THE BACKSTORY

Maher chronicles his path from Indiana to North Carolina, where he built a career as a house appraiser before finding success as an actor in major films and TV series.

The 50-year-old author is a working actor who’s appeared in many minor roles in high-profile productions, including the Netflix series House of Cards and the action-franchise film The Fate of the Furious. In these pages, he chronicles his winding path to that success, and the happy result is a mix of warm Generation X nostalgia and a dissection of life’s many ups and downs. Readers will be pulled in by Maher’s natural storytelling, whether he’s detailing a recurring childhood nightmare (“The Shadow Man”) or his days spent at his grandfather’s worm farm. After witnessing the sudden death of a loved one, Maher became more self-conscious as a teen. Like many other children of the 1980s, he embraced his love of heavy metal and Dungeons & Dragons. Much of the book leans heavily on nostalgia; indeed, Gen X and elder millennials will enjoy the numerous chapters about life in the United States pre-9/11 and before the financial crisis of 2008. After years of playing music on the side and pursuing his profession as a house appraiser, Maher faced bankruptcy as a result of the Great Recession. His passion for the stage and for acting was invigorated, however, leading to some roles on hit TV shows and movies. Along the way, readers will enjoy Maher’s casual, conversational style as he talks about his first love, first jobs, pets (“I had zero interest in wanting a cat before that little bastard suckered his way into my life”), and general observations about life. The memoir lacks a clear thematic framework, and, by the end, some may feel dissatisfied by its lack of structure. However, Maher’s affable writing will win over many readers. He’s exceptionally good at chronicling conversations with various people in his life, and these passages are a particular delight to read. Overall, it’s a tale of an intriguing life, told with breezy humor and confident wisdom.

A lighthearted but earnest backstory that reads like a conversation with an old friend.