“I wear my mistakes like badges of honor, and I celebrate them.”

Amy Schumer was born to upper middle class Jewish parents in New York; her parents lost their business when she was a tween and shortly after her father was diagnosed with MS. Her mother cheated on her father, who was probably fooling around on her too, and the couple eventually divorced. As a teenager, Amy idolized her mother but as an adult she has reflected on her past and has conflicted feelings about their relationship.

Being the child of an alcoholic father and whatever my mom is has made me almost incapable of believing that the people I love won’t leave me or hurt me in a way I didn’t think they were capable of.

Like many people who became overnight sensations, Amy toiled away for years perfecting her craft. She talks about her first time performing at a comedy club and the high she got from it. She spent years waiting tables, living in dumps and spending all her money to pay for open mic nights. She recognizes that, while she was under-prepared for the touring aspect of the show, Last Comic Standing changed her life. She admits being “new money” rich is full of perks but at the end of the day she just really loves stand-up.

While Amy makes it clear that The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo is not her auto-biography (because she is too young) she goes through many of the “autobiography” motions. She gets pretty real about her life: like how she was date raped as a teenager and in an abusive relationship after college.  There are light-hearted moments, most of them involve her sister, and lots of silly pictures scattered throughout the chapters. Amy also takes the opportunity to highlight her work with gun control following the shootings in Louisiana during a Trainwreck showing- shaming politicians who have taken money from gun lobbyists.

She is open and honest with her readers. Her self-deprecating sense of humor makes for a quick and enjoyable read.