The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop was one memoir that was chock-full of behind-the-scenes stories and personal revelations. From her real name to her position on women’s rights, I gobbled up the pages (on audio, narrated by Bishop herself) written by my personal favorite Gilmore girl as fast as Lorelai talks.
Below, I share my top ten takeaways (as a superfan who has run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge to read the books on Gilmore Girls since 2021), as well as all the pros and cons of reading it yourself.
About The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
Book Details
- Release Date: September 17, 2024
- Paperback Release Date: September 8, 2026
- Publisher: Gallery Books
- Pages: 255
- Audiobook Narrator: Kelly Bishop
- Foreward: Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of Gilmore Girls
Quick Summary (Without Spoilers)
The Third Gilmore Girl is the memoir of the woman behind the famous role of Emily Gilmore. Actress Kelly Bishop reflects on her illustrious career, from winning a Tony Award in A Chorus Line to starring in Dirty Dancing and, of course, Gilmore Girls.
Through personal stories, she recounts her transition from dance to acting, her relationships, her advocacy for women’s rights, and so much more.
Book Review (Without Spoilers)
PROS AND CONS
PROS
- Short and easy to read
- Candid revelations
- Details her entire life
CONS
- More details on A Chorus Line than Gilmore Girls
Amy Sherman-Palladino best captured why Emily is my favorite Gilmore in her foreword:
Emily Gilmore: the monied matriarch of the Gilmore clan. […] I see her swagger, her icy stare, her cutting humor, her elegance, her deep hurt and vulnerability — which she covers with sarcasm and Chanel suits.
Kelly Bishop perfectly captures Emily’s blend of terrible and vulnerable. A villain you empathize with is a rarity. If you ask me, Kelly Bishop is the first Gilmore Girl (more worthy of the title than even Gran/Trix), but I understand why that may have seemed a presumptuous title and why she chose The Third Gilmore Girl instead.
Bishop’s status as a Hollywood icon shows in this forthright memoir of a long life in show business. She’s as headstrong as Emily but far more warm-hearted. She’s also more casual and driven by women’s rights and her love of animals.
She openly reveals deep secrets with confidence in her truths and shares all her greatest Gilmore Girls moments, from her favorite episode to her favorite Gilmore “guys.” She even shares her final words to Ed Hermann.
You’ll find new appreciation for her role as Emily and so much more beyond that.
It was also fun to learn about her other career highlights and details of her personal life, most of which I hadn’t known. Bishop’s special love for her mother was a beautiful thread woven throughout, keeping their love alive. Her love for her second husband was also palpable.
All in all, this memoir was begging to be told, and I’m so glad she told it. I devoured it in a few short hours for a delectable reading experience.
Reading Tip: The audiobook is narrated by Kelly Bishop herself, but the hardcover includes a section with full-color images. Choose wisely! I listened but skimmed through the photos at a bookstore.
Top Ten Takeaways (With Spoilers)
Below are ten notes I took on some of the biggest revelations in The Third Gilmore Girl. While there are spoilers, I tried to leave the details of these revelations for readers who read the book afterward.
1 – Carole Bishop is Kelly Bishop’s real name. She changed it to get her SAG card, since someone else already had that name. Kelly was an “alter ego,” a made-up name that became a nickname.
2 – Amy Sherman-Palladino’s foreword reveals that, after struggling to cast her Emily Gilmore, she immediately knew she was “the one.”
3 – Kelly had dyslexic traits in school, but she believed everyone struggled with words the way she did.
4 – Kelly had a robust love life, particularly in her younger years, and she is candid in sharing the details.
5 – Kelly’s real-life stories partly inspired Broadway’s A Chorus Line, in which she starred and for which she won a Tony Award.
6 – Kelly is very vulnerable in sharing her decision to have an abortion, the way it unfolded, and her activism for women’s rights.
7 – Kelly identifies as “a Rory.” She had a friend-like relationship with her mother. Her grandmother was her real-life version of Emily Gilmore.
8 – Kelly was mostly in the dark about Ed Hermann’s (Richard Gilmore’s) terminal brain cancer, but she was honored to be invited by his real-life wife to say goodbye to him in the hospital.
9 – Kelly is “Team Logan” and “Team Luke.”
10 – Kelly’s advice to others is to head in the direction of what you love.
