close, even though they spent a lot of time together, because he relates virtual nothing about Madonna’s personal life. Or else he was never paying attention what was going on in it because he’s just as self-absorbed as she is.

[laila726 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. Gives an interesting glimpse inside Madonna's life. I'm sure that Christopher is no angel... as every story has two sides, but it was a great read.

[korynne_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a good book. If you have ever wondered about the type of person that Madonna really is then it's a must read. The book does center in on Christopher at some points, which isn't wrong, it's his book...but the really interesting points are about Madonna. I recommend it for a fast, easy read.