Cry for Me, Argentina : My Life As a Failed Child Star

Beautiful Country meets I’m Glad My Mom Died in this hilarious, moving memoir by Argentine-American comedian Tamara Yajia about growing up between two worlds as an immigrant.

From the day she was born, Tamara Yajia entered the world on a wave of absurdity. She was the newest member of a family no one would call normal, from her grandfather the salami obsessed poppers salesman, to her mother, the OnlyFans model. Not only is her family the type of people who’ll try anything once, like moving to the United States and becoming the owners of a food stand named “Sexy Chicken,” but they’ll try anything multiple times, like moving back to Argentina, then back to the United States, all while Tamara manages to achieve some success as a pre-teen child actress after a jaw dropping performance where she strips down to a garter belt in front of a crowd of rabbis.

The road doesn’t get easier for a 12-year-old Argentinian Jew trying to make it big in Orange County. The disappointment of giving up her childhood career as a performer makes for a rather tumultuous coming of age. But through grit, hustle, and a series of creative endeavors like joining a girl band, and performing her own one-woman show, Cumming of Age, Tam has made it through, and she’s ready to spill some shit—figuratively and literally.

Featuring an unlikely combination of comedy and tragedy, generational struggle, and filthy sex jokes, Tamara Yajia’s debut memoir is the messy, blazing story of a young Argentine trying to survive while holding on to her confidence, ambition, and sense of humor.